Mary Ann Almager pugile

Mary Ann Almager (born December 5, 1968) is an American former professional female boxer. Born in Seminole, Texas, she is a resident of Ruidoso, New Mexico. Her nickname is "Gorgeous".Almager was attracted to boxing after her two brothers started practicing it, and by age nine, she joined them at a local boxing gym. Almager later developed into a high-school athlete, playing basketball and volleyball as well as getting involved in track and field. Her dream was to become a softball player, but a knee injury forced her out of that sport.On February 5, 1993, 24-year-old Almager made her professional boxing debut by defeating Angela Adger by a fourth-round technical knockout at Dallas, Texas. She then made her Las Vegas boxing debut when she faced 3-0-1 Helga Risoy at the Silver Nugget hotel exactly one year and four days after her first fight, on February 9, 1994. She scored a first-round knockout over the previously undefeated Risoy.A rematch with Risoy followed, on April 2, 1994 at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas. This time, Almager imposed over Risoy by a third-round knockout. Then, she faced future world champion, Ireland's Deirdre Gogarty, on July 22, also at the Aladdin. Almager won a six-round unanimous decision.On April 20, 1995, again at the Aladdin Hotel and Casino, she faced Deirdre Nelson, who was making her professional women's boxing debut that same night, for the WIBF's vacant world Super Welterweight title. Almager became a world champion by knocking Nelson out in two rounds.She then faced Gina Guidi in a non-title affair, March 23, 1996, beating the until then undefeated (3-0) Guidi by a six-round split decision. On July 27, 1996 at El Paso, Texas, Almager had the first of two mismatches in a row, facing 0-2 Jackie Rodgers and winning by second-round technical knockout. She then faced 0-1 Sharon Taylor on September 16, at Arizona Charlie's in Las Vegas, beating Taylor by a first-round knockout.