Maïva Hamadouche is on a Mission to Make Boxing History in 2021
IBF women’s World super featherweight champion Maïva Hamadouche (22-1, 18 KOs) is part of a stacked 130-pound division. The 31-year-old from Albi, Tarn, France will face WBO women’s World super featherweight titlist Mikaela Mayer this fall. How significant is this unification showdown? The Ring announced the winner of Hamadouche v Mayer would become their women’s world super featherweight champion.
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MORE ON HER PLATE
One would believe that match would take up the bulk of the Hamadouche’s attention. However, she on a mission to achieve something that would be unprecedented in the sport. Her goal for 2021 is to become the first active professional world champion to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.
In June of 2021, she qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympics by defeating Kata Pribojszki at the European Olympic Qualification Tournament Box Off in Villebon, France. The task was far from easy. She was competing while suffering from an injury.
Before the tournament, the woman from France was dealing with issues that were so bad it required surgery. To compound matters, the injuries failed to heal properly. Several infections developed, which meant more work on her arm. It became quite a dangerous ordeal. During an interview with the French podcast Super Moscato Show, Hamadouche disclosed what she has gone through over the past few months.
“I had the operation. At first, it was a really trivial operation. I didn’t follow the healing protocol so it’s my fault somewhere. I put on gloves a little too early.
I had big complications. I saw a great infectious disease specialist who had to treat me, I had surgery several times with constant relapses.
I was hospitalized several times, with my arm immobilized. no sweating on it. It was very complicated. I’m not even talking about bodybuilding. From the beginning of March until the end of April, I did not put on gloves. I only put on gloves from the beginning of March until the end of April to May 15.“
DRIVEN TO SUCCEED
Now healthy, she wants to shoot for the stars. As she explained on her social media, this is not just an attempt at making boxing history, it’s about so much more.
“As much as I look forward to going to the Olympics, it is a wonderful adventure. This pro world championship, I have been waiting for it for a long time!! It will sparkle from start to finish. This fight shows that women’s boxing has its place at the world level.”
Maïva Hamadouche is a police officer during her day job. Whether it’s patrolling the streets or trading punches in the ring, this is a woman with little to no fear. She is proving that once again by embarking on this historic endeavor.
By: Michael Wilson Jr.
