Kina Malpartida has boxing in her blood.
Born Kina Malpartida Dyson in Lima, Peru, on March 25, 1980, “Dinamita” was the WBA World super featherweight champion from 2009 to 2013. When she retired with a record of 15-3 (4 KOs), it was the end of one boxing journey and the beginning of another.
Her second boxing journey reaches fruition on April 23 at the Forum in Inglewood, California, when WBA Super middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin defends his title against undefeated Dominic Wade.
Malpartida will make history that night, becoming the first woman to oversee a bout of that magnitude.
“I’m very happy with the opportunity that the World Boxing Association gives me to continue to develop in this sport,” she said, “now as a supervisor of such an important fight.”
It is an important fight, but Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, President of the WBA, has complete confidence.
“Kina is a great girl who showed her virtues in the ring,” he said, “and I’m sure in her new role as supervisor, she will be excellent.”
Her championship reign gave Malpartida an inside look at boxing. That knowledge will serve her in her new role.
“We are committed to women not only as fighters, but as referees, judges and supervisors,” added Mendoza, “because we believe in their ability to work and commitment to discipline. Women’s boxing continues to grow, especially when there are trained people in every branch of it.”
Some people say boxers are born and not made. That may be true, especially as concerns Kina, but there is more to her life than a roadmap.
Unlike most fighters, Kina’s mother, Susy Dyson, was a fashion model. Unlike most fighters, her father, Oscar Malpartida, was the Peruvian National Surfing Champion and a skydiver.
Athleticism ran in the family and Kina was drawn to sports at an early age. She participated in karate, soccer, basketball, tennis, and track and field. She also surfed since she was 10, becoming Peruvian Surfing Champion in 1996.
In 1999 she moved to Australia. She was doing chores one day when the idea hit her. It was like a bolt out of blue. Kina thought she heard something. It was neither a whisper or shout.
It was the siren call of boxing.
Kina found a gym, Southport RSL Club in Queensland, Australia, and her studies began. She began training for her first fight, the fight that would lead to other fights, which in turn would lead to a fight for a world title.
Malpartida turned pro in 2003. Three years later, with a record of six wins and no losses, she left Australia and moved to Los Angeles. She wanted to improve her career and jumped from the frying pan into the fire. Kina did not fight frequently, but she fought extremely well. Aside from a trio of mid-career losses, she won her last seven fights, all in defense of the WBA World female super featherweight title, and went out on top, as gracefully as she came in.
But it wasn’t as easy as it sounds.
“If I wanted to be with the best had to train with the best,” Malpartida told WBAnews.com. “In Los Angeles it was an uphill battle.” She had to fight machismo. She had to fight to be taken seriously. She had to fight because she had to fight.
“Even very important coaches laughed in my face,” recalled Kina, “because they didn’t believe in me.”
She found a trainer, Mario “Yuka” Morales, who believed in her and the results are boxing history.
The WBA title fight in 2009 against Maureen Shea (13-0 coming in) put Malpartida on the map. Kina was coming off a loss, her third in five fights, while Shea was the brash New Yorker fighting at home and looking for a scalp.
Kina won that one by TKO and walked away with the WBA title
“I knew I was winning,” Kina said, “but I had dreamed days before that I had to knock her out. There was no other possibility, so I visualized and I did.”
After her triumphant win at Madison Square Garden, Kina returned home, to Lima, Peru, for the first defense of her title. The date was June 20, 2009. The place was Coloseo Dibos Dammert. At stake was the WBA belt. Her opponent, 11-1 Halanna Dos Santos, fought well, but Kina was on a roll.
She TKO’d Dos Santos at 1:40 of round seven to retain the crown.
“I could not believe what was happening,” she said. “I thought I was dreaming.”
It was no dream. It was a dream having come true.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
