photo: Jennifer Wolfe-Fenn accompanied by trainer Pops Billingsley to the ring in the 2009 San Antonio Golden Gloves finals, a fight in which she stopped her opponent and earned the Rosie Gonzalez honor of best female boxer of the tournament.
"At this tournament, Jennifer grew up and did it on her own. I never wanted her to be in my shadow, and it was good to see that she did it on her own. I wanted her to do the best she could do, and she really did." -- Ann Wolfe, on her daughter Jennifer's recent stellar performance.
When looking toward the future of boxing, it can be helpful to look at the progeny of today's famous boxers, to see which stable might produce the stars of the future. Floyd Mayweather, Laila Ali, Jesus Cesar Chavez Jr., all grew up within the charged atmosphere of a boxing gym. Some of these fighters have capitalized on their names and made money without facing the toughest opposition. Others, however, have used their deeply rooted skills and talents to rise to the pinnacle of the sport. Jennifer Wolfe-Fenn, daughter of 8 time world champion in 4 weight classes Ann Wolfe, just may become one of the latter.
Wolfe-Fenn is coming of age in an environment in which females have many more opportunities than they did when her mother was rising through the ranks. Women's professional fights are more likely to be shown on TV (though HBO still has a ban on televising female bouts), female fighters can now earn decent purses (though still at a level not in competition with the purses for comparable male matches), and 2012 may mark the first time female boxers are allowed to compete in the Olympics. Wolfe-Fenn plans to take advantage of all of these opportunities.
Wolfe-Fenn has been in a boxing gym since she was 8 years old, when she followed her mother into Pops Billingsley's care at Montopolis Gym. Boxing is an acquired taste, and the young Jennifer had mixed feelings about getting in the ring. Her mother has known for a long time that Jennifer has the power and aptitude for the sport. Jennifer has a build similar to her mother's, the ability to punch as hard or harder than any male of her size, and the rhythm and reflexes to have the advantage with any opponent.
Ann has had to let Jennifer take her own time, however, in learning that the grind of training is what makes a champion, in dealing with the normal rebellion every teenager goes through, and in developing the desire to do what it takes to be the best.
Jennifer fights in the gym with boys and men, not with girls. She can HURT you. Like her mother can. She has knocked me down with one jab. It must be terrifying to be on the other side of the ring from her in a fight, because she knows she can meet anybody in skill level and that she has that extra oomph that made her mom defeat everyone she ever fought. Jennifer has broken a woman's jaw, a man's nose, and who knows how many ribs, and she's only 18.
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