Lucia Rijker

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Lucia Rijker
Rijker in 2005
Born (1967-12-06) December 6, 1967 (age 56)
Amsterdam, Netherlands
NicknameThe Dutch Destroyer
Lady Tyson
Height1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Weight63.5 kg (140 lb)
StyleOrthodox
Professional boxing record
Total17
Wins17
By knockout14
Losses0
Kickboxing record
Total36
Wins35
By knockout25
Draws1

Lucia Frederica Rijker (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈrɛikər]; born December 6, 1967) is a Dutch professional boxer, kickboxer, and actress.

Rijker was sometimes dubbed by the press "The Most Dangerous Woman in the World".[1]

Early career[edit]

Rijker was born in Amsterdam to a Surinamese father and a Dutch mother.[2] She speaks four languages and is a Buddhist, dedicating time daily to meditation and chanting.[3]

Rijker started her martial arts career at the early age of six, when she began training in judo.[2] A year later, she was part of the Dutch National Softball Team.[4] At fourteen, after picking up fencing a year earlier, Lucia became the Netherlands Junior Champion of that sport.[2] When she was fifteen she began kickboxing and knocked out the reigning American kickboxing champion, Lily Rodriguez.[2] Rijker eventually amassed a 36-0 (25 KO) record as a kickboxer, and won four different world titles. Her only defeat in a kickboxing ring was in an exhibition match at Sporthallen Zuid in Amsterdam in October 1994, when she fought male Muay Thai fighter Somchai Jaidee, who knocked her out in the second round.

Career change[edit]

After winning her first 14 fights, but failing to secure a match with Christy Martin, Rijker stepped away from boxing in 1999 to pursue a career in Hollywood.[5] She appeared as Billie 'The Blue Bear' Osterman in 2004's Oscar-winning, female boxer-based film Million Dollar Baby and was featured in the documentary film Shadow Boxers.[5] She played a minor role in Rollerball and had a brief cameo in the season 2 finale of The L Word as Dana's trainer. She returned to The L Word in Season 5 as Dusty, Helena's cellmate in prison. Rijker played a Romulan communications officer in the film Star Trek.

Return to the ring[edit]

She returned to the ring in February 2002, beating Jane Couch (20-4 going in; 25-6 as of December 2004) by decision (eight rounds) on June 21, 2003 for her 16th win. Win number 17 was a ten-round decision over "Sun shine” Fettkether on May 20, 2004.

Rijker and Christy Martin were scheduled to fight on July 30, 2005 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Major U.S. promoter Bob Arum (Top Rank Boxing's head) had made their match the main event of a card (with otherwise male boxing matches) called "Million Dollar Lady". Each woman was guaranteed $250,000 (U.S.), with the winner receiving an extra $750,000; however, on July 20, it was announced that she had ruptured an Achilles tendon while training for the fight; recovery time was estimated to be 4–7 months. The match was ultimately cancelled.[6]

In 2006, Rijker stated that although not retired as a professional boxer, she would only consider one more fight - a bout with Laila Ali.[7]

Boxing records[edit]

As of February 2007, she was undefeated in the ring; her boxing record is 17-0 (14 K.O.'s).[2]

Rijker has been on the cover of numerous magazines including Inside Kung Fu. As a professional boxer, she has won the WIBF Welterweight Title, and has beaten name fighters such as Marcela Acuña (5th-round K.O.; Acuña was 0-1 going into the fight, and retired with a record of 42-6-1), and Deborah "Sunshine" Fettkether (10th-round decision; Fettkether was 8-4-3 going in).

Current activities[edit]

For several years, Rijker has been training under the world-famous boxing coach Freddie Roach.[8] In 2012, she was hired as a striking coach to former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey.[9]

She remains busy giving lectures and seminars to athletes and people from all walks of life to perform their best, while she maintais her top physical form and a strict diet.[10]

Rijker once again gained media attention in June 2013, when she worked in the corner of female boxing challenger Diana Prazak in her WBC super featherweight title bout against local champion Frida Wallberg in Stockholm, Sweden. Prazak knocked Wallberg down twice in the eighth round prompting the referee to stop the fight. After a brief check by the ringside doctor, Wallberg started to collapse in her corner. Rijker immediately realized the seriousness of the situation and called the doctor back to the ring while she and Prazak assisted Wallberg. Wallberg had to be carried from the ring on a stretcher to hospital and underwent surgery with a cerebral hemorrhage. This event sparked controversy about the level of the provided medical attention and reignited debates about banning boxing in Sweden.[4]

In 2014, Rijker was part of the inaugural class of the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.[11]

In 2019, Rijker became one of the first three women boxers (and the first Dutch woman boxer) elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame; 2019 was the first year that women were on the ballot.[12][13][14]

In 2017, Rijker hosted the Dutch adaptation of Jamie's Dream School; as well as in 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Championships and accomplishments[edit]

Kickboxing[edit]

  • 1988–1989 — IWBA Women's Boxing World Champion
  • 1985–1994WKA Women's Division World Champion
  • 1989–1994 — ISKA Women's Division World Champion

Boxing[edit]

Kickboxing record[edit]

Kickboxing record[15]
37 wins (25 KOs), 0 losses, 1 draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
1994-04-30 Win England Sandra Moore K-1 Grand Prix '94 Tokyo, Japan Decision (unanimous) 5 3:00
1993-12-19 Win Japan Yoriko Okamoto K-2 Grand Prix '93 Tokyo, Japan TKO (right low kick) 2 0:38
1993-09-04 Win Japan Kyoko Kamikaze K-1 Illusion Tokyo, Japan TKO 2 0:44
1992-05-17 Win England Michele Aboro Hamburg, Germany TKO
1992-00-00 Win Canada Kathy Petereit Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO 1
1991-10-06 Win England Sandra Moore Decision 5 3:00
1991-07-03 Win United States Sanchez Netherlands Decision
Full contact title.
1991-06-00 Win England Michele Aboro Oldham, England TKO 1
IMTF world lightweight title.
1990-11-18 Win England Maxine Adams KO 1
1989-10-08 Win Germany Paola Zarbo Amsterdam, Netherlands KO 1
1988-10-00 Win Republic of Ireland Ruth O'Hara Japan
1988-02-14 Win France Daniëlle Roccard Arnhem, Netherlands TKO 1 0:15
1987-11-08 Win France Valérie Hénin Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO 4
World kickboxing title.
0000-00-00 Win United States Bonnie Canino Decision 7 2:00
1987-04-26 Win England Anne Holmes Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO 1 0:30
1985-10-06 Win United States Cheryl Wheeler Amsterdam, Netherlands Decision (unanimous) 7 2:00
World full contact title.
1985-05-26 Win France Nancy Vesula Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO 2
European title.
1985-03-04 Win France Ermelinda Fernandez Clermont-Ferrand, France KO 2
1984-01-15 Win United States Lilly Rodriuez Amsterdam, Netherlands KO (low kick) 1 0:30 6-0-1
Retains the ISKA World Super Lightweight (−62.3 kg/137 lb) Full Contact Championship.
1983-09-04 Win Spain Linda Lladossa Amsterdam, Netherlands Decision (unanimous)
1983-06-00 Win France Catherine Zanzouri Paris, France KO 3
1983-00-00 Win France Nancy Joseph Amsterdam, Netherlands TKO (doctor stoppage) 1
1983-06-29 Draw Spain Linda Lladossa Amsterdam, Netherlands Draw
1982-11-04 Win Netherlands Sandra Oostendorp Amsterdam, Netherlands
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes
Exhibition Kickboxing record
0 wins, 1 loss (1 KO)
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
1994-10-15 Loss Thailand Somchai Jaidee Amsterdam, Netherlands KO 2 0–1
Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes

Professional boxing record[edit]

17 Fights, 17 Wins (14 KO's), 0 Losses
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
17 Win 17–0 United States Deborah Fettkether UD 10 May 20, 2004 Netherlands Amsterdam
16 Win 16–0 United Kingdom Jane Couch UD 8 June 21, 2003 United States Los Angeles, CA
15 Win 15–0 United States Carla Witherspoon TKO 4 February 16, 2002 United States Ucansville, CT
14 Win 14–0 Canada Diana Dutra TKO 3 August 28, 1999 United States Las Vegas, NV
13 Win 13–0 United States Britt van Buskirk TKO 3 April 18, 1999 United States Miami, FL
12 Win 12–0 Argentina Marcela Acuña KO 5 September 25, 1998 United States Mashantucket, CT
11 Win 11–0 United States Lisa Ested TKO 4 June 25, 1998 United States Mashantucket, CT
10 Win 10–0 United States Mary Ann Almager TKO 1 March 23, 1998 United States Mashantucket, CT
9 Win 9–0 Germany Jeanette Witte TKO 3 November 20, 1997 United States Los Angeles, CA
8 Win 8–0 United States Andrea DeShong TKO 3 September 13, 1997 United States Las Vegas, NV
7 Win 7–0 United States Gwen Smith TKO 4 June 14, 1997 United States Biloxi, MS
6 Win 6–0 United States Dora Webber UD 6 May 14, 1997 United States Mashantucket, CT
5 Win 5–0 United States Chevelle Hallback TKO 5 Mar 22, 1997 United States Corpus Christi, TX
4 Win 4–0 Netherlands Irma Verhoef TKO 4 Feb 4, 1997 Netherlands Rotterdam
3 Win 3–0 Hungary Zsuzsanna Szuknai TKO 1 December 17, 1997 Netherlands Rotterdam
2 Win 2–0 United States Kelly Jacobs TKO 1 December 6, 1996 United States Reno, NV
1 Win 1–0 United States Melinda Robinson KO 1 March 23, 1996 United States Los Angeles, CA

References[edit]

  1. ^ Women's Boxing: LUCIA RIJKER
  2. ^ a b c d e Bernhard, Brendan (1997). "Looking for a Fight". LA Weekly.
  3. ^ Holden, Stephen (2000-05-12). "FILM REVIEW; Gotta Psych Yourself Up To Win at This Game". www.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2008-06-24.
  4. ^ a b Lessa, Christina (1 October 1998). "Lucia". Stories of triumph: women who win in sport and in life. Universe Pub. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-7893-0233-5.
  5. ^ a b Klein, Binnie (30 March 2010). Blows to the Head: How Boxing Changed My Mind. New York: SUNY Press. pp. 19–20. ISBN 978-1-4384-3003-4.
  6. ^ ESPN - Entire card off after Rijker ruptures Achilles tendon - Boxing
  7. ^ Horgan, Dan (2006-09-05). "Lucia Rijker: Hey Laila, "I'm not officially retired"". www.doghouseboxing.com. Retrieved 2008-02-04.
  8. ^ Lucia Rijker Official Website News Section Archived 2011-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Iole, Kevin (2012). "Mixed Martial Arts - Rousey aims to silence critics". Yahoo Sports. Archived from the original on 2012-08-21.
  10. ^ Hendin, Josephine (2004). Heartbreakers: Women and Violence in Contemporary Culture and Literature. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-312-23700-4.
  11. ^ "2014 IWBHF Inductee: Lucia Rijker". Iwban.net. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  12. ^ Schilken, Chuck (2019-12-04). "Christy Martin and Bernard Hopkins headline Boxing Hall of Fame class". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  13. ^ Tumin, Remy (2022-08-18). "Famous, but Not Free". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-29.
  14. ^ "International Boxing Hall of Fame Inductee Lucia Rijker". Ibhof.com. Retrieved 2020-02-24.
  15. ^ Women's kickboxing results

External links[edit]