My first post on some legends of the women boxing was all about the greatest female boxer herself, Laila Ali but like I said on that post, there are also legends who were so good and did a very great job defending thier titles in the process.
Here's another women boxing legend you should know and her name is marcela Ileana Acuña, she is nicknamed "La tigresa" due to his beastly style of fights in the ring, she was born in Argentina on October 16, 1976. As a child, she already loved boxing and martial arts, although her mother dreamed that she was a dancer, something that she was never interested in. She began attending a gym from a very young age and at age 12 she was already a black belt in Karate and at 14 she became a South American champion in her category. Parallel to this, she had practiced boxing since she was seven years old under the orders of her trainer, Roberto Chaparro (who many years later would be her husband). At almost 19 years old, she stops competing in Karate, when she becomes pregnant. In 1995 she gives birth to her first child and a year later she returns to the activity, but in Boxing.
For Marcela, her beginnings were very hard as she was a pioneer, she had the number 1 license as a professional boxer in Argentina, at a time when very few took female Boxing seriously, being in principle, ignored, despised and ultimately discriminated against, as all the girls who started in those years in the tough sport of fists, an undeniable male fiefdom until then. Her first professional fight was crazy: she was taken to the United States and debuted, at 21 years old and with zero experience, against Christy Martin, the best and most popular world champion of that era, who had 36 fights and was eight years older. . She of course lost, but she played a great role and made it to the final stroke and the decision of the juries.
In her second match, things did not improve, she faced Lucia Rijker (future Boxing legend), who came in with an impressive [11 (10KO) -0]. Young Acuña has a tough fight, but she is knocked out in five rounds. For two and a half years she would not return to the Ring, on her return, she marks another milestone, she faces Jamillia Lawrence, in what would be the first professional women's fight in Argentina, it is April 2001 and it is the first victory her. Almost a year later and with six more victories on her account, she is crowned Argentine champion Pluma by beating Patricia Quirico by KO in just 15 'of the first chapter. In November 2002 she would have her first World Cup opportunity, losing a much-disputed ruling by SD of her to Alicia Ashley.
She finally reaches her first World title, in the Super Bantamweight category, against Damaris Ortega, by TKO in six rounds. Her first defense is against "La demolition" Daisley Padilla, who arrived with [12 (12KO) -1], but Acuña knocked her out in the first round. She leaves the title vacant and goes up to Pluma, where she faces the undefeated Colombian, María “La pantera” Miranda, whom she also defeats by TKO, establishing herself as world champion, in her second category. She defends her title and then goes for the WBC belt, losing by decision in Australia, to local Sharon Anyos. She would not lose again for the next seven years. She thus returns to her natural weight and takes the WBA crown of the category, beating Anays Carrillo, from Colombia, for UD.
All of her great rivals were World Champions and over more than two decades, she fought 31 times with world titles at stake. She is undoubtedly on the podium of the best Latin boxers in history, she is a legend of female boxing and the inspiration of many girls in Argentina and all over America, who dream of standing out in this tough sport. She would retire at 42, fighting in Jalisco, Mexico, against her former rival, the great Jackie Nava, another veteran with almost 40 years (whom Acuña had defeated many years before). They gave a great show and in a very close match, they ended up drawing, she would be the last time of her in a Ring, leaving a path sown with glory.
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