CARINA MORENO

17-1 (5 KOs)
Age: 26
Born: October 9, 1981 in Watsonville, California
Hometown: Watsonville, California
WBC Minimumweight Champion
 

Selling tortillas and manning the cash register at her family’s Tacos Moreno in Watsonville, California, is a relatively shy, wide eyed 26-yearold named Carina Moreno, who, surprisingly, was the World Boxing Council’s 2007 Female Fighter of the Year. 

Carina’s cousin taught her how to hit the heavy bag when she was seven, never realizing that she’d grow into a 5’ 0” fighting machine and world-class boxer. At the age of 18, she started out as a kick-boxer but she soon discovered that finding opponents was going to be a problem, so Carina got into boxing, and the rest is history. 

Moreno started boxing in 2000 and she immediately showed her potential, defeating 2-time national champion Linda Carrillo in the final of the USA Boxing Everlast National Championships. Off of the aforementioned performance, she was chosen to represent the United States in the Feenix Box Cup in Finland, where she won a gold medal and was selected “Best Fighter of the Tournament.” 

Her highly-decorated amateur career (36-2) concluded after she learned that female boxing would not be included in the 2004 Olympics. She made her pro debut on July 3, 2003, winning a four-round decision against Cecelia Barraza (2-0) and went on to win her first eight pro bouts. 

In her first major test against veteran Wendy Rodriguez (16-2-3), Carina lost a six-round technical decision when a cut over the eye from an unintentional head bout, prevented Rodriguez from continuing in their 2006 IBA flyweight title fight. 

Moreno bounced right back in her next fight, winning an eight-round decision versus Stephanie Dobbs for the NABF light flyweight belt. Carina went on a rampage, extending her active win-streak to eight. Included during this unbeaten stretch that started in July 20, 2006 in the Dobbs fight were three consecutive victories by 10-round decision against , in order, Suszannah Warner Warner for the WBC Interim light flyweight title, Nanako Kikucho for the WBC mininumweight belt, and Hollie Dunaway (20-6) in a title defense. 

Moreno defeated Warner again on December 6 by 10-round decision in another WBC title defense. In her last fight (March 20), Carina beat Mayela Perez by four-round decision in a stay-busy fight. 

A business student at Cabrillo Junior College in  Aptos (CA), Carina balances school, working at her family’s restaurant and her boxing career, training nights in gyms at Watsonville, Gilroy, San Jose, Los Angeles and Reno, Nevada. She often spars with men who outweigh her by as much as 20 pounds, runs 3-4 miles every morning, and lifts weight three times a week.