Hanna Gabriels

Hanna Gabriels Valle (born 14 January 1983) is a Costa Rican professional boxer. She has held world championships in four weight classes, having held the WBA female light middleweight title since 2016; the WBA female light heavyweight and WBC female heavyweight titles since April 2021;[nb 1] the WBO welterweight title in 2009; and the WBO light middleweight title twice between 2010 and 2018. As of September 2020, she is ranked as the world's third best active light middleweight by The Ring[1] and BoxRec.[2]

Hanna Gabriels
Gabriel in 2010
Statistics
Real nameHanna Gabriels Valle
Nickname(s)La Amazona / Black
Weight class
Height5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Reach68 in (173 cm)
NationalityCosta Rican
Born (1983-01-14) 14 January 1983
Alajuela, Costa Rica
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record
Total fights24
Wins21
Wins by KO12
Losses2
Draws1

Gabriels is the daughter of Yolanda Valle Moreno and Lesslie Gabriels Binns, a promising boxer who qualified for the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980, but was unable to attend. She has one brother, Windell, who played football in the Costa Rican Primera División.[3]

Professional career

Gabriels made her professional debut on 17 November 2007, against Nicaraguan Aoska Xochilet Herrera at the Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica, winning by third-round technical knockout (TKO).[4]

On 19 December 2009, Gabriels fought for the vacant WBO welterweight title against Argentine Gabriela Zapata at the Dennis Martínez National Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua, winning by TKO in the fourth round. The event and was part of an evening of posthumous tribute to three-weight Nicaraguan world champion Alexis Arguello, El Flaco Explosivo, considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.[5]

On 14 January 2010, just over a month after capturing the WBO welterweight title, Gabriels relinquished the belt after suffering several blackouts - said to be caused by having to cut-weight in order to make the welterweight limit.[6]

On 29 May 2010, Gabriels moved up in weight to face Dominican Gardy Álvarez for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, winning by first-round TKO in a fight that lasted only 11 seconds.[7]

On 11 January 2011, Gabriels successfully defended her title against American Melisenda Pérez, winning by TKO in the tenth-round. Her cousin Andrés Calderón was present for the fight and was noted as part of her motivation to win in a following interview.[8]

On 31 March 2011, Gabriels once again fought Melisenda Pérez, this time winning with a seventh-round TKO. With 14,000 in attendance, the event was part of the inauguration acts of the National Stadium of Costa Rica.[9]

On 28 February 2013, Gabriels suffered her first career loss via second-round TKO to Oxandia Castillo of the Dominican Republic, losing her unbeaten streak and WBO junior middleweight title.

On 20 December 2014, after nearly two years out of the ring, Gabriels once again fought for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title against Mexican Paty Ramirez, regaining her title with a second-round TKO.

On 18 June 2016, Gabriels fought Katia Alvariño of Uruguay, winning by TKO in the third round, capturing the vacant WBA super welterweight title and becoming a unified world champion.

Gabriels defended the unified light middleweight championship twice in 2017; On 27 May, she won a unanimous decision over Canadian Natasha Spence, and on 13 October, avenged her first career loss against Oxandia Castillo by unanimous decision.

On 22 June 2018, Gabriels moved up in weight for the third time to challenge two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields for the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles at the Masonic Temple, Detroit. After becoming the first fighter to knock Shields down, Gabriels lost a 10 round unanimous decision (91-98, 92-97, 92-97).[10]

Gabriels was scheduled to fight against Claressa Shields in a rematch of their 2018 fight on 3 June, 2023 but the fight was cancelled after Gabriels tested positive for a banned substance.[11] Gabriels promoter claimed it entered her system when she was medicating her dog.[11]

Activism

In July 2019, Gabriels acknowledged in an interview that she suffered sexual abuse at age five as part of an effort to raise awareness about the issue. She is an activist for gender equity and against violence.[12] That same year Gabriels was appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a special collaborator to help campaigns for refugees and against xenophobia.[13]

Professional boxing record

24 fights 21 wins 2 losses
By knockout 12 1
By decision 9 1
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
24 Win 21–2–1 Mexico Martha Gaytán TKO 2 (10), 1:59 17 Apr 2021 Costa Rica Fiesta Casino, San José, Costa Rica Won inaugural WBA female light heavyweight and vacant WBC female heavyweight titles
23 Win 20–2–1 Argentina Abril Vidal UD 10 17 Jul 2019 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica Retained WBA female light middleweight title
22 Win 19–2–1 Australia Sarah Dwyer UD 10 26 Jan 2019 Nicaragua Managua, Nicaragua Retained WBA female light middleweight title
21 Lose 18–2–1 United States Claressa Shields UD 10 22 Jun 2018 United States Masonic Temple, Detroit, Michigan, U.S. For vacant WBA and inaugural IBF female middleweight titles
20 Win 18–1–1 Dominican Republic Oxandia Castillo UD 10 13 Oct 2017 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa Rica Retained WBA and WBO female light middleweight titles
19 Win 17–1–1 Canada Natasha Spence UD 10 27 May 2017 Costa Rica BN Arena, Hatillo, Costa Rica Retained WBA and WBO female light middleweight titles
18 Win 16–1–1 Uruguay Katia Alvariño TKO 3 (10), 1:28 18 Jun 2016 Venezuela Polideportivo José María Vargas, La Guaira, Venezuela Retained WBO female light middleweight title;
Won vacant WBA female light middleweight title
17 Win 15–1–1 United States Kali Reis UD 10 17 Oct 2015 Costa Rica Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño, Liberia, Costa Rica Retained WBO female light middleweight title
16 Win 14–1–1 Mexico Paty Ramirez TKO 2 (10), 0:36 20 Dec 2014 Puerto Rico El San Juan Resort and Casino, Carolina, Puerto Rico Won vacant WBO female light middleweight title
15 Lose 13–1–1 Dominican Republic Oxandia Castillo TKO 2 (10), 2:45 28 Feb 2013 Costa Rica Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San Juan de Tibás, Costa Rica Lost WBO female light middleweight title
14 Win 13–0–1 United States Dakota Stone TKO 8 (10) 7 Jan 2012 Costa Rica Palacio de los Deportes, Heredia, Costa Rica Retained WBO female light middleweight title
13 Win 12–0–1 United States Melisenda Pérez TKO 7 (10), 1:18 31 Mar 2011 Costa Rica Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica Retained WBO female light middleweight title
12 Win 11–0–1 United States Melisenda Pérez TKO 10 (10), 1:04 9 Jan 2011 Uruguay Hotel & Casino Conrad, Punta del Este, Uruguay Retained WBO female light middleweight title
11 Win 10–0–1 Dominican Republic Gardy Pena Alvarez TKO 1 (10), 0:40 29 May 2010 Puerto Rico Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico Won inaugural WBO female light middleweight title
10 Win 9–0–1 Argentina Gabriela Marcela Zapata KO 4 (10), 1:01 19 Dec 2009 Nicaragua Estadio Nacional, Managua, Nicaragua Won inaugural WBO female welterweight title
9 Win 8–0–1 United States Yvonne Reis UD 6 26 Sep 2009 United States Virgin Islands UVI Sports & Fitness Center, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
8 Win 7–0–1 Mexico Nayeli Vazquez UD 9 18 Apr 2009 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
7 Win 6–0–1 Mexico Irasema Valerio KO 1 (8), 0:46 12 Dec 2008 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
6 Win 5–0–1 Mexico Nayeli Vazquez UD 8 15 Nov 2008 Costa Rica Gimnasio Villa Olímpica, Desamparados, Costa Rica
5 Draw 4–0–1 United States Rachel Clark MD 6 13 Sep 2008 Costa Rica Expo Pocosí, Limón, Costa Rica
4 Win 4–0 Dominican Republic Wanda Pena Ozuna KO 1 (4), 0:20 23 Aug 2008 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
3 Win 3–0 United States Cristy Nickel UD 4 5 Jul 2008 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
2 Win 2–0 Dominican Republic Evelina Diaz KO 3 (10), 0:49 16 Feb 2008 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa Rica
1 Win 1–0 Nicaragua Aoska Xochilet Herrera TKO 3 (4), 0:10 17 Nov 2007 Costa Rica Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa Rica

Notes

  1. The WBC's highest weight limit is 168 lbs+ (heavyweight), the WBA's is 175 lbs (light heavyweight). Gabriels vs. Gaytán was fought at 175 lbs, making her eligible for both titles.

References

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