Interview with Shelby Walker

Shelby “Girl” Walker scored an impressive and dominant KO victory last night over Mary Elena Bautista in Tustin, California. The heavy-hitting South Floridian beauty upped her record to 7-4-1 with 6 KO’s. Here’s the first of a NEW BI series called “Shelby’s Ring Dream Chronicles” which will periodically detail her personal journey in the wild and wacky world of pro boxing.

Boxinginsider.com: You won the fight…

Shelby Girl: “I did. I’m so happy. I’m so happy. I won. I knocked her down in round two. A straight right hand sent her down. It was bad, brutal. This girl was triple tough. I can’t believe the way she hung in there. She was a Mexican girl, she came into the ring wearing a sombrero with the Mexican music and everything. I got some good work. I’m very happy.”

Boxinginsider.com: What was clicking for you in this victory?

Shelby Girl: “My defense is much more on. It’s such a good feeling to know when punches are coming and to be able to get out of the way fast enough. That’s something that I never had in my arsenal. In the past I’ve always just taken punches to land my punches.”

Boxinginsider.com: Did you have any trouble or problems in this match?

Shelby Girl: “She was really strong and quite a bit bigger than me by the time the fight started. I won every round. I was putting together combinations, my punches felt crisp and sharp. I felt really, really good. Didn’t have any problems. My right hand was landing every time. I cannot believe she was still standing in the 6th round.”

Boxinginsider.com: What did your trainer Howard Davis Jr. have to say? Was he pleased with your performance?

Shelby Girl: “He was so happy. He picked me up off the ground and kissed me! His fighters went 3-0 this week, all by knockout. He’s so happy. (Davis’s son Dyah won by 1st round KO and his welterweight Said Ouali won in the 3rd, both in Boynton Beach.)

Boxinginsider.com: What was the main event at your show?

Shelby Girl: “I was! It was in Orange County, California at the Marconi Automotive Museum. It was a black tie charity event. The tables were $10,000 each. About 800 people were there. It was great. I was a little nervous. It was my first boxing match with American Top Team. A lot was on the line with me. I wanted to show everyone at American Top Team I do belong there. And I do have a future in fighting.”

Boxinginsider.com: Did you have any injuries in the match? And what did you learn from this win?

Shelby Girl: “No, I’m fine. Just a bruise on my shoulder and a small bruise on the side of my face. Other than that, I’m fine. I’m just really, really, really happy. I learned lots – hard work and dedication in the gym really pays off in the ring. I just need fights now. I’m still gonna go to the gym and keep doing what I’ve been doing, I just need fights now to get more experience. I’m gonna try to start booking as many fights as possible. To get as much experience as I can.”

Boxinginsider.com: Anything else you’d like to add?

Shelby Girl: “I had a lot of fun in my fight. On the way to the ring, Howard said, Just relax, go in there and have a good time. All the hard work is over. He was right. I really had fun. I also want to thank Boxinginsider.com and Sportsbook.com for everything they did. And Cobb28. Without them this wouldn’t be possible. They paid for my travel expenses and ring gear. And I want to say thank you to American Top Team. And Howard Davis Jr. is the greatest coach ever!”

Coach Howard Davis critiques his protege’s KO performance:

“We had a big win – knocked her out at 1:47 of the 6th round. She showed better defense. Her combinations were much more effective in this fight. Her foot movement was good. Her punches were powerful and her power punches were unbelievable. And I think her connect percentage was pretty high. (Any mistakes made?) She did drop her hands a few times. I always tell her, If you do get hit, they have to really work for it. We don’t give away anything. We have to work on combination punching. When she gets somebody hurt, she has to learn to finish it off. She had this girl hurt almost every round, two or three times per round. This girl was really tough, traditionally Mexican tough. I mean, really, really tough. I commended Shelby for her courage, she could have given up herself. (Or punched herself out?) Exactly. Because this Mexican girl never stopped giving up. But Shelby stayed focused and I commended her.”