Terri “The Boss” Moss on How to Build a Boxing Life

Published

10 years ago

February 12, 2015

“I was meant to be a champion when I walked into Doc Keppner’s gym. I just didn’t know it.”—Terri Moss

There is a cost to living a life in boxing. You can’t be great and be a part-timer. The sport simply asks too much of you in terms of time and commitment. You have to be willing to pay the cost, a fact Terri “The Boss” Moss knows all too well.

Moss probably shouldn’t be here. That’s something she might just tell you herself. Where is here? It’s the Buckhead Fightclub Gym in Atlanta, GA. How she got there was anything but an ordinary route.

Terri was a 34-year-old narcotics investigator when she got bitten by the bug. On a lark, Terri went with a friend to check out a boxing lesson on the way to an aerobics class and I guess you could say she never really left. Despite having no boxing experience whatsoever, Terri had found her passion. She was such a novice that even getting through three minutes with a heavy bag was a test.

“It took a lot of courage and maybe just some insanity to walk away like that.”

Making the decision to leave law enforcement was not an easy one. Between going to school part time to gain a bachelor’s degree and working as an investigator, time was already tight. Not to mention that Terri was facing legal age requirements for certain jobs she was interested in. After discovering boxing, Terri felt she had lost “that push” to beat the clock for her career goals in law enforcement. So of course, she did the sensible thing and left behind the stability of her position to enter into the not all that lucrative endeavor of near middle-aged pugilism. I suppose a regular person might question the wisdom of that choice, but as you may have guessed, Terri Moss is not regular

Due to suffering from Hepatitis C, Terri wasn’t even able to get into the ring right away. However, she indulged her boxing jones by working with Doc Keppner and becoming a cut “man” and the 2^nd in the corner for male boxers. Being a woman in a man’s corner was a true rarity, but Terri found little resistance from the fighters. In fact, many took pleasure in the novelty.

“As soon as I’m off this, I’ll be cured. I can fight.”

While Terri soon proved herself to be first rate in a supporting role, she still wanted to become a fighter herself. That’s when Terri learned of interferon therapy, which is a painful and difficult remedy for Hepatitis C that can “in rare circumstances” eradicate the affliction from the host’s body. Once Terri learned this could perhaps cure her of her condition, she jumped into the treatment without much reflection. If it worked, she could box. There was little else to consider.

As good fortune would have it, the therapy did work. Terri was cured–no longer potentially infectious–and therefore able to fight. She was in the ring five days later. With no amateur background, only three sparring sessions to her credit, and at the grand age of 36, you might think Terri would have started slow and attempt to find fighters on her level. Instead, Terri’s first three fights were against WIBA Intercontinental Champion Wendy Sprowl, future IFBA & WIBA World Champion, Maribel Zurita, and #1 ranked contender, Patricia Martinez. A veritable murderer’s row for even an experienced fighter, an even more brutal gauntlet for a novice. As Terri put it, “You would think an average human would be smarter than that.” Not surprisingly, she lost all three fights. In fact, after her first fight with Sprowl, Terri thought she would never go back into the ring. That lasted a week.

“The hard ride didn’t scare me.”

Terri knew if she wanted to be more competitive she would have to step up her training, which led her to the gym of Xavier Biggs (the brother of former Olympic Super Heavyweight Gold Medalist, Tyrell Biggs). With Biggs, Moss learned she was a boxer-puncher and began to put to use her natural athleticism and timing with a true game plan for the first time.

The results were immediate. An upset victory over #1 ranked minimumweight contender Nina Ahlin served notice. The result of her hard work and dedication culminated with a victory over WIBF Strawweight Champion Stephanie Dobbs, in September of 2007. At the time, Moss was 41 years old, 13 years the senior of her opponent. As she told me, “I wish I could have been sponsored by AARP.” Her victory entered her into the record books as the oldest female world champion in boxing history.

“I never had any idea people weren’t going to see it my way.”

While Moss wanted to continue fighting, her age, trainer indifference, and the general difficulty of booking women’s matches worked against her. With all these challenges and frustrations road-blocking her career in the ring, Terri decided to continue her boxing career outside of it. Terri found herself “in mourning for three years”, but she always knew her time as a fighter would be short. That did not mean she could not have a boxing life. So she set about doing just that, this time as a trainer, a promoter and eventually, the owner operator of her own spot.

She first began training women to fight out of Xavier’s Decatur, GA gym. While there were not many women to work with early on, and Biggs was a bit old-fashioned about her training men, it did provide a start. It kept her in the game and helped her sharpen her skills as a trainer and grow her contacts as a fledgling businesswoman. Eventually, Terri would have to leave out from under Xavier’s wing and make her own path.

“I have never failed yet.”

Terri’s first major success was her creation of ‘Corporate Fight Night’ in Atlanta. The novel idea pits amateur boxers from the business community against each other. The inaugural Corporate Fight Night was held in 2010 on a shoestring budget. An instant success, the white collar charity has gone on to become a regular event and has delivered thousands of dollars to multiple beneficiaries, including Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and the Wounded Warrior Project. Corporate Fight Night 9 will be held on February 19 and includes the participation of Evan Holyfield, Evander’s son. With the continued success of the event, Terri says the next step is “to take it national.” I would not bet against her.

Beyond Corporate Fight Night, Terri’s benevolence extends into other areas as well. She serves as the chairman for the Champions of Dignity Association (CODA), which funds the Retired Boxer’s Foundation (RBF). A true passion for Terri, the RBF assists boxers who may be suffering from physical, mental, and financial struggles after their ring career ends. Terri pointed out, “Greyhound dogs in the country have a retirement program, but professional prize fighters don’t.” One of the surprising challenges Terri lamented over that affects her work with the RBF is the lack of participation from former fighters. She believes that too many want to have their own foundation, which dilutes the overall ability to get assistance to retired boxers in need.

Terri is also a coordinator for the Women’s International Boxing Federation and the Global Boxing Union, where she helps sanction and supervise title fights for both men and women.

“It’s a ballsy way to do business.”

Ever ambitious, Terri has been training fighters since 2004, and nine years later, she opened her own gym in Atlanta–The Buckhead Fight Club. A nearly 15,000 square foot facility, Terri’s gym caters to both men and women fighters and is one of the very few female owned and operated boxing gyms in the nation. Terri’s career as a fighter had not been lucrative. In fact, it cost Terri money to box. As well, she had limited hours she could train other fighters in Xavier’s gym and she was only training women at the time, so that lessened her potential to grow a client stable. She was maxing out at a low level, so her earning potential was very weak while operating under the roof of another. I asked Terri how she found financing for the gym and in typical Boss fashion, she replied, “Where’s the lease? Let’s sign it, we’ll get the money.”

Late last year, Terri received an unexpected phone call. Along with seven other women (including Laila Ali and Ann Wolfe), Terri learned she would be inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame this July. Terri told me while she is “thrilled and humbled”, when she picked up the phone, she thought “they had called the wrong number.” While Terri’s achievements are numerous, she finds them modest. I suspect she’s been too busy blazing her trail to take inventory of her accomplishments.

Also, Terri and her Buckhead Fight Club will be the subject of a documentary to be released later this month called “Boxing Chicks.” The film follows Terri and a select group of female fighters from her gym as they attempt to make their mark in the sport. “Well behaved women rarely make history” says Buckhead fighter Jackie Breitenstein in the trailer. Something tells me she knows from whence she speaks. I also suspect she’s seen that in the actions of her “Boss.” Directed by Frederick Taylor of Tomorrow Pictures, Boxing Chicks has been making the rounds at festivals and is looking at a multi-platform release (theater and VOD).

The main thing that has changed the game is the Olympic process.”

I asked Terri where she thought women’s boxing is right now. She pointed out that those who think it’s a dying sport are wrong. While she admitted the novelty has worn off from the early years, the depth of talent has steadily—if quietly—increased since the days of Christy Martin and Bonnie Canino. While Terri states “there are great pro fighters”, she feels the growth of women’s amateur boxing is setting the sport up for long term success. One of the knocks on women’s boxing has been the low quality of the fights, particularly in the earlier years. There just weren’t enough good fighters to make quality match ups on a consistent basis.

In 2012, the Olympic Committee introduced women’s boxing to the London games, effectively legitimizing the sport in a way the first women fighters could have only dreamed. If anything, the United States is behind other countries like Mexico, Argentina and many parts of Europe where women headline fights and fill 30,000 seat arenas. Terri believes the key is to get the women’s fights on television and then create a star. To that end, Terri even has someone in mind, recent Olympic champion from Ireland, Katie Taylor. A dynamic and wildly popular fighter back home with charisma and skill to spare, Taylor could be the “Ronda Rousey” the sport needs to break through. When Freddie Roach saw Taylor fight in the 2012 games, he said he had never seen an arena “on fire” the way he did when Taylor did her ring walk, let alone when she entered the squared circle. Terri believes this “is just an example of what’s to come.”

Of course, Terri is doing her part to make that happen. Coming up in April, in conjunction with USA Boxing, Terri will be hosting a round robin tournament with female Olympic fighters from the USA and other countries in Atlanta. Five countries will be participating over four days of boxing. There has never been a women’s tournament on that level held in the United States. All stops will be pulled out. That’s the Terri Moss way.

“A champion never thinks they are going to lose.”

Terri Moss has made a boxing life for herself. She has done it the hard way. Not one step would you call “easy.” She started late, overcame prejudice, health issues, her opponents in and out of the ring. By going to a place almost no one believed she had any business going, she ended up right where she’s supposed to be. Terri told me she “has always been up against the clock.” People say Father Time is undefeated. I suppose that’s true, but right now, he’s up against Terri “The Boss” Moss, and he’s behind on points.

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Gabriela Fundora KOs Marilyn Badillo and Perez Upsets Conwell in Oceanside

Published

7 hours ago

April 20, 2025

David A. Avila

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It was just a numbers game for Gabriela Fundora and despite Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo’selusive tactics it took the champion one punch to end the fight and retain her undisputed flyweight world title by knockout on Saturday.

Will it be her last flyweight defense?

Though Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs) fired dozens of misses, a single punch found Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs) and ended her undefeated career and first attempt at a world title at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.

Fundora, however, proves unbeatable at flyweight.

The champion entered the arena as the headliner for the Golden Boy Promotion show and stepped through the ropes with every physical advantage possible, including power.

Mexico’s Badillo was a midget compared to Fundora but proved to be as elusive as a butterfly in a menagerie for the first six rounds. As the six-inch taller Fundora connected on one punch for every dozen thrown, that single punch was a deadly reminder.

Badillo tried ducking low and slipping to the left while countering with slashing uppercuts, she found little success. She did find the body a solid target but the blows proved to be useless. And when Badillo clinched, that proved more erroneous as Fundora belted her rapidly during the tie-ups.

“She was kind of doing her ducking thing,” said Fundora describing Badillo’s defensive tactics. “I just put the pressure on. It was just like a train. We didn’t give her that break.”

The Mexican fighter tried valiantly with various maneuvers. None proved even slightly successful. Fundora remained poised and under control as she stalked the challenger.

In the seventh round Badillo seemed to take a stand and try to slug it out with Fundora. She quickly was lit up by rapid left crosses and down she went at 1:44 of the seventh round. The Mexican fighter’s corner wisely waved off the fight and referee Rudy Barragan stopped the fight and held the dazed Badillo upright.

Once again Fundora remained champion by knockout. The only question now is will she move up to super flyweight or bantamweight to challenge the bigger girls.

Perez Beats Conwell.

Mexico’s Jorge “Chino” Perez (33-4, 26 KOs) upset Charles Conwell (21-1, 15 KOs) to win by split decision after 12 rounds in their super welterweight showdown.

It was a match that paired two hard-hitting fighters whose ledgers brimmed with knockouts, but neither was able to score a knockdown against each other.

Neither fighter moved backward. It was full steam ahead with Conwell proving successful to the body and head with left hooks and Perez connecting with rights to the head and body. It was difficult to differentiate the winner.

Though Conwell seemed to be the superior defensive fighter and more accurate, two judges preferred Perez’s busier style. They gave the fight to Perez by 115-113 scores with the dissenter favoring Conwell by the same margin.

It was Conwell’s first pro loss. Maybe it will open doors for more opportunities.

Other Bouts

Tristan Kalkreuth (15-1) managed to pass a serious heat check by unanimous decision against former contender Felix Valera (24-8) after a 10-round back-and-forth heavyweight fight.

It was very close.

Kalkreuth is one of those fighters that possess all the physical tools including youth and size but never seems to be able to show it. Once again he edged past another foe but at least this time he faced an experienced fighter in Valera.

Valera had his moments especially in the middle of the 10-round fight but slowed down during the last three rounds.

One major asset for Kalkreuth was his chin. He got caught but still motored past the clever Valera. After 10 rounds two judges saw it 99-91 and one other judge 97-93 all for Kalkreuth.

Highly-rated prospect Ruslan Abdullaev (2-0) blasted past dangerous Jino Rodrigo (13- 5-2) in an eight round super lightweight fight. He nearly stopped the very tough Rodrigo in the last two rounds and won by unanimous decision.

Abdullaev is trained by Joel and Antonio Diaz in Indio.

Bakersfield prospect Joel Iriarte (7-0, 7 KOs) needed only 1:44 to knock out Puerto Rico’s Marcos Jimenez (25-12) in a welterweight bout.

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‘Krusher’ Kovalev Exits on a Winning Note: TKOs Artur Mann in his ‘Farewell Fight’

Published

1 day ago

April 19, 2025

Arne K. Lang

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At his peak, former three-time world light heavyweight champion Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev ranked high on everyone’s pound-for-pound list. Now 42 years old – he turned 42 earlier this month – Kovalev has been largely inactive in recent years, but last night he returned to the ring in his hometown of Chelyabinsk, Russia, and rose to the occasion in what was billed as his farewell fight, stopping Artur Mann in the seventh frame.

Kovalev hit his peak during his first run as a world title-holder. He was 30-0-1 (26 KOs) entering first match with Andre Ward, a mark that included a 9-0 mark in world title fights. The only blemish on his record was a draw that could have been ruled a no-contest (journeyman Grover Young was unfit to continue after Kovalev knocked down in the second round what with was deemed an illegal rabbit punch). Among those nine wins were two stoppages of dangerous Haitian-Canadian campaigner Jean Pascal and a 12-round shutout over Bernard Hopkins.

Kovalev’s stature was not diminished by his loss to the undefeated Ward. All three judges had it 114-113, but the general feeling among the ringside press was that Sergey nicked it.

The rematch was also somewhat controversial. Referee Tony Weeks, who halted the match in the eighth stanza with Kovalev sitting on the lower strand of ropes, was accused of letting Ward get away with a series of low blows, including the first punch of a three-punch series of body shots that culminated in the stoppage. Sergey was wobbled by a punch to the head earlier in the round and was showing signs of fatigue, but he was still in the fight. Respected judge Steve Weisfeld had him up by three points through the completed rounds.

Sergey Kovalev was never the same after his second loss to Andre Ward, albeit he recaptured a piece of the 175-pound title twice, demolishing Vyacheslav Shabranskyy for the vacant WBO belt after Ward announced his retirement and then avenging a loss to Eleider Alvarez (TKO by 7) with a comprehensive win on points in their rematch.

Kovalev’s days as a title-holder ended on Nov. 2, 2019 when Canelo Alvarez, moving up two weight classes to pursue a title in a fourth weight division, stopped him in the 11^th round, terminating what had been a relatively even fight with a hellacious left-right combination that left Krusher so discombobulated that a count was superfluous.

That fight went head-to-head with a UFC fight in New York City. DAZN, to their everlasting discredit, opted to delay the start of Canelo-Kovalev until the main event of the UFC fight was finished. The delay lasted more than an hour and Kovalev would say that he lost his psychological edge during the wait.

Kovalev had two fights in the cruiserweight class between his setback to Canelo and last night’s presumptive swan song. He outpointed Tervel Pulev in Los Angeles and lost a 10-round decision to unheralded Robin Sirwan Safar in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Artur Mann, a former world title challenger – he was stopped in three rounds by Mairis Briedis in 2021 when Briedis was recognized as the top cruiserweight in the world – was unexceptional, but the 34-year-old German, born in Kazakhstan, wasn’t chopped liver either, and Kovalev’s stoppage of him will redound well to the Russian when he becomes eligible for the Boxing Hall of Fame.

Krusher almost ended the fight in the second round. He knocked Mann down hard with a short left hand and seemingly scored another knockdown before the round was over (but it was ruled a slip). Mann barely survived the round.

In the next round, a punch left Mann with a bad cut on his right eyelid, but the German came to fight and rounds three, four and five were competitive.

Kovalev had a good sixth round although there were indications that he was tiring. But in the seventh he got a second wind and unleashed a right-left combination that rolled back the clock to the days when he was one of the sport’s most feared punchers. Mann went down hard and as he staggered to his feet, his corner signaled that the fight should be stopped and the referee complied. The official time was 0:49 of round seven. It was the 30^th KO for Kovalev who advanced his record to 36-5-1.

Addendum: History informs us that Farewell Fights have a habit of becoming redundant, by which we mean that boxers often get the itch to fight again after calling it quits. Have we seen the last of Sergey “Krusher” Kovalev? We woudn’t bet on it.

The complete Kovalev-Mann fight card was live-streamed on the Boxing News youtube channel.

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Avila Perspective, Chap. 322: Super Welterweight Week in SoCal

Published

2 days ago

April 18, 2025

David A. Avila

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Two below-the-radar super welterweight stars show off their skills this weekend from different parts of Southern California.

One in particular, Charles Conwell, co-headlines a show in Oceanside against a hard-hitting Mexican while another super welter star Sadriddin Akhmedov faces another Mexican hitter in Commerce.

Take your pick.

The super welterweight division is loaded with talent at the moment. If Terence Crawford remained in the division he would be at the top of the class, but he is moving up several weight divisions.

Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) faces Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs) a tall knockout puncher from Los Mochis at the Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, Calif. on Saturday April 19. DAZN will stream the Golden Boy Promotions card that also features undisputed flyweight champion Gabriela Fundora. We’ll get to her later.

Conwell might be the best super welterweight out there aside from the big dogs like Vergil Ortiz, Serhii Bohachuk and Sebastian Fundora.

If you are not familiar with Conwell he comes from Cleveland, Ohio and is one of those fighters that other fighters know about. He is good.

He has the James “Lights Out” Toney kind of in-your-face-style where he anchors down and slowly deciphers the opponent’s tools and then takes them away piece by piece. Usually it’s systematic destruction. The kind you see when a skyscraper goes down floor by floor until it’s smoking rubble.

During the Covid days Conwell fought two highly touted undefeated super welters in Wendy Toussaint and Madiyar Ashkeyev. He stopped them both and suddenly was the boogie man of the super welterweight division.

Conwell will be facing Mexico’s taller Garcia who likes to trade blows as most Mexican fighters prefer, especially those from Sinaloa. These guys will be firing H bombs early.

Fundora

Co-headlining the Golden Boy card is Gabriela Fundora (15-0, 7 KOs) the undisputed flyweight champion of the world. She has all the belts and Mexico’s Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1, 3 KOs) wants them.

Gabriela Fundora is the sister of Sebastian Fundora who holds the men’s WBC and WBO super welterweight world titles. Both are tall southpaws with power in each hand to protect the belts they accumulated.

Six months ago, Fundora met Argentina’s Gabriela Alaniz in Las Vegas to determine the undisputed flyweight champion. The much shorter Alaniz tried valiantly to scrap with Fundora and ran into a couple of rocket left hands.

Mexico’s Badillo is an undefeated flyweight from Mexico City who has battled against fellow Mexicans for years. She has fought one world champion in Asley Gonzalez the current super flyweight world titlist. They met years ago with Badillo coming out on top.

Does Badillo have the skill to deal with the taller and hard-hitting Fundora?

When a fighter has a six-inch height advantage like Fundora, it is almost impossible to out-maneuver especially in two-minute rounds. Ask Alaniz who was nearly decapitated when she tried.

This will be Badillo’s first pro fight outside of Mexico.

Commerce Casino

Kazakhstan’s Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0, 13 KOs) is another dangerous punching super welterweight headlining a 360 Promotions card against Mexico’s Elias Espadas (23-6, 16 KOs) on Saturday at the Commerce Casino.

UFC Fight Pass will stream the 360 Promotions card of about eight bouts.

Akhmedov is another Kazakh puncher similar to the great Gennady “GGG” Golovkin who terrorized the middleweight division for a decade. He doesn’t have the same polish or dexterity but doesn’t lack pure punching power.

It’s another test for the super welterweight who is looking to move up the ladder in the very crowded 154-pound weight division. 360 Promotions already has a top contender in Ukraine’s Serhii Bohachuk who nearly defeated Vergil Ortiz a year ago.

Could Bohachuk and Akhmedov fight each other if nothing else materializes?

That’s a question for another day.

Fights to Watch

Sat. DAZN 5 p.m. Charles Conwell (21-0, 16 KOs) vs. Jorge Garcia Perez (32-4, 26 KOs); Gabriela Fundora (15-0) vs Marilyn Badillo (19-0-1).

Sat. UFC Fight Pass 6 p.m. Sadriddin Akhmedov (15-0) vs Elias Espadas (23-6).

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