Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus (born 28 September 1981) is a Colombian-born Norwegian professional boxer and former kickboxer. She reigned as the undisputed female welterweight boxing champion from 2014 to 2020, and is the first woman in any weight class to hold the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO titles simultaneously. Brækhus is also one of only 11 boxers in history, male or female, to hold all four major world titles simultaneously.[nb 1] She also held the IBO title from 2016 to 2020, and is currently the interim WBC super welterweight champion.[1]
In 2017, the Boxing Writers Association of America named Brækhus their inaugural Female Fighter of the Year.[2]Guinness World Records awarded her with three recognitions in 2018: the Longest Reigning Female Boxing Champion, the Longest Reign as a Four-Belt Undisputed Boxing Champion, and the Most Bouts Undefeated by a Female World Champion Boxer.[3] Brækhus held the WBC and WBA titles for 11 years and 154 days between 14 March 2009 and 15 August 2020.[4] As of December 2023, she is ranked as the world's best active female super welterweight by BoxRec and the fifth best active female junior middleweight by The Ring.[5][6]
Early life
Born in Cartagena, Colombia, Brækhus was adopted as a two-year-old by Norwegian parents and raised in Sandviken, Bergen.[7] She started kickboxing at the age of fourteen and soon began competing in amateur boxing competitions, achieving an amateur record of 75–5 before turning professional.[8]
In November 2007, Brækhus signed a pro contract with German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who announced his intention of making her the first Norwegian female World Champion.[7] Her first fight was against Croatian boxer Ksenija Koprek on 20 January 2007.[11] On 14 March 2009, she became the WBC World Champion in welterweight against Danish boxer Vinni Skovgaard and also claimed the vacant WBA female welterweight title.[12] Brækhus successfully defended her titles on later that year on 30 May against Amy Yuratovac in Helsinki, Finland,[13] and on 12 September 2009, against Lucia Morelli in Herning, Denmark.[citation needed]
Brækhus after defending her titles against Jill Emery in 2011
Eight months later, on 15 May 2010, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA and WBC titles against American boxer Victoria Cisneros in Herning, Denmark, while winning the WBO title. In a unanimous decision, the judges declared the fight for Brækhus, having won all 10 rounds.[14][15] On 30 October 2010, Brækhus successfully defended her WBA, WBC and WBO titles in Rostock, Germany against Mikaela Laurén from Sweden, while winning the World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF) title. Brækhus won by knockout in the 7th round.[16]
In 2010, Brækhus was voted the "Female Boxer of the Year" by German boxing magazine BoxSport. On 14 September 2014, after defeating Croatian Ivana Habazin, Brækhus became the first Norwegian and the first woman to hold all major world championship belts in her weight division (welterweight) in boxing history.[17]
On 5 May 2018, HBO broadcast its first women's bout, between Brækhus and Kali Reis, where Brækhus successfully defended her titles.[18][19]
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