Melinda Cooper
 |
Melinda Cooper | |
|---|---|
| Born | March 6, 1985 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | Super-bantamweight |
Melinda "La Maravilla" Cooper (born March 6, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada), was the WIBA[1] and IBA Flyweight Champion of the world, and is recognized as one of the elite female professional boxers on the planet.
Cooper started boxing in 1996, after meeting trainer James Pena at the Nevada Partners gym in Las Vegas. Pena eventually became Cooper's legal guardian.[citation needed]
As an amateur boxer, Cooper had a 37–2 record and competed in numerous national amateur championships.[citation needed] Cooper began her professional boxing career at age 17 on March 23, 2002, in Las Vegas, Nevada, winning a four-round unanimous decision over Annalisa Middleton.[citation needed] At the time, she made history by becoming the first female boxer under the age of 18 to be licensed in the state of Nevada.[citation needed] In July 2004, Cooper won a 6-round unanimous decision to Johanna Peña-Álvarez.[2][relevant?] Cooper has beaten every opponent she has faced as a professional,[citation needed] and on January 14, 2005, in Rancho Mirage, California, she TKO'd Anissa Zamarron in the ninth round to win the vacant IBA and WIBA Flyweight World Titles.[citation needed] Currently,[when?] Cooper has a professional record of 20–0 with 11 KOs.[citation needed]
Cooper has also been featured in magazines, including Girls' Life, Teen, and World Boxing.[citation needed]
Professional boxing record
[edit]| 60 fights | 46 wins | 12 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 18 | 0 |
| By decision | 28 | 12 |
| Draws | 2 | |
References
[edit]- ^ Boxing record for Melinda Cooper from BoxRec (registration required)
- ^ Avila, David (July 24, 2004). "Melinda Cooper Breaks Past Johanna Pena Alvarez". Women's Boxing. Retrieved May 21, 2012.