Virginia Fuchs

Fuchs was born in Houston, Texas. Fuchs became interested in sports at a young age and played soccer, softball, and basketball as a child. She attended Episcopal High School where she ran track and cross-country.^[3][4]

Her athletic abilities earned her an invitation for walk-on spot on the track and cross-country team at Louisiana State University. Fuchs graduated from LSU in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in kinesiology.^[5]

Fuchs first tried boxing during her sophomore year of college to stay in shape. After a coach took an interest in her, she dedicated her focus to boxing in 2008. She trained for a year before her first fight, which she won.^[4]

She began to compete at the state level and won three Louisiana state Golden Gloves, and later won a national Golden Gloves title in 2015. Fuchs was a finalist for the US National Tournament for 2013, 2014 and 2015.^[3][6]

When it was announced that women’s boxing would be added to the 2012 Summer Olympics, Fuchs tried for a spot on the USA Boxing team but future Olympic medalist Marlen Esparza received the only flyweight position. Fuchs finished fourth at the Olympic Test Event.^[5][4]

In October 2015, she defeated Esparza in the Olympic Test Event for the USA Boxing flyweight spot for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Fuchs has also defeated Olympic medalist and five-time world champion, Mary Kom of India. Fuchs won gold at the Olympic Trials Test Event.^[7][8][9]

Fuchs was 1st in the 2016 USA Boxing Nationals defeating Esparza for the third straight time with a unanimous 5-0 decision. She won bronze at the 2018 AIBA world championship in India.^[10]

In 2020, Fuchs tested positive for a banned substance, but was ruled not at fault due to contamination via unprotected sexual intercourse.^[11]

Fuchs qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, held in 2021, where she was defeated in the round of 16 by Bulgarian boxer Stoyka Krasteva.^[12]

Fuchs announced she was joining the professional boxing ranks in December 2021.^[13] She made her pro-debut with a fourth-round knockout win over Randee Lynn Morales on 9 April 2022 at The Hangar, Costa Mesa, California, on the undercard of her friend Mikaela Mayer's unified super-featherweight title defence against Jennifer Han.^[14]

Her second outing as a professional was at The O2 Arena in London, England, on an all-female card topped by the Claressa Shields vs Savannah Marshall unified middleweight title showdown on 15 October 2022. Fuchs defeated Gemma Ruegg on points over six rounds.^[15]

Fuchs next contest was at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, on 17 June 2023 when she overcame a cut above her left eye from an accidental clash of heads in the third round to beat Indeya Smith by unanimous decision in an eight-round battle.^[16]

In February 2024, Fuchs revealed she had agreed to join the second season of boxing's first squad-based format, Team Combat League (TCL), competing for the Houston Hitmen.^[17] She made her first TCL appearance at Red Owl Boxing Arena, Houston, Texas, on 18 April 2024 winning both her rounds against Tiana Schroeder by unanimous decision.^[18]

Fuchs challenged Adelaida Ruiz for the interim WBC female super-flyweight title at Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, California, on 31 August 2024, winning the fight by split decision with one judge scoring it 97-93 for Ruiz but the other two having it for Fuchs 97-93 and 100-90 respectively.^[19][20] She got the win despite suffering an open dislocation of her right thumb in the first round.^[21]

Fuchs was named Female Fighter of the Year at the 2024 Houston Boxing Awards.^[22]

Fuchs is an advocate for mental health awareness and was diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) at a young age. She has appeared in the PBS documentary series Mysteries of Mental Illness and the Oprah Winfrey/Apple TV documentary series The Me You Can't See.^[10] Fuchs cites Olympian and runner Steve Prefontaine as an inspiration for her athletic career.^[23]