| |
5'6" Mexican bantamweight
Irma "Torbellino" Garcia Nuñez was born in 1982 in Cuatitlán
Izcalli. She was always active in sports. She played
soccer and kickboxed competitively, but she
says
that her "life changed completely" when she was introduced to boxing
as a way to increase her fitness while working as a police officer.
She also studied for a law degree and she hopes one day to become a
prosecutor. She serves as a non-commissioned officer and a
physical fitness trainer in the Federal Police while pursuing her
world title boxing career under the tutelage of Nacho Beristaín.
Irma first boxed as an amateur and had a total of
nine amateur fights without a loss. She won the national Federal
Police tournament in Morelia, Mexico in her sixth amateur bout in
2010.
She made her professional debut on May 1 2010 at
Deportivo La Pera, Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México, Mexico, with a
Technical Draw in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder with
Andrea Cortina after Cortina was cut by an accidental clash of
heads. Cortina's record went to 0-2-1.
On March 25, 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in
Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Irma Garcia KO'd Jennifer Encarnacion of
the Dominican Republic in the first round of a scheduled six-rounder
in an episode of the TV reality show "Champions Challenge".
On April 2 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in
Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, she TKO'd Karolina Owcwarz of Lodz,
Poland in the first round of a scheduled six-rounder in another
episode of "Champions Challenge".
On April 9 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in
Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, she fought to a six-round draw with
Yazmin Rivas of Torreon, Mexico in another episode of
"Champions Challenge".
On the same day she TKO'd Blanca Iris Cueto of
Chiapas, Mexico in the fifth round of a scheduled six on the same
show.
On March 30, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco,
Distrito Federal, Irma Garcia (121¾ lbs) returned to sanctioned
professional competition with an eight-round unanimous
(80-72,77-75,79-73) decision over Julia Hernandez (121¾ lbs) who
fell to 0-2.
On April 28, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco,
Distrito Federal, Irma Garcia (120¼ lbs) won an eight-round
unanimous decision over Nazly Maldonado (121 lbs) of Ciudada Azteca,
México who fell to 1-3 (0 KO's).
On August 4, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco,
Distrito Federal, Mexico, Irma Garcia (118¼ lbs) won by a TKO over
Fredee Gonzalez (117¾ lbs) of Los Angeles, California in the fourth
round of a scheduled six-rounder.
On September 8, 2012 at Gimnasio Miguel Alemán
Valdez in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, Irma Garcia (120 lbs) won an
eight-round decision over veteran Laura
Serrano (120 lbs) of Mexico City who fell to 17-5-3 (6 KO's)
with the loss. Serrano, who had a distinguished career in
women's professional boxing from 1994 to 2007 fighting mainly in the
USA, and had lobbied hard for the sport to be legalized in Mexico,
re-retired following this loss to Garcia (she had previously retired
in 2007 following a loss to Germany's Ina Menzer for the WIBF
Featherweight title).
On December 8, 2012 at Centro Banamex in Mexico
City, Distrito Federal, Irma won a six-round unanimous decision over
Rocio Castillo Garcia of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico who fell to
3-5 (1 KO).
On January 5, 2013 at Unidad Deportiva El Chamizal
in Zamora, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico Irma Garcia (118 lbs) won the
WBA Bantamweight title with a ten-round unanimous
(96-94,96-94,97-93) decision over previously undefeated and highly
favored Janeth "Cusilla" Perez Vigil (118 lbs) of Zapopan, Jalisco,
Mexico, Garcia used her southpaw jab effectively to keep the
more aggressive Perez at a distance but let loose with quick-fisted
combinations when she saw opportunities at closer range.
Perez's attacking style (and occasional showboating) may have been
more appealing to Mexican fans, but Garcia often landed the
straighter and more effective punches while moving away from Perez's
two-fisted attack. Perez was able to close the range with Garcia
more often in the later rounds and she bloodied Garcia's nose in the
ninth but Garcia's ring movement still kept her out of any sustained
trouble while she continued to counterpunch effectively. Perez
closed the fight even more aggressively but still fell to 17-1-2 (4
KO's) with the loss, which was considered an upset by many boxing
commentators despite Garcia's own undefeated record. TyC
sports TV (see video above) called Perez the victor by 98-92 but the
judges had rewarded Garcia's boxing skills and counterpunching over
Perez's relentless pursuit.
On April 6, 2013 at Unidad Deportiva El Chamizal,
Zamora, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico, Irma Garcia won a ten-round
split decision over Janeth Perez Vigil of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico
defending the WBA Bantamweight title. Garcia suffered a left ankle
sprain when she fell to the canvas awkwardly after a push from Perez
as the two wrestled in the final round but she was able to finish
the fight and hold Perez at bay after a long timeout and retained
the WBA title by the split decision. The loss dropped Perez's record
to 17-2-2 (4 KO's).
On August 31, 2013 at Gimnasio San Juan de la
Barrera in Mexico City, Distrito Federal,
Jessica Gonzalez (117¾ lbs) of Mexico City won a ten-round split
(96-94,97-94,94-96) decision over Irma Garcia (117¾ lbs) who fell to
7-1-1 (1 KO).
Gonzalez took advantage of her greater reach and worked from the
middle distance with her jab instead of going to press Garcia, who
is usually a counterpuncher who looks to capitalize on her
opponent's mistakes. Gonzalez's defense also frustrated Garcia who
did not change her tactics even though she was having trouble
getting past Gonzalez's guard. Garcia's WBA
Bantamweight title was not on the line in this fight.
On November 2, 2013 at Auditorio General Arteaga in
Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico, Irma Garcia won a ten-round majority
(97-95,96-94,95-95) decision over Magali Rodriguez of Monterrey,
Nuevo León, Mexico defending the WBA Bantamweight title.
Rodriguez fell to 13-5-1 while Irma Garcia advanced to 8-1-1
(1 KO).
On September 20, 2014, in Sinola, Mexico, in the WBC
bantamweight title bout, Irma Garcia scored a unanimous decision
victory over Simone Da Silva Duarte.
On June 4, 2016, at the Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancun,
Quintana Roo, Mexico, bantamweight Irma Garcia won a ten-round
unanimous decision over Miriam Avila; in a second bout, flyweight
Yesenia Gomez, won by a first round KO over Clarisabel Nataren. The
bout was scheduled for four rounds.
On September 3, 2016, at the Deportivo Zaragoza,
Atizapan de Zaragoza, México, bantamweight Irma Garcia, 119, won an
eight-round unanimous decision over Ana Maria Lozano, 119.
On December 17, 2016, at the Gran Oasis Arena,
Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, there are two female bouts featured on
the card. In one bout, Mariana "La Barby" Juárez, 117.5, won by a
10-round majority decision over Irma Garcia, 118, the two were
fighting for the WBC International Bantamweight title; and in a
second bout, Maricela Cornejo, won by a six-round unanimous decision
over Martha Lara.
On October 7, 2017, at
the Gimnasio de la AUT, Tampico, Tamaulipas,
Mexico, Irma Garcia,118¼, won by a eight-round majority decision
over Kandy Sandoval, 119.
On February 3, 2018, in the Centro de Convenciones,
Tlalnepantla, México,
Guadalupe Martinez, 114, now 17-9-0 (6KO), won a ten-round unanimous
decision over Irma Garcia, 115, now 18-3-1 (3KO). Martinez was defending her
WBC Super Flyweight title.
Photo credit: Pepe Rodriguez
Irma Garcia is passionate about combating
discrimination and violence against women in Mexico, saying
"I must confess that the road has not been easy. It's amazing that
in this century we still have to deal with the macho mentality of
many who still discriminate (against people) because they are
women."
Page last updated,
Thursday, September 20, 2018
|
|
