Virginia Fuchs | |||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | 9 March 1988 [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight(s) | Flyweight, Super-flyweight [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Southpaw [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Total fights | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins by KO | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Virginia "Ginny" Fuchs (born March 9, 1988) is an American professional boxer who as an amateur represented her country in the Tokyo 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.
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. [2] [3]
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. [4]
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. [3]
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. [2] [5]
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. [4] [3]
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. [6] [7] [8]
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. [9]
In 2020, Fuchs tested positive for a banned substance, but was ruled not at fault due to contamination via unprotected sexual intercourse. [10]
Fuchs qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, where she was defeated in the round of 16 by Bulgarian boxer Stoyka Krasteva. [11]
Fuchs announced she was joining the professional boxing ranks in December 2021. [12] 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. [13]
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. [14]
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. [15]
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. [16] 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. [17]
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 . [9] Fuchs cites Olympian and runner Steve Prefontaine as an inspiration for her athletic career. [18]
| 3 fights | 3 wins | 0 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| By decision | 2 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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