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Virginia Fuchs

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Virginia Fuchs
Born (1988-03-09) 9 March 1988 (age 36)[1]
Houston, Texas, USA[1]
Statistics
Weight(s)Flyweight, Super-flyweight[1]
Height163 cm (5 ft 4 in)[1]
StanceSouthpaw[1]
Boxing record[2]
Total fights4
Wins4
Wins by KO1
Medal record
Women's amateur boxing
Representing  United States
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2018 New Delhi Flyweight
Pan American Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Lima Flyweight

Virginia "Ginny" Fuchs (born March 9, 1988) is an American professional boxer who is the interim WBC female super-flyweight champion. As an amateur she represented her country at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics as well as winning a bronze medal at the 2018 World Championships and a silver medal at the 2019 Pan American Games.

Early life and education

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Fuchs was born in Houston, Texas. Fuchs became interested in sports at a young age and played soccer, softball, and basketball as a child. She attended Episcopal High School where she ran track and cross-country.[3][4]

Her athletic abilities earned her an invitation for walk-on spot on the track and cross-country team at Louisiana State University. Fuchs graduated from LSU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology.[5]

Amateur boxing career

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Fuchs first tried boxing during her sophomore year of college to stay in shape. After a coach took an interest in her, she dedicated her focus to boxing in 2008. She trained for a year before her first fight, which she won.[4]

She began to compete at the state level and won three Louisiana state Golden Gloves, and later won a national Golden Gloves title in 2015. Fuchs was a finalist for the US National Tournament for 2013, 2014 and 2015.[3] [6]

When it was announced that women’s boxing would be added to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Fuchs tried for a spot on the USA Boxing team but future Olympic medalist Marlen Esparza received the only flyweight position. Fuchs finished fourth at the Olympic Test Event.[5][4]

In October 2015, she defeated Esparza in the Olympic Test Event for the USA Boxing flyweight spot for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Fuchs has also defeated Olympic medalist and five-time world champion, Mary Kom of India. Fuchs won gold at the Olympic Trials Test Event.[7][8][9]

Fuchs was 1st in the 2016 USA Boxing Nationals defeating Esparza for the third straight time with a unanimous 5-0 decision. She won bronze at the 2018 AIBA world championship in India.[10]

In 2020, Fuchs tested positive for a banned substance, but was ruled not at fault due to contamination via unprotected sexual intercourse.[11]

Fuchs qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, where she was defeated in the round of 16 by Bulgarian boxer Stoyka Krasteva.[12]

Professional boxing career

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Fuchs announced she was joining the professional boxing ranks in December 2021.[13] She made her pro-debut with a fourth-round knockout win over Randee Lynn Morales on 9 April 2022 at The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, on the undercard of her friend Mikaela Mayer's unified super-featherweight title defence against Jennifer Han.[14]

Her second outing as a professional was at The O2 Arena in London, England, on an all-female card topped by the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall unified middleweight title showdown on 15 October 2022. Fuchs defeated Gemma Ruegg on points over six rounds.[15]

Fuchs next contest was at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 17 June 2023 when she overcame a cut above her left eye from an accidental clash of heads in the third round to beat Indeya Smith by unanimous decision in an eight-round battle.[16]

In February 2024, Fuchs revealed she had agreed to join the second season of boxing's first squad-based format, Team Combat League (TCL), competing for the Houston Hitmen.[17] She made her first TCL appearance at Red Owl Boxing Arena, Houston, Texas, on 18 April 2024 winning both her rounds against Tiana Schroeder by unanimous decision.[18]

Fuchs challenged Adelaida Ruiz for the interim WBC female super-flyweight title at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, on 31 August 2024, winning the fight by split decision with one judge scoring it 97-93 for Ruiz but the other two having it for Fuchs 97-93 and 100-90 respectively.[19][20] She got the win despite suffering an open dislocation of her right thumb in the first round.[21]

Personal life

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Fuchs is an advocate for mental health awareness and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at a young age. She has appeared in the PBS documentary series Mysteries of Mental Illness and the Oprah Winfrey/Apple TV documentary series The Me You Can't See.[10] Fuchs cites Olympian and runner Steve Prefontaine as an inspiration for her athletic career.[22]

Professional boxing record

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4 fights 4 wins 0 losses
By knockout 1 0
By decision 3 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
4 Win 4–0 Adelaida Ruiz SD 10 (10) 31 August 2024 Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, USA Won the interim WBC female super-flyweight title
3 Win 3–0 Indeya Smith UD 8 (8) 17 June 2023 Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
2 Win 2–0 Gemma Ruegg PTS 6 (6) 15 October 2022 The O2 Arena, London, England
1 Win 1–0 Randee Lynn Morales KO 4 (6) 9 April 2022 The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, USA

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Boxrec profile of Ginny Fuchs". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  2. ^ "Boxing record for Virginia Fuchs". BoxRec.
  3. ^ a b "Ginny Fuchs takes another shot at Olympic boxing team". houstonchronicle.com. 25 October 2015. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  4. ^ a b c "The Olympic dreams of Ginny Fuchs". 11 April 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  5. ^ a b "Learn to fight like a girl from Olympic boxing hopeful Ginny Fuchs - GirlsLife". www.girlslife.com. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  6. ^ "About". ginnyfuchs.com. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  7. ^ "Marlen Esparza Eliminated From Olympic Contention With Loss To Virginia Fuchs". November 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  8. ^ "Ginny Fuchs looks to qualify for the Olympic Games". 15 March 2016. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  9. ^ "Houston fighter Ginny Fuchs wins gold at tournament in Rio". 7 December 2015. Retrieved 2016-08-05.
  10. ^ a b Beacham, Greg (June 21, 2021). "Olympic boxer Fuchs determined to win her fight against OCD". AP News. Retrieved July 31, 2021.
  11. ^ "Sex excuse clears boxer of doping". 12 June 2020.
  12. ^ Ponder, Erica (2021-07-29). "Houston native Ginny Fuchs falls to Bulgarian boxer in Olympic matchup". KPRC. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
  13. ^ "US Olympic women's boxing team captain Ginny Fuchs turns pro". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  14. ^ "Mikaela Mayer defeats Jennifer Han in IBF/WBO, 130-pound defense". maxboxing.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  15. ^ "Ginny Fuchs, April Hunter, Shannon Ryan Get Wins on Shields-Marshall Card". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  16. ^ "Ginny Fuchs Outpoints Indeya Rodriguez Over Eight Rounds On Prograis-Zorrilla Undercard". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  17. ^ "Ginny Fuchs: "Life happens, it doesn't always go the way you planned, so I'm just trying to figure it out, make the best of it, and hopefully, get to where I want to be."". fightpost.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  18. ^ "Team Combat League event Thursday 18, April 2024". Boxrec.com. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
  19. ^ "Ginny Fuchs Fights Through Compound Fracture, Outpoints Adelaida Ruiz On Pacheco-Sulecki Undercard". The Ring. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Ginny Fuchs won the WBC interim super flyweight title with this gruesome injury". DAZN. Retrieved 1 September 2024.
  21. ^ "Ginny Fuchs overcomes adversity to win a junior bantamweight title in just her fourth fight". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 8 September 2024.
  22. ^ "Olympic Boxing 2016 Hopeful Ginny Fuchs Opens Up About Her Inspirations and More in New Interview (EXCLUSIVE)". intouchweekly.com. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
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