25 years of legalized women’s boxing in Mexico

Mexican women’s boxing has been active for almost a century, however, it was always clandestine and illegal and it was not until July 3, 1999 that it was formalized under the law and regulations of our country.

At the beginning of the 1930s, Margarita “Maya” Montes and Josefina Coronado, both women born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, became famous.

Margarita, after having dabbled in baseball and bullfighting, began to train boxing clandestinely, because at that time it was not seen well for a woman to participate in this sport.

Montes had an important sporting rivalry with Josefina Coronado, another of the pioneers of women’s boxing. Both Mexican warriors provided entertaining fights, which is why they were given great exposure at that time, but the Mexican authorities banned women’s boxing, forcing the retirement of both.

It can be said that this was the beginning of this sport in Mexico, but the desire to do  boxing was there  in women. Girls from all over the country came to gyms in order to train and stay in good physical shape, but many others with the desire, which at that time seemed impossible, to become professionals and world champions.

Some time later the name of Laura Serrano gained prominence, she was considered a pioneer of Mexican women’s boxing when she also proclaimed herself the first world champion from Latin America.

Laura had to fight against the law that prohibited Mexican women from boxing, the same law that cut short the careers of “Maya” and Josefina Coronado.

Due to that law she had to fight and train in the United States until she managed to win the world crown.

From then on, Laura opened a door to other boxers, also pioneers of the sport, to be able to conquer her dreams. Don José Sulaimán witnessed the reality of the issue when he saw a humble Mexican woman get into the ring in tennis shoes to face a luxuriously dressed Goddess on a billboard at the MGM in Las Vegas, where Chávez and Tyson were fighting, it was Laura Serrano against Christy Martin; Serrano surprised in a war and there she convinced the WBC that she had to fight for women in boxing.

The Mexican promoter, Raúl Cruz, was also a great promoter of women in the ring and was fundamental in achieving the relevant changes.

July 3, 1999 was marked in women’s boxing in Mexico, since professional boxers appeared for the first time in the Mexico Arena, also recognized by the sports authorities at that time.

Mariana Juárez and Ana María Torres were part of history, two boxers who to date dignify the Mexican style in the ring, Ana María won on that occasion over Mariana by split decision. They would eventually fight 3 times.

Jackie Nava became the first WBC women’s world champion and will surely find herself in the hall of immortals, the Canastota Hall of Fame once she hangs up her gloves; Place that Laura and Ana María already had.

This is how the evolution of women’s boxing in Mexico has occurred gradually; Some may think that even slowly, but it has really been worth it because that support, that dissemination, that promotion that is being given to female boxers in Mexico is already a reality.

Today Mexico can boast of having crowned 31 world champions. Here we present the list in no order of importance:

Alejandra Jiménez
Alondra García
Ana María Torres
Anabel Ortiz
Arely Muciño
Asley González
Erika Cruz
Esmeralda Moreno
Guadalupe Bautista
Guadalupe Martínez Guzmán
Ibeth Zamora Silva
Irma García
Irma Sánchez
Jackie Nava
Janeth Pérez
Jessica Chávez
Jessica González
Katia Gutiérrez
Kenia Enríquez
Lourdes Juárez
Mariana Juárez
Maribel Ramírez
Monserrat Alarcón
Nancy Franco
Victoria Argueta
Yamileth Mercado
Yazmin Rivas
Yesenia Gómez
Yesica Nery Plata
Yuliahn Luna
Zulina Muñoz