“Classy” Claire Hafner is a Canadian professional boxer currently residing in Ottawa, Ontario. She began her amateur career in 2013 where she won numerous tournaments, including the prestigious Ringside World Championships, and was the silver medalist in the 2016 Canadian Championships.
Turning pro in 2017, Claire has quickly risen through the heavyweight ranks and is now poised to fight for the WBO light heavyweight title on October 4, 2019. Since turning pro, she fights out of Donnybrook Boxing Gym in Montreal, Quebec under coach and former boxer Ian Mackillop.
One of five children, she was born on a large dairy farm in upstate NY to a family that had no involvement in boxing, nor sports. Her high school and university years saw her pursue a music career, and upon graduation she traveled and sang opera throughout Europe, North America, and Africa.
Upon her immigration to Canada, Claire decided to attend University of Ottawa where she received her Master’s Degree in Opera that focused on racism within classical music and premiering black American opera. Having spent two decades as a marathon runner and triathlete and looking for even more of a challenge, she took an interest in boxing and began training in hopes of competing.
As one of the oldest boxers in the amateur scene, on her 39th birthday, with a national silver medal in her pocket, Claire was asked to leave her gym because they could no longer support a boxer who wasn’t “young enough to make a difference”.
New to the fight scene and not ready to stop, she sought out a coach and a gym who saw her work ethic and ability and agreed to take her pro. Though continually told by many that there is no audience for women’s heavyweight boxing, Claire is redefining the stereotypes of female athletes and is dedicated to inspiring others through her ability to perform at the highest technical and physical level on the world stage.
For Full Details on her upcoming fight: https://www.wboboxing.com/news/boxing-news/kiwi-geovana-peres-to-defend-wbo-title-against-canadian-claire-hafner/
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