Carina "La Reina" Moreno, fought from 2003 to 2013 at the time of being inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame, and several months after being inducted, she re-entered the sport by fighting on February 15, 2019, winning a six-round bout against Judith Vivanco. Moreno is now 24-6-0 (6KO). So far in her career in the sport, she has won the WBA Flyweight, WIBA Straw, WBC Straw, IBA Light Fly; and the WBC Interim light fly.

When Carina was about seven, her mother María used to take Carina and her three brothers to the house of a cousin who boxed. One day the cousin said he would show Carina how to defend herself, and taught her how to hit the heavy bag he had set up in the garage.

A couple of years later, Carina scored her first knockout ... in an accident where she ran into a boy with her forehead and the collision cost him some teeth. “It wasn’t on purpose,” says María, although Carina concedes that “when I was little, I used to fight ... I used to always be fighting guys”.

When Carina was a teenager, her brothers took karate, which she didn't enjoy "because it wasn’t as aggressive as boxing". She ran cross-country and track while in high school. Nearing age 18, after looking for a real boxing gym, she enrolled in a cardio kickboxing class at a fitness center. Her instructor offered her extra classes for a more intense workout, and soon offered to train her for amateur kickboxing competition. Moreno competed in some competitions with success.

Hoping to get more competition as a boxer, Carina switched from kickboxing to boxing under the guidance of trainer Rick Noble, who also trained Kelsey Jeffries at the time.

Carina began boxing in January 2000. In April of that year she entered the USA Boxing Everlast National Championships at the Chaparral Center in Midland, Texas. She won her 106-lb semifinal bout on April 13 with a 42-1 decision over Catherine Herway of San Antonio, Texas. On April 15, Carina defeated two-time defending national champion Linda Carrillo of South El Monte in the final by a 17-11 margin. Carina continued to fight in the Amateurs having a 36-2 amateur boxing record. She turned pro on July 3, 2003, where she fought in a four-round bout, winning by a four-round unanimous decision.

Moreno's goal had been to compete in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece if those had included female boxing. When it became clear that they would not, Rick Noble told her it was time for her to take the next step and start over as a professional.