Cecilia Brækhus is widely regarded as one of the sport’s greatest trailblazers. Across an 18-year professional career, she not only made history in the boxing ring but also fought battles outside it, challenging everything from bans to stereotypes to barriers. As she prepares for her final fight, here’s a look back at her biggest triumphs.
Becoming a Boxer
Gloves hang over a former altar at Popeye’s Boxing Gym and Fitness Center, which operates in the old St. Michael the Archangel Byzantine Catholic Church in Akron, Ohio. The Vincent House owns the space and rents it to Popeye’s.
Brækhus was born in Colombia, adopted and raised in Norway. At a time when women were often barred from gyms and excluded from Olympic competition, she pressed forward, sneaking into training sessions as a teenager. Brækhus was determined to be a boxer and said so early on, despite pushback from others.
Conditions in Norway eventually pushed her to move to Germany, where she became known as “First Lady” because she was the first female boxer to sign with renowned promoter Wilfried Sauerland. Her resolve laid the groundwork for a career defined by resilience.
Breaking Boxing’s Biggest Glass Ceiling
In September 2014, Brækhus defeated Ivana Habazin to unify all four major welterweight titles (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO). She became the first woman to be recognized as an undisputed world champion. The achievement was compared to milestones in men’s boxing history and reshaped expectations for women in the sport.
Her reign was so dominant that she matched the legendary Joe Louis’ record of 25 consecutive title defenses, a feat long considered untouchable. Brækhus tied that record in 2019 with a victory over Victoria Bustos, showing that women’s boxing had reached the same historic heights as the sport’s greatest male champions.
Fighting the Ban in Norway
Brækhus’ battles weren’t confined to the ring. Since 1981, professional boxing had been banned in Norway, following a parliamentary vote that framed the sport as unsafe compared to amateur boxing. Participating in professional bouts could even carry jail time.
Determined to change this, Brækhus spent years lobbying officials, meeting with doctors, politicians and Norway’s prime minister to press her case. In 2014, after decades of prohibition, parliament narrowly voted 54–48 to lift the ban. For Brækhus, it was a moment as meaningful as any of her championship victories; Norwegian fighters could now compete without fear of legal consequences.
A Pioneer on the Global Stage
Brækhus also made history on the international stage. In 2018, her fight against Kali Reis was broadcast live on HBO, marking the first time a women’s boxing match aired on the network in its 45-year history. That same bout, which she won by unanimous decision, extended her undisputed reign and showed the commercial appeal of women’s boxing.
She also drew record-setting crowds, including 10,000 fans in Oslo who filled the arena for her first professional fight in Norway following the ban’s repeal. These milestones weren’t just about personal success. They signaled a new era where women’s boxing could headline major venues and television broadcasts once reserved exclusively for men.
A Record-Breaking Champion
Thomas Bradford, Guinness World Record official adjudicator, counts citizens ready to set an official Guinness World Record for most number of people dressed as dinosaurs during tonight’s Screen on the Green event on the Great Lawn in downtown West Palm Beach, Fla., on January 10, 2025. The total was 468 total dinosaurs.
Brækhus’ most enduring triumph was her record-breaking dominance as a champion. Between 2007 and 2019, she went 36 fights undefeated, the longest streak for a female world champion. Along the way, she became the longest-reigning four-belt undisputed champion in history, holding her titles for nearly six years.
When she stepped into the ring in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2020, she had the chance to surpass Joe Louis’ 70-year-old achievement with a 26th defense, showing how her career wasn’t just about women’s boxing but about standing alongside the greatest figures in the sport.
Sources: CNN, The New York Times, Guinness World Records, Business Insider, BoxingScene
