By Ken Hissner: A lot has happened in women’s boxing since the days of Lucia “The Dutch Destroyer” Rijker, Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe, Christy “Coalminer’s Daughter” Martin, and Laila “She Be Stingin” Ali!
This writer’s favorite and considers the best was IBO, WIBF, and WIBO World champion Lucia “The Dutch Destroyer” Rijker, 17-0 with 14 stoppages, from the Netherlands living in Van Nuys, CA. She was a former kickboxer holding four world titles and was inducted into the IBHOF.
Rijker was about to drop down from her super lightweight to lightweight and meet Christy Martin but suffered from an Achilles Tendon ending her career.
In September of 1998, she won the vacant IBO World Female Super Lightweight title knocking out Argentina’s Marcella Eliana Acuna, who is now 50-7-2 with 20 stoppages.
Only Rijker has stopped her. Rijker‘s last fight was defeating Jane “The Fleetwood Assassin” Couch, 20-4, in June of 2003.
Martin, 49-7-3 with 32 stoppages, was originally from West Virginia now living in Orlando, FL. When Rijker was forced to retire, Martin made the mistake of moving from 135 to 159 to take on Laila “She Be Stingin” Ali for the IBA Super Middleweight title. Martin’s biggest win was defeating Mia “The Knockout” St. John, 26-1-1, at the time. She was inducted into the IBHOF.
Ali was 24-0 with 21 stoppages, out of L.A., CA, holding four world titles at Super Middleweight, and inducted into the IBHOF. She was credited with a decision win over the daughter of “Smokin” Joe Frazier, Jacqui Frazier Lyde, who ended her career at 13-1 with nine stoppages, out of Philadelphia, PA.
This writer felt she did enough to get the decision over Ali. When Ali was asked why she didn’t stop her, she replied, “I couldn’t; she was always in my face!”
Anne “Brown Sugar” Wolfe, 24-1 with 16 stoppages out of Waco, TX, was inducted into the IBHOF and had her biggest win over Vonda “All American Girl” Ward, 23-1 with 17 stoppages for the IBA Light Heavyweight title. Ward also held three heavyweight titles. At 6:06, she was a former Tennessee University basketball star.
In today’s women’s boxing world, we have Katie Taylor, 19-0 with six stoppages, out of Bray, Ireland, holds WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF Lightweight titles. She is scheduled for December 11th meeting IBA Super Lightweight champion Firuza Sharipova, 14-1 with eight stoppages out of KAZ.
Claressa “T-Rex” Shields, 11-0 with two stoppages out of Flint, MI, holds WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF world titles at Super Welterweight. On December 11th, she will move up in weight to challenge Ema “The Princess” Kozin, 21-0-1, with 11 stoppages out of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Shields, the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Gold Medalist, in her last fight defeated Quebec, Canada’s Marie Eve Dicaire, now 17-1.
In the one questionable fight this writer attended in Atlantic City, NJ, she defeated Christina Hammer, now 26-1 with 12 stoppages, out of KAZ and Dortmund, Germany. Every time she mounted an attack against Shields, the referee interrupted. Hammer’s biggest win was defeating Tori Nelson, then 17-1, for the WBC and WBO world titles.
Amanda “The Real Deal” Serrano, 41-1 with 30 stoppages from PR out of Brooklyn, NY, holds the WBC, WBO, and IBF Featherweight titles. Her biggest win was over Heather Hardy, then 22-0.
Jessica “CasKILLA” McCaskill 10-2 with three stoppages out of Chicago, IL, in her last two fights defeated Cecilia “First Lady” Braekhus, 36-2 with nine stoppages out of Colombia and Norway, for five world welterweight title belts. The first fight was a majority decision and could have been a draw, but she won the rematch by wide scores.
Mikaela Mayer, 16-0 with five stoppages out of Colorado Springs, C0, in her last bout won the IBF and WBO world Super Featherweight titles defeating Maiva “El Veneno” Hamadouche, 22-1, of France. In Mayer’s biggest win prior to that was defeating Ewa “Kieo” Brodnicka, now 20-1, out of Poland.
Seniesa “Super Bad” Estrada, 21-0 with eight stoppages out of East L.A, CA, holds the WBA and WBO Light Flyweight titles. Her biggest win was over Mexico’s Anabel “Avispa” Ortiz, now 31-4.