Hanna Gabriel


Hanna Gabriel Valle, known as Hanna Gabriel, is a Costa Rican professional boxer and two-weight world champion. She has held the WBA super welterweight title since 2016. Previously, she held the WBO welterweight title in 2009 and the WBO junior middleweight title twice between 2010 and 2018.
Gabriel is the daughter of Yolanda Valle Moreno and Lesslie Gabriel Binns, a promising boxer who qualified for the Olympic Games in Moscow 1980, but was unable to attend. She has one brother, Windell, who played football in the Costa Rican Primera División.

Professional Career

Gabriel made her professional debut on 17 November 2007, against Nicaraguan Aoska Xochilet Herrera at the Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica, winning by third-round technical knockout.
On 19 December 2009, Gabriel fought for the vacant WBO welterweight title against Argentine Gabriela Zapata at the Dennis Martínez National Stadium, Managua, Nicaragua, winning by TKO in the fourth round. The event and was part of an evening of posthumous tribute to three-weight Nicaraguan world champion Alexis Arguello, El Flaco Explosivo, considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.
On 14 January 2010, just over a month after capturing the WBO welterweight title, Gabriel relinquished the belt after suffering several blackouts - said to be caused by having to cut-weight in order to make the welterweight limit.
On 29 May 2010, Gabriel moved up in weight to face Dominican Gardy Álvarez for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title at the Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto Rico, winning by first-round TKO in a fight that lasted only 11 seconds.
On 11 January 2011, Gabriel successfully defended her title against American Melisenda Pérez, winning by TKO in the tenth-round. Her cousin Andrés Calderón was present for the fight and was noted as part of her motivation to win in a following interview.
On 31 March 2011, Gabriels once again fought Melisenda Pérez, this time winning with a seventh-round TKO. With 14,000 in attendance, the event was part of the inauguration acts of the National Stadium of Costa Rica.
On 28 February 2013, Gabriels suffered her first career loss via second-round TKO to Oxandia Castillo of the Dominican Republic, losing her unbeaten streak and WBO junior middleweight title.
On 20 December 2014, after nearly two years out of the ring, Gabriels once again fought for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title against Mexican Paty Ramirez, regaining her title with a second-round TKO.
On 18 June 2016, Gabriels fought Katia Alvariño of Uruguay, winning by TKO in the third round, capturing the vacant WBA super welterweight title and becoming a unified world champion.
Gabriels defended the unified light middleweight championship twice in 2017; On 27 May, she won a unanimous decision over Canadian Natasha Spence, and on 13 October, avenged her first career loss against Oxandia Castillo by unanimous decision.
On 22 June 2018, Gabriels moved up in weight for the third time to challenge two-time Olympic gold medalist Claressa Shields for the vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles at the Masonic Temple, Detroit. After becoming the first fighter to knock Shields down, Gabriels lost a 10 round unanimous decision.

Activism

In July 2019, Gabriel acknowledged in an interview that she suffered sexual abuse at age five as part of an effort to raise awareness about the issue. Gabriel is an activist for gender equity and against violence. That same year Gabriel was appointed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as a special collaborator to help campaigns for refugees and against xenophobia.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
23Win20–2–1 Abril VidalUD1017 Jul 2019 Gimnasio Nacional, San José, Costa RicaRetained WBA super welterweight title
22Win19–2–1 Sarah DwyerUD1026 Jan 2019 Managua, NicaraguaRetained WBA super welterweight title
21Lose18–2–1 Claressa ShieldsUD1022 Jun 2018 Masonic Temple, Detroit, Michigan, United StatesFor vacant WBA and inaugural IBF middleweight titles
20Win18–1–1 Oxandia CastilloUD1013 Oct 2017 Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa RicaRetained WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles
19Win17–1–1 Natasha SpenceUD1027 May 2017 BN Arena, Hatillo, Costa RicaRetained WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles
18Win16–1–1 Katia AlvariñoTKO3 18 Jun 2016 Polideportivo José María Vargas, La Guaira, VenezuelaRetained WBO junior middleweight title;
Won vacant WBA super welterweight title
17Win15–1–1 Kali ReisUD1017 Oct 2015 Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño, Liberia, Costa RicaRetained WBO junior middleweight title
16Win14–1–1 Paty RamirezTKO2 20 Dec 2014 El San Juan Resort and Casino, Carolina, Puerto RicoWon vacant WBO junior middleweight title
15Lose13–1–1 Oxandia CastilloTKO2 28 Feb 2013 Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San Juan de Tibás, Costa RicaLost WBO junior middleweight title
14Win13–0–1 Dakota StoneTKO8 7 Jan 2012 Palacio de los Deportes, Heredia, Costa RicaRetained WBO junior middleweight title
13Win12–0–1 Melisenda PérezTKO7 31 Mar 2011 Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa RicaRetained WBO junior middleweight title
12Win11–0–1 Melisenda PérezTKO10 9 Jan 2011 Hotel & Casino Conrad, Punta del Este, UruguayRetained WBO junior middleweight title
11Win10–0–1 Gardy Pena AlvarezTKO1 29 May 2010 Coliseo Rubén Rodríguez, Bayamón, Puerto RicoWon vacant WBO junior middleweight title
10Win9–0–1 Gabriela Marcela ZapataKO4 19 Dec 2009 Estadio Nacional, Managua, NicaraguaWon vacant WBO welterweight title
9Win8–0–1 Yvonne ReisUD626 Sep 2009 UVI Sports & Fitness Center, Charlotte Amalie, U.S. Virgin Islands
8Win7–0–1 Nayeli VazquezUD918 Apr 2009 Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
7Win6–0–1 Irasema ValerioKO1 12 Dec 2008 Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
6Win5–0–1 Nayeli VazquezUD815 Nov 2008 Gimnasio Villa Olímpica, Desamparados, Costa Rica
5Draw4–0–1 Rachel ClarkMD613 Sep 2008 Expo Pocosí, Limon, Costa Rica
4Win4–0–0 Wanda Pena OzunaKO1 23 Aug 2008 Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
3Win3–0–0 Cristy NickelUD45 Jul 2008 Gimnasio Nº 1 de La Sabana, San José, Costa Rica
2Win2–0–0 Evelina DiazKO3 16 Feb 2008 Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa Rica
1Win1–0–0 Aoska Xochilet HerreraTKO3 17 Nov 2007 Gimnasio Nacional Eddy Cortés, San José, Costa RicaProfessional debut