Template:Short description
Template:Infobox boxer
Sumya Anani (born February 12, 1972) is a retired American professional female boxer nicknamed "The Island Girl." She was 5'6" and boxed as a junior welterweight.<ref name="WBAN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref> She is best known for a 1996 bout which left her opponent severely injured and may have served as an inspiration for the film Million Dollar Baby.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref> Outside the ring, she is a yoga instructor and holistic healer.
Anani was born in Minnesota and raised in Kansas. She competed as a weightlifter in 1995 and 1996. She took up boxing for self-defense and started boxing professionally because she was "short on cash."<ref name="women">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref> She began to box professionally in the summer of 1996.
She began by boxing against relatively unknown opponents. Her fourth professional bout was in St. Joseph, Missouri against Katie Dallam, a novice welterweight who had only gotten her pro boxing license the day before<ref name = "WBAN" /> — a pairing described as "an obvious mismatch." In four rounds she landed 119 blows to Dallam's head. Dallam collapsed in her dressing room afterward and required brain surgery. Anani was so upset she considered quitting boxing.<ref name = "women" />
She came to prominence in the boxing world on September 30, 1997, when she defeated former WIBF lightweight champion Stacy Prestage by a knockout. On March 28, 1998 she scored "the sport's biggest upset" with a unanimous six-round decision over veteran Andrea DeShong, considered "the standard bearer for the sport."<ref name = "women" /> On December 18, 1998, she fought boxing star Christy Martin and won the match, handing Martin her first defeat since November 1989.<ref name = "WBAN" />
In 2016, Anani was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref> The IWBHF was created and founded by Sue TL Fox.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web
}}</ref>
Professional boxing recordEdit
Template:BoxingRecordSummary
Template:Abbr
|
Result
|
Record
|
Opponent
|
Type
|
Round, time
|
Date
|
Location
|
Notes
|
29
|
Template:No2Loss
|
25–3–1
|
Template:Flagicon Terri Blair
|
TKO
|
9 (10)
|
May 27, 2006
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
28
|
Template:No2Loss
|
25–2–1
|
Template:Flagicon Terri Blair
|
TKO
|
10 (10)
|
Mar 25, 2006
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
27
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
25–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Belinda Laracuente
|
UD
|
10
|
Jan 22, 2005
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
26
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
24–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Stephanie Jaramillo
|
UD
|
10
|
Dec 4, 2004
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
25
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
23–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Lisa Holewyne
|
UD
|
6
|
Apr 24, 2004
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
24
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
22–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Fredia Gibbs
|
RTD
|
1 (8)
|
Apr 18, 2003
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
23
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
21–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Lisa Holewyne
|
KO
|
5 (10)
|
Nov 2, 2002
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
22
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
20–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Jane Couch
|
TKO
|
4 (10)
|
Jun 21, 2002
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
21
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
19–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Britt Van Buskirk
|
UD
|
8
|
Feb 1, 2002
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
20
|
Template:DrawDraw
|
18–1–1
|
Template:Flagicon Fredia Gibbs
|
PTS
|
10
|
Nov 16, 2001
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
19
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
18–1
|
Template:Flagicon Britt Van Buskirk
|
UD
|
10
|
Oct 20, 2001
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
18
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
17–1
|
Template:Flagicon Elizabeth Mueller
|
UD
|
10
|
May 11, 2001
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
Template:Small
|
17
|
Template:No2Loss
|
16–1
|
Template:Flagicon Britt Van Buskirk
|
SD
|
6
|
Sep 17, 2000
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
16
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
16–0
|
Template:Flagicon Vicki Woods
|
UD
|
8
|
Jun 25, 2000
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
15
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
15–0
|
Template:Flagicon Dora Webber
|
UD
|
10
|
Jun 11, 1999
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
14
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
14–0
|
Template:Flagicon Dora Webber
|
UD
|
8
|
Mar 23, 1999
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
13
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
13–0
|
Template:Flagicon Denise Moraetes
|
UD
|
8
|
Mar 12, 1999
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
12
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
12–0
|
Template:Flagicon Christy Martin
|
MD
|
10
|
Dec 18, 1998
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
11
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
11–0
|
Template:Flagicon Alicia Sparks
|
TKO
|
1 (6)
|
Sep 18, 1998
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
10
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
10–0
|
Template:Flagicon Andrea DeShong
|
UD
|
6
|
Mar 28, 1998
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
9
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
9–0
|
Template:Flagicon Loretta James
|
TKO
|
1 (4)
|
Jan 31, 1998
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
8
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
8–0
|
Template:Flagicon Charlotte Esparza
|
KO
|
1 (4)
|
Nov 13, 1997
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
7
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
7–0
|
Template:Flagicon Stacey Prestage
|
KO
|
4 (6)
|
Sep 30, 1997
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
6
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
6–0
|
Template:Flagicon Ashley Needham
|
UD
|
4
|
Apr 2, 1997
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
5
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
5–0
|
Template:Flagicon Shelley Walden
|
TKO
|
4 (4)
|
Mar 19, 1997
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
4
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
4–0
|
Template:Flagicon Katherine Dallam
|
TKO
|
4 (4)
|
Dec 11, 1996
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
3
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
3–0
|
Template:Flagicon Valerie Almack
|
TKO
|
2 (4)
|
Oct 16, 1996
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
2
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
2–0
|
Template:Flagicon Jessica Breitfelder
|
UD
|
4
|
Aug 26, 1996
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
1
|
Template:Yes2Win
|
1–0
|
Template:Flagicon Jessica Breitfelder
|
UD
|
4
|
Aug 12, 1996
|
Template:Flagicon Template:Small
|
|
ReferencesEdit
<references />
External linksEdit
Template:US-boxing-bio-stub