Gloria Ramirez, 135-lb Southpaw, Born 09/15/1973, Sunland Park, New Mexico

A career in boxing was the last thing on Gloria Ramirez’ mind as she grew up just blocks from the Rio Grande inder the hot sun in El Paso, Texas. As a child, Ramirez, a daughter of Mexican immigrants was drawn to "pick-up" ball games on the narrow city street, in front of where she lived in an apartment.

In high school, Ramirez participated and excelled in other sports, i.e., track, basketball and volleyball. Ramirez’s interest would change though, when she got involved with boxing.

When Ramirez turned 20 years old, she trained in the sweltering weather of El Paso and Cd Jaurez, Mexico gyms.

Ramirez began her professional boxing career in 1993. Ramirez faced New Mexico’s Delia Gonzalez, who was already a ring veteran and tough contender. Ramirez lost that fight with a technical knockout in the third round. This fight did not deter Ramirez, and in fact it became a bigger challenge for her to move forward in the sport.

Ramirez, a southpaw, now has nearly 20 professional bouts on her belt, and she has come a long way, and is to the point after struggling in the sport in her earlier career to coming into her own.

Ramirez’s parents had hoped that their daughter would have opportunities that they had never had, although they never envisioned that these opportunities would come due to her using her fists!

The Ramirez family is extremely close, and "traditional" and it has been hard on her mother, father, aunts and uncles accepting her choice of profession.

Regardless, during a recent California bout in which Ramirez triumphed by a unanimous decision (she has been doing that a lot lately), her parents for the first time could be seen rooting vigorously near the ring-encouraging her every jab in their native Spanish.

Ramirez’ experiences thus far have taken her across the nation to meet other women boxers in Louisiana, Wisconsin, California, Washington, as well as throughout the Southwest. Ramirez has appeared on ESPN2, and Univision.

Ramirez said, "Boxing is a very challenging sport and over the years, I have learned that it takes both conditioning and mentally focus to proceed in boxing.   This is my time---my window of opportunity. I’m in peak condition and that allows me to focus."