Catherine Phiri is a Zambian professional boxer. She held the WBC female bantamweight title from 2016 to 2017 and challenged twice for the WBC female super-bantamweight title in 2017 and 2019.

Catherine Phiri
Phiri in 2017
Born
Lusaka, Zambia
Statistics
Weight(s)
Boxing record
Total fights21
Wins16
Wins by KO10
Losses5

Boxing career

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Phiri debuted on 25 July 2011 when she defeated Zambian boxer Esther Chalwe at the National Sports Development Centre in Lusaka.[1] She won the WBC female bantamweight title by defeating reigning champion Yazmín Rivas on 30 January 2016 in Mexico.[2] She became the first Zambian to win a WBC title.[3]

Her 13th fight was on 27 August 2016 at Lusaka's Government Complex where she retained her WBC title with a first-round stoppage victory against Gabisile Tshabalala.[4] She lost the title in her next fight, suffering the second defeat of her career against Mariana Juárez on 1 April 2017, in Mexico City, Mexico.[5]

On 17 December 2016, she was honoured by the World Boxing Council for being the first boxer from Africa to win the WBC bantamweight title.[6] On 2 November 2017, she was defeated by Fatuma Zarika in a WBC super-bantamweight title fight, losing by unanimous decision with the judges' scorecards reading 97–92, 98–91 and 99–92. Zarika was the defending champion.[7]

A rematch between Phiri and Zarika took place on 3 March 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya with the WBC title again on the line. Zarika won by unanimous decision.[8]

Phiri faced Zimbabwe's Kudakwashe Chiwandire for the vacant WBC female interim super-bantamweight title on 26 February 2022, at the Government Complex in Lusaka, Zambia, losing by split decision.[9]

Phiri was suspended from all boxing activities for two years in October 2022, after being found to have used a banned substance. She tested positive for the diuretic furosemide after her loss to Chiwandire in February. Phiri admitted her guilt and her ban was backdated to start from May 2022.[10] [11] [12] [13]

Awards

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Catherine Phiri was also given an academic scholarship from the Justina Mutale Foundations Scholarship Programme on 9 June 2016. She is expected to go and study Sports Management at the European School of Economics in Italy.[14] President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu honoured Catherine Phiri with the Zambia insignia of meritorious achievement award for her accomplishment on Africa Freedom Day, 25 May 2017.[15]

Professional boxing record

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21 fights 16 wins 5 losses
By knockout 10 0
By decision 6 5
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
21 Loss 16–5 Kudakwashe Chiwandire SD 10 26 Feb 2022 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia For vacant WBC female interim super-bantamweight title
20 Loss 16–4 Fatuma Zarika UD 10 23 Mar 2019 Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya For WBC female super-bantamweight title
19 Win 16–3 Asandiswa Nxokwana TKO 2 (8), 1:37 13 Oct 2018 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
18 Win 15–3 Halima Yazidu KO 2 (8), 0:42 28 Apr 2018 City Mall, Solwezi, Zambia
17 Win 14–3 Rukia Nasirite TKO 2 (6), 2:27 30 Dec 2017 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
16 Loss 13–3 Fatuma Zarika UD 10 2 Dec 2017 Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi, Kenya For WBC female super-bantamweight title
15 Win 13–2 Flora Machela KO 1 (6), 2:00 2 Jul 2017 Zmart Mall, Ndola, Zambia
14 Loss 12–2 Mariana Juárez UD 10 1 Apr 2017 Mexico City, Mexico Lost WBC female bantamweight title
13 Win 12–1 Gabisile Tshabalala TKO 1 (10), 1:00 27 Aug 2016 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia Retained WBC female bantamweight title
12 Win 11–1 Yazmín Rivas TD 6 (10), 2:00 30 Jan 2016 Centro de Convenciones, Rosarito Beach, Mexico Won WBC female bantamweight title;
Majority TD after Rivas was cut from an accidental head clash
11 Loss 10–1 Christina McMahon MD 10 2 May 2015 Mulungushi Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia For WBC interim female bantamweight title
10 Win 10–0 Bukiwe Nonina TKO 2 (10) 22 Nov 2014 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia Retained WBC Silver female bantamweight title
9 Win 9–0 Joyce Chileshe PTS 4 3 May 2014 Mongu Stadium, Mongu, Zambia
8 Win 8–0 Pia Mazelanik KO 3 (10), 1:00 15 Mar 2014 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia Won vacant WBC Silver female bantamweight title
7 Win 7–0 Hawa Daku KO 8 (10) 28 Sep 2013 Mulungushi Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia Won vacant African female bantamweight title
6 Win 6–0 Leslie Domingo TKO 2 (10) 23 Mar 2013 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
5 Win 5–0 Nathalie Forget UD 10 20 Oct 2012 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
4 Win 4–0 Hamisa Willy RTD 4 (6), 2:00 31 Mar 2012 Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
3 Win 3–0 Diana Makumbe UD 4 29 Oct 2011 Konkola Stadium, Chililabombwe, Zambia
2 Win 2–0 Cicilia Pitiseni UD 4 3 Sep 2011 Maramba Stadium, Livingstone, Zambia
1 Win 1–0 Esther Chalwe PTS 4 28 May 2011 National Sports Development Centre, Lusaka, Zambia

References

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  1. ^ Catherine Phiri on Boxrec.com
  2. ^ "Phiri dethrones Rivas, Alvarez stops Winchester". Archived from the original on 1 February 2016. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  3. ^ "Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation". Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. ^ Catherine Phiri’s camp slams’ Tshabalala LusakaTimes, 28 August 2016
  5. ^ "Mexico's Barby Dethrones Catherine Phiri | Zambia Reports". Zambia Reports. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  6. ^ "WBC honours Catherine – Daily Nation". www.dailynation.news. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  7. ^ Ahenda, Ben. "Zarika retains her WBC Super bantamweight title against Zambian Catherine Phiri". Standard Digital News. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Fatuma Zarika vs Catherine Phiri". boxrec.com. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  9. ^ Manyepo, Tadious (26 April 2022). "President rewards female boxer Chiwandire with US$15k". The Herald. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  10. ^ "Catherine Phiri: Zambian boxer 'to be back' after two-year doping ban". BBC Sport. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Zambian Boxing Champion Handed Two-Year Doping Ban". openzambia.com. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  12. ^ "Catherine Phiri fails doping test". Lusaka Times. 6 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  13. ^ "Zambia Boxing Star, Catherine Phiri Banned After Failing Doping Test". News Central TV. 7 October 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2024.
  14. ^ "Zambia : 25 young Zambian women get Justina Mutale scholarship to study abroad". LusakaTimes.com. 13 June 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
  15. ^ "President Lungu honours under-20 team, Catherine Phiri – Zambia Daily Mail". www.daily-mail.co.zm. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
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