Giselle Salandy is BoxRec's all-time top female light middleweight fighter. This Trinidad and Tobago boxing lioness made her professional debut at the age of 13. She became the youngest boxer in history to win a boxing title at the age of 14 when she defeated Paola Rojas for the WIBA IBERO title in 2001. In her first tournament as a world champion, she took part in the 2002 Women's World Boxing Championships in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, she reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by eventual winner Nana Konadu.
After one successful title defense, Salandy lost her belt to future two time champion Jeanette Cruz via decision in 2003. Since then, she has only competed on local level winning several titles along the way. Today, Salandy is considered by many to be the greatest female light middleweight boxer of all time.
Here are the other candidates who have been mentioned as potential winners of the award:
Nancy Carver - five time world champion (five different weights from 108 lbs to 175 lbs)
Laila Ali - three time world champion (108 lbs, 122 lbs, and 126 lbs)
Susan Bitoy - won two championships in two different divisions (112 lbs and 115 lbs)
Rose Namajunas - current world champion (115 lbs)
In 1992, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Claressa Shields, a boxer and MMA fighter, was the undisputed female middleweight champion from 2019 to 2020. She has held several WBA, WBC, and IBF female middleweight belts in the past. She is also the first American boxer to win two Olympic gold medals in a row. Shields won her second gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Shields turned pro after winning two Olympic gold medals and has a record of 13-0-1. She is considered one of the best boxers in the world today.
As for her accomplishments in college, she became the first woman to win the NCAA Division 1 National Championship while being undefeated (24-0). She also became only the third person ever to win the NCAA Division 1 National Championship as a freshman, sophomore, and junior (her brother also did this).
After graduating from high school at the age of 16, she went on to study economics and finance at University of Michigan before turning professional.
Shields's husband, Kevin Lunsford, is also a boxer who currently plays for the Detroit Lions NFL team. He too won two Olympic gold medals at these games with Claressa as his teammate.
Kevin Shields won his first Olympic gold medal at the 2004 Athens Games while representing Ireland.
The Tallest Female Muay Thai Fighter
| Fighter | Height | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Abbey Frazier | 6’2″ (188cm) | Am 2-1-0 |
| Gabrielle “Gabi” Garcia | 6’2″ (187cm) | 6-0-0, 1 NC |
| Dora Kalpakidou | 6’1″ (186cm) | 0-1-0 |
| Peggy “Daywalker” Morgan | 6’1″ (185cm) | 4-4-0 |
Mary Kom of India is a six-time World Amateur Boxing champion and the only woman boxer to have won a medal in all six world championships. She also holds the record for the longest undefeated streak in World Championship boxing history at 17 fights without a loss.
Completing her graduation from St. Joseph's College, Tirupati, she started training in 1996 under Eeb Hesterman, a former world-class boxer himself. Since then, she has not lost a fight and has won every single one of them. In 2011, she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal when she defeated China's Han Xiao Yi in the final of the 48-kg category at the London Olympics.
Besides being an international sports star, Mary Kom is also a three-time Olympian and a recipient of the Arjuna Award, which is India's highest civilian award. She has inspired many young girls to take up boxing and has helped promote the sport in India. She has also fought against gender discrimination in India by using her fame to create awareness about women's issues. The Government of Telangana has recently awarded her with the Pravasi Bharat Samman, which is considered the highest civil honor that a foreigner can receive from India.
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