Cecilia Braekhus Retires Victoriously, Leaving an Unforgettable Legacy
The undisputed former welterweight champion, Cecilia Braekhus, known as “The First Lady”, said goodbye to boxing in style. Braekhus (39-2-1, 9 KOs) defeated Ema Kozin (24-2-1, 12 KOs) by unanimous decision on Saturday at the Nova Spektrum in Norway, her home country, securing the WBC and WBO super welterweight titles. The judges scored the fight 97-93, 96-94 and 98-92 in favor of Braekhus, who became champion in a second weight category. Before the fight, Braekhus, 44, announced that her fight against Kozin would be her farewell to the sport. She proved that she still had a lot to offer in the ring. Kozin started strong, but Braekhus, with her experience, quickly found her rhythm and began to work both the body and head of her Slovenian opponent. Kozin, whose only other defeat was against Claressa Shields, had difficulty deciphering Braekhus and suffered some combinations before a crowd of 3,000 fans cheering for their fighter.I want to thank the boxing community around the world, my friends in England, Los Angeles, everyone. I am very happy.
Cecilia Braekhus
Braekhus, who debuted in 2007, is an inspiration to many women in boxing. She was instrumental in revoking the 33-year ban on professional boxing in Norway in 2014 and remained undefeated for 12 years, holding the WBC and WBA welterweight titles for a Guinness World Record of 11 years and 154 days, between March 14, 2009 and August 15, 2020.
