Lucia Frederica Rijker (; 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".Women's Boxing: LUCIA RIJKER
Early career Rijker was born in Amsterdam to a Surinamese father and a Dutch mother. She speaks four languages and is a Buddhist, dedicating time daily to meditation and chanting.
Rijker started her martial arts career at the early age of six, when she began training in judo. A year later, she was part of the Dutch National Softball Team. At fourteen, after picking up fencing a year earlier, Lucia became the Netherlands Junior Champion of that sport. When she was fifteen she began kickboxing and knocked out the reigning American kickboxing champion, Lily Rodriguez. 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 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. 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. 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
She returned to the ring in February 2002, and later beat 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.ESPN - Entire card off after Rijker ruptures Achilles tendon - Boxing
In 2006, Rijker stated that although not retired as a professional boxer, she would only consider one more fight - a bout with Laila Ali.
Boxing records As of February 2007, she was undefeated in the ring; her boxing record is 17-0 (14 K.O.'s).
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 For several years, Rijker has been training under the world-famous boxing coach Freddie Roach.Lucia Rijker Official Website News Section In 2012, she was hired as a striking coach to former UFC Champion Ronda Rousey.
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.
In 2014, Rijker was part of the inaugural class of the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
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.
In 2017, Rijker hosted the Dutch adaptation of Jamie's Dream School; as well as in 2018, 2019, and 2020.
She continues giving lectures and seminars to athletes and people from all walks of life to perform their best, while she maintains her fitness.
Championships and accomplishments
Kickboxing 1988–1989 — IWBA Women's Boxing World Champion 1985–1994 — WKA Women's Division World Champion 1989–1994 — ISKA Women's Division World Champion
Boxing 1997 - WIBF Super Lightweight World Champion 1998 - WIBO Junior Welterweight World Champion 1997–1998 — European WIBF Boxing Champion
Kickboxing record
|- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1994-04-30 || Win ||align=left| Sandra Moore || K-1 Grand Prix '94 || Tokyo, Japan || Decision (unanimous) || 5 || 3:00 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1993-12-19 || Win ||align=left| Yoriko Okamoto || K-2 Grand Prix '93 || Tokyo, Japan || TKO (right low kick) || 2 || 0:38 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1993-09-04 || Win ||align=left| Kyoko Kamikaze || K-1 Illusion || Tokyo, Japan || TKO || 2 || 0:44 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1993-02-14 || Win ||align=left| Alene Sanchez || ISKA Fightnight || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO || 2 || 1.05 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1992-05-17 || Win ||align=left| Michele Aboro || || Hamburg, Germany || TKO || || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1992-00-00 || Win ||align=left| Kathy Petereit || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO || 1 || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1991-10-06 || Win ||align=left| Sandra Moore || || || Decision || 5 || 3:00 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1991-06-00 || Win ||align=left| Michele Aboro || || Oldham, England || TKO || 1 || || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1990-11-18 || Win ||align=left| Maxine Adams || || || KO || 1 || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1989-10-08 || Win ||align=left| Paola Zarbo || ||Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO || 1 || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1988-10-00 || Win ||align=left| Ruth O'Hara || || Japan || || || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1988-02-14 || Win ||align=left| Daniëlle Roccard || || Arnhem, Netherlands || TKO || 1 || 0:15 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1987-11-08 || Win ||align=left| Valérie Hénin || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO || 4 || || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 0000-00-00 || Win ||align=left| Bonnie Canino || || || Decision || 7 || 2:00 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1987-04-26 || Win ||align=left| Anne Holmes || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO || 1 || 0:30 || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1985-10-06 || Win ||align=left| Cheryl Wheeler || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || 7 || 2:00 || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1985-05-26 || Win ||align=left| Nancy Vesula || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO || 2 || || |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1985-03-04 || Win ||align=left| Ermelinda Fernandez || || Clermont-Ferrand, France || KO || 2 || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1984-01-15 || Win ||align=left| Lilly Rodriuez || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || KO (low kick) || 1 || 0:30 || 6-0-1 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 | |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1983-09-04 || Win ||align=left| Linda Lladossa || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || Decision (unanimous) || || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1983-06-00 || Win ||align=left| Catherine Zanzouri || || Paris, France || KO || 3 || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1983-00-00 || Win ||align=left| Nancy Joseph || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || TKO (doctor stoppage) || 1 || || |- |- bgcolor="#c5d2ea" | 1983-06-29 || Draw ||align=left| Linda Lladossa || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || Draw || || || |- |- bgcolor="CCFFCC" | 1982-11-04 || Win ||align=left| Sandra Oostendorp || || Amsterdam, Netherlands || || || ||
| colspan=9 | Legend:
|- style="background:#fbb;" |1993-10-17 ||Loss ||align=left| Somchai Jaidee ||||Amsterdam, Netherlands ||KO|| 2 || || 0–1
| colspan=9 | Legend:
Professional boxing record 17 Fights, 17 Wins (14 KO's), 0 LossesResultRecordOpponentTypeRoundDateLocationNotes17Win17–0 Deborah FettketherUD10May 20, 2004 Amsterdam16Win16–0 Jane CouchUD8June 21, 2003 Los Angeles, CA15Win15–0 Carla WitherspoonTKO4February 16, 2002 Ucansville, CT14Win14–0 Diana DutraTKO3August 28, 1999 Las Vegas, NV13Win13–0 Britt van BuskirkTKO3April 18, 1999 Miami, FL12Win12–0 Marcela AcuñaKO5September 25, 1998 Mashantucket, CT11Win11–0 Lisa EstedTKO4June 25, 1998 Mashantucket, CT10Win10–0 Mary Ann AlmagerTKO1March 23, 1998 Mashantucket, CT9Win9–0 Jeanette WitteTKO3November 20, 1997 Los Angeles, CA8Win8–0 Andrea DeShongTKO3September 13, 1997 Las Vegas, NV7Win7–0 Gwen SmithTKO4June 14, 1997 Biloxi, MS6Win6–0 Dora WebberUD6May 14, 1997 Mashantucket, CT5Win5–0 Chevelle HallbackTKO5Mar 22, 1997 Corpus Christi, TX4Win4–0 Irma VerhoefTKO4Feb 4, 1997 Rotterdam3Win3–0 Zsuzsanna SzuknaiTKO1December 17, 1997 Rotterdam2Win2–0 Kelly JacobsTKO1December 6, 1996 Reno, NV1Win1–0 Melinda RobinsonKO1March 23, 1996 Los Angeles, CA
References
External links
Biography from the International Boxing Hall of Fame