We have seen her being part of great boxing events, such as the one against Cecilia Braekhus when both left a mark in history: the first female fight broadcasted by HBO.
Kali “KO Mequinonoag” Reis became World Boxing Association super lightweight champion in 2020 and she is waiting for the first defense of her title in August in Atlanta, United States, with an opponent to be confirmed.
But first we will see her on the big screen in June with the premiere of “Catch The Fair One” where she will be the protagonist of the film.
At the end of the official trailer, Reis is caught in a close-up where her gaze crosses the screen and takes over the sensory to let us know that she will never give up.
In Catch The Fair One, the world champion stars as a former boxer who must face the toughest fight of her life: finding her missing sister.
Reading the synopsis of the film, one can only think of Reis in real life, where she leads a strong fight in favor of the rights of indigenous peoples as well as the visibility of the enormous number of women, girls, boys and men who are missing or victims of violence. In the film to be released on June 13th, Reis will make another act of awareness through fiction.
The name ‘Mequinonoag’ was given to Reis as her native name. This name was given by her mother, our tribal medicine woman Seaconke Wampanoag, and means “many feathers” or “many talents.” Reis expresses pride in her native ancestry and carries this name with her in every fight.
Since she was a child, she has always practiced different sports until she decided to take boxing lessons at the age of 14 when she started at Manfredo’s Gym in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, where she was trained by a friend of her mother, Domingo Talldog. Over time she achieved great triumphs in the amateur until she reached the professional field when she managed to become the first Native American woman to become world champion: in 2016 she defeated Maricela Cornejo and conquered the WBC belt in the middleweight category.
In addition, at 34 years old with 25 fights, Reis gives motivational talks, as well as open trainings for native women and girls to whom she teaches how to defend themselves. And among her many qualities, Kali Reis is a certified motorcycle mechanic. A passion that has been with her since she was a child.
The multifaceted WBA 140 lbs. champion is looking forward to new achievements in 2021 with the release of the movie and her first defense of the black and gold belt.
