Vaia Anne Zaganas (born May 22, 1975) is a former Canadian and American
[ ]female boxer
Although women have participated in boxing for almost as long as the sport has existed, female fights have been effectively outlawed for most of boxing's history until recently, with athletic commissioners refusing to sanction or issue licenses ...
from Burnaby, British Columbia.
Career
After discovering the sport at an early age, Zaganas went on to win the Canadian National Championships title in 1998. As part of Canada's National team, she compiled an impressive record of 36–4, winning fights in Canada, the United States and Europe. Other highlights of her amateur
An amateur () is generally considered a person who pursues an avocation independent from their source of income. Amateurs and their pursuits are also described as popular, informal, autodidacticism, self-taught, user-generated, do it yourself, DI ...
career include winning a second national title, twice winning gold at the U.S.A. vs Canada dual meet, twice winning gold at the U.S. national Blue and Gold event and being named "Most Outstanding Boxer" of the tournament. In 2000, she won Canada's " Rookie of The Year" award for best performance in international competition, male or female.[
Before turning professional, Zaganas was ranked number one in the world by AIBA in her weight division. She moved to Las Vegas, Nevada later that year to pursue a ]professional boxing
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse bid, purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional bouts are supervised by a regula ...
career. Her success in the ring continued, as she won the IFBA Straw-weight World Championship in 2002 and the NABF light-flyweight World Championship in 2004. Considered one of the best pound-for-pound
Pound for pound is a ranking used in combat sports, such as boxing, wrestling, or mixed martial arts, of who the better fighters are irrespective of their weight, i.e. adjusted to compensate for weight class. As these fighters do not compete direc ...
boxers in the world, Zaganas now has an overall professional record of 16–3 with 6 KO’s.
Later career
After her boxing career, Zaganas became a stunt performer and actress.
Professional record
Over the course of her professional boxing career, Zaganas had 16 wins, 3 losses and 0 draws.
See also
* World Amateur Boxing Championships
The IBA World Boxing Championships, and the IBA Women's World Boxing Championships (previously known as AIBA), are biennial amateur boxing competitions organised by the International Boxing Association (IBA), which is the sport governing body. A ...
References
External links
*
International Female Boxers Association
at Women Boxing Archive Network
Interview: 12 Rounds with Vaia Zaganas
*
Instagram , Vaia ZaganasFacebook , Vaia Zaganas
1975 births
Sportspeople from Burnaby
Canadian women boxers
Living people
Mini-flyweight boxers
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