In a year featuring another historic bout between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, as well as the emergence of 22-year-old Gabriela Fundora as Fighter of the Year, one of the biggest stories of recent years largely flew under the radar as Seniesa Estrada retired from the sport.
Just 32 years old, this wasn’t a fighter on the slide or the victim of too many wars. Estrada was undefeated, in her prime and she was coming off the biggest win of her career in March, when she defeated Yokasta Valle to secure all the belts in the minimumweight division.
That’s a big deal. As soon as the Californian is eligible, she will be in the hall of fame in Canastota, and she’s been a key part of the generation bringing women’s boxing to the masses. So, her departure is a loss to the sport, but kudos to “Superbad” for leaving at the top of the game and on her own terms.
Another 2024 story that didn’t get the attention it deserved is the release of the Claressa Shields biopic “The Fire Inside”. Again, it’s a big deal, seeing an active modern-era boxer get a feature film made about her. But the boxing community has largely been quiet. I feel bad for Shields, because I don’t think boxing knows what to do with her. She’s been dominating and making history since she was a teenager, both as an amateur and a professional, and sometimes, when you’re in the midst of watching this history, you don’t respect what you’re seeing. Add in the instant gratification nature of social media, and Shields doesn’t get her due for what she’s accomplished. Fast forward 20-30 years, though, and I’m guessing fans will look back and just say “wow” at the legacy left by “T-Rex”.
Speaking of Shields, in her lone fight of 2024, she turned in a Knockout of the Year candidate when she halted Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in the second round. It was the Michigan native’s first knockout win since 2017, and it was an impressive one. But the biggest knockout of 2024 belongs to Fighter of the Year winner Gabriela Fundora, who stopped Gabriela Alaniz in the seventh round of their flyweight unification bout in November.
The scary part about Fundora’s ascension to the top is that she’s just 22 years old. That’s good news for the future of the sport as some of the best fighters in the game start to approach 40, and joining Fundora on the rise are several under-30 prospects to watch, like 28-year-old Mikiah Kreps, 20-year-old Francesca Hennessey, and 24-year-old Maisey Rose Courtney.
Yeah, women’s boxing is in fine shape.
Read the full article here
