Brenda Burnside

Brenda Burnside was born in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho on March 2, 1963. Her interest in boxing came from growing up with three brothers who taught the Idaho native to be tough, first taking karate lessons before moving to boxing and fighting her first amateur match at the age of 19. However, she only began to take boxing seriously when she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1995. She later turned pro in 1997 at the age of 34.

She lost her first match as a pro against Gloria Ramirez in Houston, Texas in August 1997. The fight lasted four rounds. She lost the next fight held on October on the same against Valory Troik, and then again to Troik a month later. Her fourth straight loss came in 1998 when she faced Sandra Yard. Burnside stopped the losing streak with a win in the same year by defeating Jayla Ortiz in Santa Fe and followed this up with a victory against Dolores Lira.

A third win came with her defeat of Sue Chase in after five rounds by a knock out on June 3, 1998. She went on to beat several more competitors in 1999, among them Imelda Arias, Bridgett Riley and Margaret Sidoroff. She beat Arias with a KO on the second round, Riley by split decision, but lost to Sidoroff for the WIBF's intercontinental Super Flyweight title. She rebounded from this defeat by beating Rosie Johnson in November and Kelsey Jeffries in December.

Another shot at a world title came when she was offered a fight with Daisy Lang for her first and last fight abroad, which she lost in ten rounds by unanimous decision.