Catherine Phiri


Catherine Phiri is a Zambian professional boxer. She held the WBC female bantamweight title from 2016 to 2017 and challenged twice for the WBC female super-bantamweight title in 2017 and March 2019. As of July 2020, she is ranked as the world's tenth best active female super-bantamweight by BoxRec.

Boxing career

Catherine debuted on 25 July 2011 when she defeated Zambian boxer Esther Chalwe at the National Sports Development Centre in Lusaka. She won the WBC female bantamweight title by defeating reigning champion Yazmin Rivas on 30 January 2016 in Mexico. She became the first Zambian to win a WBC title.
Her 13th fight was on 27 August 2016 at Lusaka's Government Complex where she retained her WBC title with a first-round stoppage victory against Gabisile Tshabalala. She lost the title in her next fight, suffering the second defeat of her career against Mariana Juárez on 1 April 2017, in Mexico City, Mexico.
On 17 December 2016, she was honoured by the World Boxing Council for being the first boxer from African to win the WBC bantamweight title. On 2 November 2017, she was defeated by Fatuma Zarika in a WBC super-bantamweight title fight, losing by unanimous decision with the judges' scorecards reading 97–92, 98–91 and 99–92. Zarika was the defending champion.

Awards

Catherine Phiri was also given an academic scholarship from the Justina Mutale Foundations Scholarship Programme on 9 June 2016. She is expected to go and study Sports Management at the European School of Economics in Italy. President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu honoured Catherine Phiri with the Zambia insignia of meritorious achievement award for her accomplishment on Africa Freedom Day, 25 May 2017.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
20Loss16–4 Fatuma ZarikaUD1023 Mar 2019Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya.png" />For WBC female super-bantamweight title
19Win16–3 Asandiswa NxokwanaTKO2, 1:3713 Oct 2018
18Win15–3 Halima YaziduKO2, 0:4228 Apr 2018Solwezi, Zambia.png" />
17Win14–3 Rukia NasiriteTKO2, 2:2730 Dec 2017
16Loss13–3 Fatuma ZarikaUD102 Dec 2017For WBC female super-bantamweight title
15Win13–2 Flora MachelaKO1, 2:002 Jul 2017Ndola, Zambia.png" />
14Loss12–2 Mariana JuárezUD101 Apr 2017Mexico City, Mexico.png" />Lost WBC female bantamweight title
13Win12–1 Gabisile TshabalalaTKO1, 1:0027 Aug 2016Retained WBC female bantamweight title
12Win11–1 Yazmin Rivas6, 2:0030 Jan 2016Rosarito Beach, Mexico.png" />Won WBC female bantamweight title;
Majority TD after Rivas was cut from an accidental head clash
11Loss10–1 Christina McMahon102 May 2015Conference Centre, Lusaka, Zambia.png" />For WBC interim female bantamweight title
10Win10–0 Bukiwe NoninaTKO2 22 Nov 2014Retained WBC Silver female bantamweight title
9Win9–0 Joyce ChileshePTS43 May 2014Mongu Stadium, Mongu, Zambia.png" />
8Win8–0 Pia MazelanikKO3, 1:0015 Mar 2014Won vacant WBC Silver female bantamweight title
7Win7–0 Hawa Daku8 28 Sep 2013Won vacant African female bantamweight title
6Win6–0 Leslie Domingo2 23 Mar 2013
5Win5–0 Nathalie ForgetUD1020 Oct 2012
4Win4–0 Hamisa Willy4, 2:0031 Mar 2012
3Win3–0 Diana MakumbeUD429 Oct 2011Konkola Stadium, Chililabombwe, Zambia.png" />
2Win2–0 Cicilia Pitiseni43 Sep 2011Livingstone, Zambia.png" />
1Win1–0 Esther Chalwe428 May 2011