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[Photo Credit: Facebook/Alejandra Oliveras]
5'1" Alejandra Marina Oliveras is known as 'La
Locomotora' (The Locomotive).
She was born on March 20, 1978 in El Carmen in Jujuy, Argentina. She
moved to Alejandro Roca in the Province of Córdoba at age 2, and since
January 2006 has lived in the suburb of General Bustos in the city of
Córdoba itself.
Alejandra grew up as one of seven children in her
family. As a child, she used to fight with the boys and beat them at
arm wrestling.
According to Rubén Casanova of Box Latino, it was
"love for Mike Tyson" that brought her into boxing. "When
Tyson was released from prison, I said to myself 'I'm going to give it
a go' " she said. She began boxing in Villa Maria in 2003 while
Argentina was in the grip of a deep economic depression, at a time when
she could not even afford to buy herself a pair of shorts.
Alejandra is trained by Carlos Tello at Polideportivo Corral de Palos
in Córdoba, a gym which boasts half of Argentina's recent stock of
world champion boxers.
After reportedly having 38 amateur fights in Córdoba, she made her pro
debut on August 26, 2005 at Villa Diego in Santa Fe, Argentina. "La
Locomotora" weighed in at 126 lbs and defeated María del Carmen Potenza
(126 lbs) by a second-round TKO.
On September 9, 2005 at La Carlota in Córdoba, she won a four-round
unanimous decision over Maria del Carmen Montiel of Buenos Aires, who
fell to 1-4-0 (1 KO) (three of her losses were to Marcel Acuña, for whom she had
been a sparring partner).
On November 11, 2005 at Hipólito Buchardo in Córdoba Alejandra won a
four round unanimous decision over Silvia Gervasi of Buenos Aires, who
fell to 0-2.
On January 6, 2006 at the Anfiteatro Municipal in Rio Cuarto,
Argentina, Alejandra (120¼ lbs) won by a third-round technical decision
over María del Carmen Potenza (116¾ lbs) in a rematch of her pro debut
fight.
On February 17, 2006 at E.N.E.T. Nº 1 in Laboulaye, Argentina Alejandra
(127¾ lbs) fought to a four-round split decision with Bettina Garino
(131¼ lbs) of Río Tercero, Córdoba, Argentina, who was making her pro
debut.
On March 24, 2006 at La Carlota in Córdoba, Alejandra (123½ lbs) fought
to a four-round draw in a rematch with Bettina Garino (124½ lbs).
On April 7, 2006 at Club Pabellón in Alejandro Roca, Córdoba, Alejandra
(124½ lbs) won a first-round TKO over an opponent who is something of a
mystery. Her name was given in some reports as "Miryam Da Silva" (125¼
lbs) of Brazil, but others have said that she was actually
Brazilian junior middleweight Lurival De Lima, then 2-0 (1 KO) ... who
indeed fought at 148 lbs just under a month later.
This 6-0-1 record compiled entirely in Argentina made Oliveras a "dark
horse" underdog going into her next fight - a WBC World Junior
Featherweight title bout with "Aztec Princess" Jackie Nava in
Nava's home town of Tijuana, Mexico. Going into this fight, Nava was
13-1-1 (8 KO's) as a pro boxer, and was also a world champion kickboxer
with plenty of big-fight experience. Nava also seemed quietly
confident a week before the fight, telling local media "I
know she's unbeaten but she's only fought people in her own country.
This is where her luck runs out ... no one is coming to Tijuana, to my
country, and taking from me something it cost me so much hard
work to obtain."
After a
long trip to Mexico from Argentina ... "I'd be
lying if I said I wasn't a bit tired but up there in the ring, it'll
all be forgotten; I'll be transformed" , Alejandra gave
pre-fight interviews in which she intimated that the female boxing
scene in Argentina is not lively ... "we have lots of women
who practice amateur boxing but very few who do it professionally" ... and
that the sport is frowned upon there ... "I don't know what
it's like in the rest of the world; that's why I've come to fight in
Mexico to show that women's boxing offers quality like
men's".
Continuing a charm offensive for the benefit of Mexican fans, "La
Locomotora" added "I'm delighted by the men in Mexico and the
food. I'm definitely coming back to fight here ... this is the first
time I've visited this city and I'm very happy to be here. I promise
you: it will be a great fight. Where would world boxing be without the
Mexicans?"
At the weigh-in on May 19, 2006 in the offices of the Comisión de Box,
Lucha Libre y Kick Boxing, Oliveras and Nava tipped the scales at
identical weights: 53.9 kg. One journalist commented that he had rarely
seen so many officials and photographers at a weigh-in – no doubt due
to the fact that the world title fight would be the first pay-per-view
boxing telecast in Mexico to be headlined by women. Oliveras'
impressive physique drew gasps, followed by applause. She seemed
confident as the two boxers shook hands and wished each other luck,
with no bragging and neither making a prediction, both saying: "ganará
la mejor" ("may the best woman win").
On May 20, 2006 Alejandra stunned the partisan crowd of 3500
at Palenque del Hipódromo in Tijuana ... and much of the women's boxing
world ... when she decisively knocked Jackie Nava out at 1:47 in the
eighth (after previously knocking her down twice in the second) to
claim the WBC Junior Featherweight (Super Bantamweight) title.
The fight was retransmitted
by Fox Sports en Español to the whole of South America.
Oliveras improved to 7-0-1 (3 KO's) with the win while Nava fell to
13-2-1 (8 KO's).
Post fight, Oliveras said: "All
this is an enormous dream for me. I've beaten one of the best boxers in
the world. I am very grateful to have been given this opportunity,
which came very early in my career, but I was able to seize it; and now
the belt's on its way to Argentina."
On her triumphant return to
Córdoba, Oliveras was delayed at the airport by a crowd of journalists
and well-wishers and given an official reception by Intendente Luis
Juez. Oliveras said "I want the people of Córdoba to know me.
I proud that the crown is now here in Córdoba. I'm going to carry on
and remain the champion for many more years." Echoing a famous
moment in Argentinian soccer history, Oliveras christened her
knockout left fist "The Hand of God".
She is undergoing treatment
for the injury to her right hand at the Hospital San Roque (reports say that she broke the
metacarpal and the knuckle) and will be out of action for about 3
months.
She sees the hallmark of Argentinian (female)
fighters as "We're very tough (battle-hardened)… For us, it
isn't a sport but something deeper. What's more we're very
strong and we love to win."
Oliveras has two sons: Carlos (12) and
Alexis (8), at the time of winning her world title. When she is not
boxing she works in a gymnasium teaching aerobics, aerobox, salsa and
merengue - "anything with Caribbean rhythms in it; I'm active
the whole time; I don't just box; that's why I'm so fit".
When asked whether her impressive physique is the result of her work in
the gym, she replies "Exactly. I have a great fondness for
the gym."
Working the media in Argentina
following her win, Oliveras said that she looking for a man (a 'new
conquest') "Let's hope they're listening in Buenos
Aires because I need a boyfriend". She also launched an
appeal to all women to take up boxing and stop being the weaker sex, so
they can defend themselves against their husbands and boyfriends.
(Perhaps someone needs to tell her some more about Mike Tyson?)
She also offered to fight Marcela Acuña for free ("for
the honor of winning")
during a Canal 9 TV link-up between Acuña in Argentina and Oliveras in
Tijuana. Acuña, who was there to talk about the state of
Argentinian women´s boxing, congratulated Oliveras and challenged her
to a unification fight. Oliveras now says that she
has
bigger fish to fry than Acuña: "When I went to Mexico, I was
a complete unknown with everything against me. What could I possibly
have to fear now from La Tigresa -- and in my own country? I think that
for the moment I have bigger fish to fry. Don't forget that Laila Alia
and I hold the most important titles on Earth: the WBC ones. I'm out to
fight the best; if La Tigresa is on that route, I
have no problem."
On October 13, 2006 at Club
Sportivo América, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina, Alejandra (121 lbs) won
a ten-round unanimous (98-93,98-91,98-91) decision over Anays Gutierrez
Carrillo (122 lbs) of Barranquilla, Colombia in a defense of her WBC
Junior Featherweight title.
On December 22, 2006 at the
Lawn Tennis Club in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Alejandra (119½
lbs) won by an eight-round split (75-77,77-75,77½-75½)
decision over over Claudia Andrea Lopez (122 lbs) of Trelew,
Argentina. Lopez, who may be better known as a kickboxer,
fell to 5-2-0 (0 KO's).
On March 3, 2007 at the Orfeo Superdome in Córdoba,
central Argentina, Alejandra (121½ lbs) fought to a 10-round draw with Jackie Nava (121½ lbs) of Mexico in a rematch for the WBC
Junior Featherweight titleNava's record
moved to14-2-2 (9 KO's).
On August 4, 2007, at the Club Central Argentino in
Cordoba, Argentina, Alejandra (119½ lbs) won a 10-round unanimous
decision over Adriana Salles (120¼ lbs) of Brazil. Salles fell to 8-2-1
(2 KO's).
On July 11, 2008 at Club
Defensores de Villa Lujan in Tucuman, Argentina, after nearly a year of
inactivity, Alejandra Oliveras returned to the ring and won an
eight-round unanimous decision over Carmen Montiel. According to the
MDZ Online, Oliveras was none too impressive - they stated that Montiel
dominated various phases of the fight and had Oliveras down in the
fourth. At the end, Oliveras asked for the microphone and tried to
explain that despite the knockdown she was superior to Montiel but she
was unable to make herself heard above the booing and
whistling. The 43-year-old Montiel fell to 2-12-1
(1 KO) with this loss.
On November
7, 2008 at Polideportivo Corral de Palos in Cordoba, Argentina,
Alejandra Oliveras won by a TKO when Michelle Larissa Bonassoli or
Curitiba, Brazil retired from the scheduled six-round contest at the
start of the fifth round. Bonasolli fell to 3-3 (3 KO's)
with the loss.
On December
4, 2008 at Estadio Luna Park in Buenos Aires, Argentina, arch-rival Marcela Acuna (121 lbs) from
Buenos Aires won a hard-fought 10-round unanimous (95-94,97-93,98-91)
decision over Alejandra (120 lbs) to unify the WBA and
WBC junior featherweight titles.
Acuña improved to 31-5 (16 KO's) with the win.
On May 16, 2009 at Estadio Cr.
Gaston Guelfi / Palacio Peñarol in Montevideo, Uruguay, Alejandra (125½
lbs) won a close ten-round unanimous (98-97,98-97,98-97) decision over
Adriana Salles (125¼ lbs) of Sao Paolo, Brazil for the WBA Fedalatin
Featherweight title. Salles fell to 11-5-1 (5 KO's) with the loss.
On November 6, 2009 at
Asociación Mutual Club El Tala in San Francisco, Argentina, Alejandra
(124½ lbs) defended the WBA Fedalatin Featherweight title with a
ten-round unanimous decision over Natalia del Pilar Burga (122¼ lbs) of
San Luis, Argentina, who fell to 5-6 (0 KO's) with the loss.
Oliveras moved her record to 14-1-2 (4 KO's) with the win.
On January 30, 2010 at Club
Social y Deportivo Peñarol in Guaminí, Buenos Aires, Argentina,
Alejandra (133½ lbs) won by a first-round TKO over Silvia Lescano of
Curitiba, Parana, Brazil who fell to 7-6-0 (5 KO's) with the loss.
On April
10, 2010 at Ce.De.M. N° 2 in Caseros, Buenos
Aires, Alejandra (126¾ lbs) won by a second-round TKO over
Antonina Ayala Vazquez of Formosa, Argentina. Ayala had
traded
with Oliveras in the opener but Oliveras rocked
her with
several hard shots to the head before she fell onto
the lower
ropes after taking a solid left to the jaw. The
referee
quickly waved off the contest, to Oliveras's evident displeasure. Ayala fell to
8-2-1 (2 KO's) with the loss.
On June 18, 2010 at Club
Almirante Brown in San Isidro de Lules, Tucuman, Argentina, Alejandra
won a six-round decision over Maria Quiroga of Rosario,
Argentina who fell to 4-7-2 (0 KO's).
On September 24, 2010
at Salón
Municipal, Villa del Dique, Cordoba, Argentina, Alejandra (126 lbs) won
an eight-round unanimous decision over Sonia Paladino (125¼ lbs) of
Cordoba, who fell to 4-12-1 (0 KO's).
On November 12, 2010 at Club
Atletico Union in Santa Fe, Argentina, Alejandra (127½ lbs)
knocked out Silvia Zacarias (127 lbs) of Buenos Aires, Argentina in the
fifth round of a scheduled eight-rounder. Zacarias fell to
5-8-2
(0 KO's) with this loss.
On February 18, 2011 at Club
Estudiantes in Santa
Rosa, Argentina, Monica Acosta (139 lbs) of Santa Rosa won
a hard fought ten-round unanimous (96-94 x 3)
decision over
Alejandra Oliveras (136¾ lbs) for the WBC and vacant WBA
Junior
Welterweight titles.. Acosta improved to 14-0-2 (4
KO's) as Oliveras slipped to 19-2-2 (7
KO's).
On April 9, 2011 at Estadio
Cubierto Municipal in Dean Funes, Cordoba, Argentina, Alejandra
Oliveras (127¾
lbs) won a six-round unanimous (60-55½,60-55,60-55) decision over
Pamela Benavidez (132½ lbs) of Resistencia, Argentina, who fell to
7-6-3 (2 KO's).
On
May 13, 2011 at Club Estudiantes in Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, Argentina,
Alejandra (126¼ lbs) TKO'd Alicia Alegre (126¼ lbs)
of Uruguaiana,
Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil in the final round of a scheduled
six-rounder. Alegre fell to 7-6 (7 KO's) with the loss.
On
August 12, 2011 at Asociación Deportiva Estudiantes in Rio Cuarto,
Cordoba, Alejandra (134¼ lbs) won the vacant WBA Lightweight
title
when Liliana Palmera (134¼ lbs)of
Monteria, Colombia retired at the end of the fifth round of a
scheduled ten-rounder. Palmera fell to 20-9-3 (13 KO's) with the loss.
On November 11, 2011 at Club
Atletico Lanus in Lanus, Buenos Aires, Oliveras won a
six-round decision over Roxana Laborde of Las Flores, Buenos Aires, who
fell to 5-7-2 (1 KO) while
On
January 5, 2012 at Club
Saigos in San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Alejandra won by
a KO at the start of the fifth round over Jessica Villafranca
ofNicolas Romero, México for the vacant WBO Featherweight title.
Villafranca tried to box from the outside but could not
muster
enough power to slow the hard-charging Oliveras.
Oliveras landed increasingly punishing shots at close
quarters as
the fight progressed, sometimes holding on to Villafranca
while
doing so. The damage sapped Villafranca's will to continue
and
when she did not answer the bell at the start of the fifth
round
of the scheduled ten-rounder, the referee counted her
out as
she sat on her corner stool. Villafranca slipped to
13-5-0 (7 KO's).
On April 13, 2012 at
Polideportivo Municipal de Necochea, Argentina, Alejandra Oliveras (132
lbs) stopped Simone
Da Silva Duarte (134¼ lbs) of
Brazil in the fifth round of a scheduled eight-rounder with no title on
the line. The Brazilian was kneeling on the canvas after
taking three consecutive body shots when the referee stopped the fight. Duarte fell to
10-3 (3 KO's).
On June 9, 2012 at Estadio
Pedro Estremador, San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina
Alejandra Olivieras (126 lbs) won by RTD at the start of the sixth
round over Diana Ayala (125 lbs) of San Pelayo, Colombia in a scheduled
10-round bout for the WBO Featherweight title. Oliveras improved her record to 26-2-2 (12 KO's) while Ayala fell to 12.-8-3 (7 KO's).
On November 15, 2014, at the Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana
Roo, Mexico, Erica Farias,135¾, won the WBC Light Welterweight title over
Alejandra Oliveras, 138, Both boxers are from Argentina. Final judges scores
were 92-99, 97-94, and 97-93.
On July 17, 2015, at the Club Racing, Teodolina, in Santa Fe,
Argentina,
lightweight Oliveras, 133¼, won a six-round unanimous decision over Natalia
Aquirre, 129.5.
In her last pro bout, on April 8, 2017, at the Gimnasio
Municipal Enrique Mosconi, Cutral Có, in Neuquen, Argentina, super
featherweight Oliveras, 128¾, won a ten-round unanimous decision over Lesly
Morales, 129¾. Final judges scores were 100-90, 100-90, and 100-89.
Oliveras professional record was 33-3-2 (16KO).
Page
last updated: Tuesday, June 26 2012
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