5'6" junior welterweight Lucia Rijker of
Holland, now living in Los Angeles, California, may be the world’s most
dangerous female fighter on a pound-for-pound basis. She has been
referred to as "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World," and "Queen of
Lightning".
Born in Amsterdam on December 7, 1967, Rijker began training in judo at
the age of six.
At seven, she became a member of the Dutch National Softball Team. At
thirteen, she took up fencing and won the Amsterdam championship, going
on to become the Netherlands' junior champion.
Rijker began kickboxing at age 15, studying in the gym of Johan Vas, one
of the most respected training facilities in Holland and training
primarily with male kickboxing, boxing and judo champions. She burst
into prominence in the kickboxing world in her sixth match on January
15, 1984...disabling veteran American champion Lilly Rodriguez (sister
of then world champion kickboxer Benny "The Jet" Urquidez) just 30
seconds into a scheduled five-round fight with powerful kicks to the
legs.
Lucia eventually amassed a 36-0 (25 KO) record as a kickboxer, and won
four different world titles.
Her pro boxing career resumed on March 21, 1996 at Los Angeles' Grand
Olympic Auditorium, where she made her US boxing debut by knocking out
Melinda Robinson of Austin, Texas at 1:37 in the first round. Rijker
quickly rendered Robinson helpless with several rights and left hooks.
She retired from professional boxing with a undefeated record of 17-0-0
(14KO).
Lucia was the subject of an award-winning documentary film about Women's
Boxing, "Shadow Boxers" by Katya Bankowski, released in 2000. New Yorker
writer Hilton Als called it "as visually stunning as it is politically
important, witty and humane" and the Vancouver (Canada) Sun said that
"Shadow Boxers is a subtle achievement in filmmaking that reaches far
beyond the screen."
Outside the ring...Lucia is a top boxing
coach, who has trained the likes of world champions Myriam Lamare, Diana
Prazak...and more. She is also a life coach, and she does workshops and
seminars to those in the sport.
