Cecilia Braekhus Retires with a Victory and Leaves an Unforgettable Legacy
The undisputed former welterweight champion, Cecilia Braekhus, known as “The First Lady”, has hung up her gloves with a flourish. In a demonstration of her unparalleled talent, Braekhus (39-2-1, 9 KOs) defeated Ema Kozin (24-2-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision on Saturday, securing the WBC and WBO junior middleweight world titles. The fight, held at the Nova Spektrum in Norway, Braekhus’s homeland, saw the judges award scores of 97-93, 96-94, and 98-92 in favor of the legendary boxer, who is crowned champion in a second weight category. At 44 years old, Braekhus had announced that this fight would be her farewell to boxing, but her performance in the ring suggested that she still had much to offer. Kozin started with impetus, but Braekhus, with her vast experience, quickly imposed her rhythm, punishing her Slovenian opponent with blows to the body and head. Kozin, whose only other defeat was against Claressa Shields, had difficulty deciphering Braekhus, enduring hard combinations before the gaze of the 3,000 fans present.Braekhus, who debuted in 2007, is a source of inspiration for many women in boxing. She played a crucial role in the revocation of the 33-year ban on professional boxing in Norway in 2014 and maintained an undefeated record for 12 years. In addition, she held the WBC and WBA world welterweight titles for a Guinness world record of 11 years and 154 days, from March 14, 2009 to August 15, 2020.“I want to thank the boxing community around the world, my friends in England, in Los Angeles, everyone. I am very happy,” Braekhus said after the fight.
Cecilia Braekhus
