5'6½" Ann Marie Saccurato, 28 years old as of 2006, fights at 142-157
lbs. She is from White Plains, New York and trains at New York Boxing Gym in
Yonkers.
Ann Marie overcame tremendous odds just to be walking today. In 1995, she was a
passenger in a devastating car wreck while returning from a volleyball
competition at the Empire State Games. The driver of the vehicle was killed and
Ann Marie suffered a punctured lung, broken pelvis, hip, two broken legs, a
shattered arm, broken ribs and severe nerve damage. She was not expected to
live the night, let alone ever walk again. Being a determined athlete, she
proved everyone wrong and immediately took up an aggressive rehabilitation
program knowing in her heart she would play sports again.
Against all medical odds, Ann Marie went on to play basketball and volleyball
for Seton Hall University in 1996. She is often a guest speaker in schools,
hospitals, and gyms, sharing her story of beating the odds, and encourages
others to never give up on their dreams.
In 1999, she entered her first boxing gym stronger than ever, and began a career
as an amateur boxer. She compiled a 9-4 amateur record, taking the silver medal
at 156 lbs in the 2000 USA Boxing National championships, and winning the 2001
New York and US National Golden Gloves competitions.
In the 156-lb division at the 2000 USA Boxing Everlast Nationals in Midland,
Texas, Ann Marie faced US Marine Jennifer Driggers of Camp LeJeune, NC in an
intense preliminary bout. Driggers appeared to have the fight in control after
a strong first round but Saccurato, despite a bloody nose, came back with flurry
of punches in the second round to regain the momentum. Both continued to trade
furious blows in the third round but it was Saccurato who landed the most
punches to eventually win on points by a 20-10 tally.
In the semifinal on April 13, 2000, Ann Marie faced Maxine Madrifal of Amarillo,
Texas. Despite getting her nose bloodied in the first round, Saccurato rallied
furiously for one of the most exhilarating bouts of the tournament, eventually
beating Madrigal 34-18 in a bout stopped at 1 minute, 11 seconds of the third
round thanks to the 15-point rule. "New York is tough, bottom line," Ann
Marie told local reporters, "There's nobody tougher. Never say die is our
attitude."
On April 15, 2000 in the 156-lb final at the Chaparral Center in Midland, Ann
Marie faced fellow New Yorker Jill Emery, who stopped her at 1:52 in the second
round (RSC-2) when Emery was up 22-3 on points. Emery used an Olympic style of
boxing taught to her by a Russian coach.
In the 156-lb (Light Middleweight) Open Division at the 2001 US National Golden
Gloves in Augusta, Georgia, Ann Marie defeated Kara Lucas of Hollywood, Florida
by RSC-3 in her preliminary bout, defeated Azalea McCarty of Wilmington, North
Carolina by RSC-1 in the semifinal on August 10, and then defeated Sha'mell
Carter of Kansas City by RSC-2 in the final on August 11.
She made her pro boxing debut on May 24, 2002 at Wonderland Ballroom in Revere,
Massachusetts. She weighed in at 147 lbs and won a scheduled four-rounder by a
second-round TKO over Anne Marie Francey (151 lbs). Francey took a standing
eight count in the second round and fell to 1-1-0 (1 KO) with the loss (she has
not fought since). Full Story on WBAN
