Hanna Gabriels Valle (born 14 January 1983) is a Costa Rican professional boxer. She has held world championships in four weight classes, having held the WBA female light middleweight title since 2016; the WBA female light heavyweight and WBC female heavyweight titles since April 2021; the WBO welterweight title in 2009; and the WBO light middleweight title twice between 2010 and 2018. As of September 2020, she is ranked as the world's third best active light middleweight by The Ring and BoxRec.
Gabriels is the daughter of Yolanda Valle Moreno and Lesslie Gabriels Binns, a promising boxer who qualified for the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980, but was unable to attend. She has one brother, Windell, who played football in the Costa Rican Primera División.Los Gabriels llevan el deporte en la sangre
Professional career Gabriels made her professional debut on 17 November 2007, against Nicaraguan Aoska Xochilet Herrera at the Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica, winning by third-round technical knockout (TKO).Hanna Gabriel, una mezcla de belleza y poder
On 19 December 2009, Gabriels fought for the vacant WBO welterweight title against Argentine Gabriela Zapata at the Dennis Martínez National Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua, winning by TKO in the fourth round. The event and was part of an evening of posthumous tribute to three-weight Nicaraguan world champion Alexis Arguello, El Flaco Explosivo, considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.Hanna Gabriel se alzó con el título mundial
On 14 January 2010, just over a month after capturing the WBO welterweight title, Gabriels relinquished the belt after suffering several blackouts - said to be caused by having to cut-weight in order to make the welterweight limit.Boxeadora Hanna Gabriel renuncia al título mundial para cuidar su salud
On 29 May 2010, Gabriels moved up in weight to face Dominican Gardy Álvarez for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, winning by first-round TKO in a fight that lasted only 11 seconds.
On 11 January 2011, Gabriels successfully defended her title against American Melisenda Pérez, winning by TKO in the tenth-round. Her cousin Andrés Calderón was present for the fight and was noted as part of her motivation to win in a following interview.
On 31 March 2011, Gabriels once again fought Melisenda Pérez, this time winning with a seventh-round TKO. With 14,000 in attendance, the event was part of the inauguration acts of the National Stadium of Costa Rica.
On 28 February 2013, Gabriels suffered her first career loss via second-round TKO to Oxandia Castillo of the Dominican Republic, losing her unbeaten streak and WBO junior middleweight title.
On 20 December 2014, after nearly two years out of the ring, Gabriels once again fought for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title against Mexican Paty Ramirez, regaining her title with a second-round TKO.
On 18 June 2016, Gabriels fought Katia Alvariño of Uruguay, winning by TKO in the third round, capturing the vacant WBA super welterweight title and becoming a unified world champion.
Gabriels defended the unified light middleweight championship twice in 2017; On 27 May, she won a unanimous decision over Canadian Natasha Spence, and on 13 October, avenged her first career loss against Oxandia Castillo by unanimous decision.
On 22 June 2018, Gabriels moved up in weight for the third time to challenge two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields for the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles at the Masonic Temple, Detroit. After becoming the first fighter to knock Shields down, Gabriels lost a 10 round unanimous decision (91-98, 92-97, 92-97).
Gabriels was scheduled to fight against Claressa Shields in a rematch of their 2018 fight on 3 June 2023 but the fight was cancelled after Gabriels tested positive for a banned substance. Gabriels promoter claimed it entered her system when she was medicating her dog.
Activism In July 2019, Gabriels acknowledged in an interview that she suffered sexual abuse at age five as part of an effort to raise awareness about the issue. She is an activist for gender equity and against violence. That same year Gabriels was appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a special collaborator to help campaigns for refugees and against xenophobia.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes24Win21–2–1 Martha GaytánTKO2 (10), 17 Apr 2021 23Win20–2–1 Abril VidalUD1017 Jul 2019 22Win19–2–1 Sarah DwyerUD1026 Jan 2019 21Lose18–2–1 Claressa ShieldsUD1022 Jun 2018 20Win18–1–1 Oxandia CastilloUD1013 Oct 2017 19Win17–1–1 Natasha SpenceUD1027 May 2017 18Win16–1–1 Katia AlvariñoTKO3 (10), 18 Jun 2016 17Win15–1–1 Kali ReisUD1017 Oct 2015 16Win14–1–1 Paty RamirezTKO2 (10), 20 Dec 2014 15Lose13–1–1 Oxandia CastilloTKO2 (10), 28 Feb 2013 14Win13–0–1 Dakota StoneTKO8 (10)7 Jan 2012 13Win12–0–1 Melisenda PérezTKO7 (10), 31 Mar 2011 12Win11–0–1 Melisenda PérezTKO10 (10), 9 Jan 2011 11Win10–0–1 Gardy Pena AlvarezTKO1 (10), 29 May 2010 10Win9–0–1 Gabriela Marcela ZapataKO4 (10), 19 Dec 2009 9Win8–0–1 Yvonne ReisUD626 Sep 2009 8Win7–0–1 Nayeli VazquezUD918 Apr 2009 7Win6–0–1 Irasema ValerioKO1 (8), 12 Dec 2008 6Win5–0–1 Nayeli VazquezUD815 Nov 2008 5Draw4–0–1 Rachel ClarkMD613 Sep 2008 4Win4–0 Wanda Pena OzunaKO1 (4), 23 Aug 2008 3Win3–0 Cristy NickelUD45 Jul 2008 2Win2–0 Evelina DiazKO3 (10), 16 Feb 2008 1Win1–0 Aoska Xochilet HerreraTKO3 (4), 17 Nov 2007
Notes
References
External links