Beatriz Ferreira Plans To Make Boxing History In 2024
IBF lightweight champion Beatriz “The Beast” Ferreira (5-0, 2KO) is a woman with lofty goals. One of her goals was to win a world title. This mission was accomplished on April 27! Next up on the Brazilian’s agenda is winning a Gold medal at the 2024 Olympic games in Paris.
Fighting Yanina del Carmen Lescano (14-4, 4KO) for the vacant IBF women’s lightweight title at the Exhibition Centre in Liverpool, England, Ferreira had to overcome the height and length of Lescano in the early couple of rounds. But by round four, The Beast started to take over, snapping Lescano’s head back with left hooks and right hands.
It was much of the same in the fifth. By round six, Ferreira was dominating as her opponent badly cut over her left eye from an accidental headbutt. With the cut worsening, the ringside doctors felt Lescano’s cut was too severe to continue. As a result, the fight went to the scorecards. Ferriera was ahead by a wide margin across the board.
THE BLUEPRINT
During the post-fight presser, the enthusiasm was bursting from the new world champion as she spoke to the boxing media. The 31-year-old said this is only the beginning.
(Translated from Portuguese) “I had visualized being a world champion, but I never imagined it happening so soon. But we’ve been training really hard and really focused, and I am going to promise you that I am going to take the world by surprise!”
As far as the immediate future of The Beast, she’s turning her focus towards the amateur ranks. She plans to compete in the upcoming summer Olympics.
Specifically, she desperately wants a rematch against Kellie Harrington, who defeated her in the gold medal match at the 2020 Olympic boxing tournament in Tokyo, Japan. Should Ferreira win Gold in Paris, she would be the first person to win a professional world title and an Olympic gold medal in the same year!
With the reigning unified lightweight champion at the tail end of her career, Ferriera could be in a position to be the next dominant champion at 135. When The Beast signed with Matchroom in July 2022, she predicted she would provide great performances for the boxing public. If her performance against Lescano is any sign of what may be coming down the pipe, the pride of Brazil is well on her way to living up to her promise and making history in the process.
