5'8" Jessica "Ragin'" Rakoczy (b. April 14, 1977) is from
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
Rakoczy's mother died when Jessica was fifteen, leaving her to fend
for herself in life as her father "wasn't in the picture." She
says the experience has made her a stronger person. As a high school
athlete she competed in hockey, baseball, football, soccer, track
and swimming. She was twice voted her school's athlete of the year.
She says that her high school friends and opponents aren't surprised
that she took up boxing, as she was "always aggressive"!
She began boxing at age 20 and competed for two years as an amateur
at the local and provincial level in Canada.
At the 1998 Ontario championships in St. Catharines, Jessica won her
first two fights with first- and second-round knockouts, then went
on to take the provincial bantamweight title with a unanimous
decision over a more-experienced opponent.
Rakoczy was considered for the Canadian national boxing team but a
multi-car accident that injured her neck, shoulder, back and knee
prevented her from competing. A planned second run at making the
Canadian national team ended when she broke her wrist on a sparring
partner's head!
She then met and sparred with pro hockey enforcer Marty McSorley at
Hamilton's Regency Boxing Club. McSorley was so impressed that he
offered her the financial support needed to kick-start her pro
boxing career. "He's a wonderful guy and he's helped me a lot," says
Rakoczy.
Jessica made her pro debut on October 21, 2000 in Philadelphia,
Mississippi, with a first round knockout of the busy, many-named but
winless Pamela Sepulvado (a.k.a. Kris Vado, Federal ID# LA050112) of
Shreveport, Louisiana, who fell to 0-8-1. Full Story on
Rakoczy
