Valerie Henning
	Nickname The Vixen Hometown Los Angeles Gym Goddess Pro Boxing Trainer Graciela Casillas Height 5 ft 6 in Weight 134 lbs WEBA Record

Valerie Henning crossed over into WEBA boxing after a 34-5 career in kickboxing. A good all-rounder with major ring experience, she is able to improvise and take advantage of whatever situations come up during a bout. Her kickboxing background left her with a few style problems and she is not a devastating puncher. She rarely dominates an opponent but she can take a punch and outfox her opponents even when hard pressed.

She won several close and controversial fights to take the first-ever WEBA championship, then defended it against Heather Corrigan in an exciting battle. But she was unable to retain it against the aggressive Devon Ling on January 16, 1997. Ling knocked Valerie down for the first time in her WEBA career, on the way to a close but unanimous decision.

Valerie's first goal after losing the title was to settle a score with Diane McFee. They had waged a war of words over Diane's dirty fighting style and finally settled it with their fists in McFee's home town of Vancouver, Canada. Val built a big points lead but the fight almost got away from her when McFee opened a bad cut under her left eye (partly by dirty tricks like those that had provoked the argument between them originally!).

Val next reclaimed the WEBA title from Devon Ling in a hard fought battle in which Val's work on the speedbag paid off as she doubled up on her punches to keep the confident. hard-hitting champion off-balance. The rules called for an immediate rematch, in which Val retained the title by another unanimous decision despite being knocked down early.

Val's claim to the WEBA title wasn't unblemished, as Heather Corrigan was still the only WEBA boxer she had not defeated convincingly. Val fought Corrigan for the third time on May 2nd 1997 and was battling the heavier boxer well when it all came apart in the twelfth round. Val was rocked by a series of big punches and went to the canvas three times, finally yielding the title belt in the first kayo loss of her career.

Valerie found that she couldn't remember the devastating end of this fight, and she took a long timeout to think her future over. A born talker and camera hog, she tried out as a color commentator for WEBA pay-per-view events and substituted for her friend Tina Boppa as the WEBA's roving reporter while Tina launched her own ring career. Seeing Tina do well, and still being needled about dropping out by other fighters and their managers, Valerie decided to return to the WEBA.

She did this in style, fighting Pam Chai to a unanimous decision over twelve rounds. Valerie's boxing skills controlled the early part of this fight, but she had to draw on her reserves of courage and tenacity when she was badly cut by Chai's powerful punches in the later rounds. She finished strongly after decking Chai once, showing she was still one of the best in the WEBA ring!

Val's nemesis soon became rising star Sandy Jackman ... whose KO power had now sidelined Val's former rival Devon Ling. Jackman outboxed and outpunched Valerie to score a convincing points win that left Val battered and bloody in a non-title bout.

Valerie trained hard, especially in the weight room, put on some pounds, and came back to fight a grueling match with Italian welterweight Rose Mora. Mora is a punishing body puncher but Val used her speed and ring movement to earn a unanimous decision.

Sandy Jackman continued to be Val's nemesis, as she eliminated Val from the first WEBA lightweight tournament by knocking her out for just the second time in her career!

Val later took the WEBA lightweight belt from Pam Chai with a 15-round points win, and was immediately challenged by Sandy Jackman. The third time was the charm for Val as both took trips to the canvas but Val narrowly outboxed Sandy to earn a close, but unanimous, decision.

Val challenged Heather Corrigan again for the world title but was drawn into a slugging match and kayoed in the third round. Then Pam Chai challenged Val to a rematch for the lightweight title. Once more third time was a charm ... this time for Chai, who fought well and kayoed Val with one punch in the seventh. Val had now suffered back to back kayo losses for the first time ever, and was looking for another comeback!

She went for another rematch with Tina Boppa, but this time she was soundly trounced by her former pupil, who outboxed and outworked her for most of a twelve-rounder. The warrior Vixen was now not even the champion of her own gym!

Since then, Val Henning has continued to train hard and fight often. She has built a reputation as tough boxer who's usually on her feet at the end of her fights, and can often outlast harder-hitting opponents. She's always ready to rumble with the WEBA's best and usually gives them a good, hard fight ... win or lose.

Val finally reclaimed a title belt in October 2000 by outpointing Jeanette DeCarlo over 15 tough rounds ... to reclaim the belt she had last worn in May 1998. Val lost the belt to her nemesis Pam Chai in a hard-fought unanimous decision in December 2000.

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