5’6″ Mexican bantamweight Irma “Torbellino” Garcia Nuñez was born in 1982 in Cuatitlán Izcalli. She was always active in sports. She played soccer and kickboxed competitively, but she says that her “life changed completely” when she was introduced to boxing as a way to increase her fitness while working as a police officer. She also studied for a law degree and she hopes one day to become a prosecutor. She serves as a non-commissioned officer and a physical fitness trainer in the Federal Police while pursuing her world title boxing career under the tutelage of Nacho Beristaín.
Irma first boxed as an amateur and had a total of nine amateur fights without a loss. She won the national Federal Police tournament in Morelia, Mexico in her sixth amateur bout in 2010.
She made her professional debut on May 1 2010 at Deportivo La Pera, Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México, Mexico, with a Technical Draw in the second round of a scheduled four-rounder with Andrea Cortina after Cortina was cut by an accidental clash of heads. Cortina’s record went to 0-2-1.
On March 25, 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Irma Garcia KO’d Jennifer Encarnacion of the Dominican Republic in the first round of a scheduled six-rounder in an episode of the TV reality show “Champions Challenge”.
On April 2 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, she TKO’d Karolina Owcwarz of Lodz, Poland in the first round of a scheduled six-rounder in another episode of “Champions Challenge”.
On April 9 2011 at the Poliforum Mezoamericano in Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, she fought to a six-round draw with Yazmin Rivas of Torreon, Mexico in another episode of “Champions Challenge”.
On the same day she TKO’d Blanca Iris Cueto of Chiapas, Mexico in the fifth round of a scheduled six on the same show.
On March 30, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Irma Garcia (121¾ lbs) returned to sanctioned professional competition with an eight-round unanimous (80-72,77-75,79-73) decision over Julia Hernandez (121¾ lbs) who fell to 0-2.
On April 28, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Irma Garcia (120¼ lbs) won an eight-round unanimous decision over Nazly Maldonado (121 lbs) of Ciudada Azteca, México who fell to 1-3 (0 KO’s).
On August 4, 2012 at Foro Polanco in Polanco, Distrito Federal, Mexico, Irma Garcia (118¼ lbs) won by a TKO over Fredee Gonzalez (117¾ lbs) of Los Angeles, California in the fourth round of a scheduled six-rounder.
On September 8, 2012 at Gimnasio Miguel Alemán Valdez in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico, Irma Garcia (120 lbs) won an eight-round decision over veteran Laura Serrano (120 lbs) of Mexico City who fell to 17-5-3 (6 KO’s) with the loss. Serrano, who had a distinguished career in women’s professional boxing from 1994 to 2007 fighting mainly in the USA, and had lobbied hard for the sport to be legalized in Mexico, re-retired following this loss to Garcia (she had previously retired in 2007 following a loss to Germany’s Ina Menzer for the WIBF Featherweight title).
On December 8, 2012 at Centro Banamex in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Irma won a six-round unanimous decision over Rocio Castillo Garcia of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico who fell to 3-5 (1 KO).
On January 5, 2013 at Unidad Deportiva El Chamizal in Zamora, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico Irma Garcia (118 lbs) won the WBA Bantamweight title with a ten-round unanimous (96-94,96-94,97-93) decision over previously undefeated and highly favored Janeth “Cusilla” Perez Vigil (118 lbs) of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico, Garcia used her southpaw jab effectively to keep the more aggressive Perez at a distance but let loose with quick-fisted combinations when she saw opportunities at closer range. Perez’s attacking style (and occasional showboating) may have been more appealing to Mexican fans, but Garcia often landed the straighter and more effective punches while moving away from Perez’s two-fisted attack. Perez was able to close the range with Garcia more often in the later rounds and she bloodied Garcia’s nose in the ninth but Garcia’s ring movement still kept her out of any sustained trouble while she continued to counterpunch effectively. Perez closed the fight even more aggressively but still fell to 17-1-2 (4 KO’s) with the loss, which was considered an upset by many boxing commentators despite Garcia’s own undefeated record. TyC sports TV (see video above) called Perez the victor by 98-92 but the judges had rewarded Garcia’s boxing skills and counterpunching over Perez’s relentless pursuit.
On April 6, 2013 at Unidad Deportiva El Chamizal, Zamora, Michoacán de Ocampo, Mexico, Irma Garcia won a ten-round split decision over Janeth Perez Vigil of Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico defending the WBA Bantamweight title. Garcia suffered a left ankle sprain when she fell to the canvas awkwardly after a push from Perez as the two wrestled in the final round but she was able to finish the fight and hold Perez at bay after a long timeout and retained the WBA title by the split decision. The loss dropped Perez’s record to 17-2-2 (4 KO’s).
On August 31, 2013 at Gimnasio San Juan de la Barrera in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Jessica Gonzalez (117¾ lbs) of Mexico City won a ten-round split (96-94,97-94,94-96) decision over Irma Garcia (117¾ lbs) who fell to 7-1-1 (1 KO). Gonzalez took advantage of her greater reach and worked from the middle distance with her jab instead of going to press Garcia, who is usually a counterpuncher who looks to capitalize on her opponent’s mistakes. Gonzalez’s defense also frustrated Garcia who did not change her tactics even though she was having trouble getting past Gonzalez’s guard. Garcia’s WBA Bantamweight title was not on the line in this fight.
On November 2, 2013 at Auditorio General Arteaga in Queretaro, Queretaro, Mexico, Irma Garcia won a ten-round majority (97-95,96-94,95-95) decision over Magali Rodriguez of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico defending the WBA Bantamweight title. Rodriguez fell to 13-5-1 while Irma Garcia advanced to 8-1-1 (1 KO).
On September 20, 2014, in Sinola, Mexico, in the WBC bantamweight title bout, Irma Garcia scored a unanimous decision victory over Simone Da Silva Duarte.
On June 4, 2016, at the Oasis Hotel Complex, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, bantamweight Irma Garcia won a ten-round unanimous decision over Miriam Avila; in a second bout, flyweight Yesenia Gomez, won by a first round KO over Clarisabel Nataren. The bout was scheduled for four rounds.
On September 3, 2016, at the Deportivo Zaragoza, Atizapan de Zaragoza, México, bantamweight Irma Garcia, 119, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Ana Maria Lozano, 119.
On December 17, 2016, at the Gran Oasis Arena, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico, there are two female bouts featured on the card. In one bout, Mariana “La Barby” Juárez, 117.5, won by a 10-round majority decision over Irma Garcia, 118, the two were fighting for the WBC International Bantamweight title; and in a second bout, Maricela Cornejo, won by a six-round unanimous decision over Martha Lara.
On October 7, 2017, at the Gimnasio de la AUT, Tampico, Tamaulipas, Mexico,Irma Garcia,118¼, won by a eight-round majority decision over Kandy Sandoval, 119.
On February 3, 2018, in the Centro de Convenciones, Tlalnepantla, México, Guadalupe Martinez, 114, now 17-9-0 (6KO), won a ten-round unanimous decision over Irma Garcia, 115, now 18-3-1 (3KO). Martinez was defending her WBC Super Flyweight title.
Photo credit: Pepe Rodriguez
Irma Garcia is passionate about combating discrimination and violence against women in Mexico, saying “I must confess that the road has not been easy. It’s amazing that in this century we still have to deal with the macho mentality of many who still discriminate (against people) because they are women.”
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