(AUG 4)  TIJUANA, Mexico – Women’s boxing is set to take center stage on Saturday, August 29, as triple world champion Kenia Enríquez faces American world-class contender Melinda Cooper at the Tijuana Municipal Auditorium.

The bout marks a historic collision between two eras of elite female boxing.

Melinda "The Marvellous" Cooper travels from Las Vegas to step back into the ring for this fight against Enriquez.

Cooper was inducted into the prestigious International Women’s Boxing Hall in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Cooper is a 23-2-0 (11KO), with her last fight taking place on November 5, 2014, where she won the fight against Zenny Sotomayor.

Enriquez, will be fighting in front of her home crowd. She has not fought since February of 2024.

Looks like maybe both could suffer from ring rust, but are very talented boxers so boxing fans should be highly entertained in the comeback fight for Cooper after being retired for 14 years.

About Melinda Cooper:  5'2½" bantamweight Melinda Cooper was born in Las Vegas, Nevada.   She began boxing in 1996 after meeting trainer James Pena at the Nevada Partners gym. "I was wondering what the place was," said Cooper, "then I was asked if I wanted to box and I said 'yeah.' "
 
Pena recalls that he didn't realize that Cooper was a girl because she was with three boys and the hood of her coat was over her head. "There was a group of kids there and I asked them all if they wanted to box but no one really wanted to. Then I said to Melinda, 'How about you?' and she said she'd try it. It wasn't until the next day I realized she was a girl."

"I said, `Oh, sweetheart, I can't let you box. You're a girl. I can't let you box with the boys. But she said she'd try and box them."

She lasted four rounds that day and made an impression on Pena, who had never trained a female. "I said, `If you want to box, show up at 3:30 and don't be late. Every day since, she showed up at 3:30."

Melinda Cooper went on to compile a depth of ring experience as an amateur boxer that is quite rare among U.S. female fighters, some of whom still make their pro debuts with no amateur experience at all. More details on Cooper.

About Kenia Enriquez:  Affectionately known as the "Mexican Queen," Enríquez boasts a 28-1-0 (11KO) boxing record.  With an unmatched charisma, evident talent and skills. Born  in the border city of Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, the oldest daughter of four siblings, Enriquez first stepped into a gym at age 13. She was inspired by watching an old scratched video of her fighting father, Gustavo Enriquez, having his hand raised after one of his few professional wins. Under the watchful eye of her dad, Enriquez fought in her first amateur bout a mere ten days after starting her training. Her father wanted to see if she was really committed to the sport and matched her against a much more experienced and bigger fighter. Needless to say, Kenia lost her first bout by stoppage. More details on Enriquez. 

The mega-event is presented by Latin KO Promotions, a leading promotional company directed by Oswaldo Küchle.
The card is organized in association with Cancún Boxing by Pepe Gómez and Boxing Time by Memo Rocha.

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