The myth of Lucia Rijker: “An artful dodger with a padded record & no professional pride”

10.21.04 – By Sumya ‘The Island Girl’ Anani: 4X World Champion-WIBA Light-welter Champ, Ranked # 1 by Boxrec & IFBA @ 140, IBA Welter Champ, & Christy Martin’s Conqueror. Lucia Rijker……. If you don’t believe me check out her record in Boxrec! I’ve called her out TWICE. In April, I addressed her specifically & accused her of suffering from `yellow fever’. No response. Maybe not quite… she got `injured’, & left the country!

I stepped in for her on 5 days notice (undercard of V.Klitschko- Sanders at Staples) & beat her opponent. In June, I issued a Unification @ 140 Challenge, with her as the main target. I offered to fight her for expenses only. AGAIN no response.

OK Lucia, if you don’t like my offer to fight for expenses only, have it your way. Let’s make it `Winner take all!’ You said it to the ducking, dodging Christy Martin years ago. Now I’m saying it to you!

Lucia’s professional pride – does she have any? She ‘won’ her world title from Marcela Acuna, who was 0-1 (!!) at the time, & is now fighting as a super-bantam. Rijker, like Martin, had the benefit of a protective, powerful promoter. Since she was KO’d by a man in a Muay Thai exhibition in Amsterdam, she’s been playing it very safe with her boxing career. Ask Chevelle Hallback, who unknowingly fought the more experienced Rijker with only one minute of professional experience, & no amateur fights, under her belt.

Rijker is NOT the best @140! During the late ‘ 90s, when she was supposedly the P4P # 1 woman boxer, she ducked Denise Moraetes, Kathy Collins, Fredia Gibbs & me! She didn’t, & still doesn’t, have a legitimate belt @ 140 or any other division! She made a big show of trying to fight Martin’s opponents and beating them in an earlier round. In my 2nd year as a pro – 1998, I beat a prime Martin in her backyard. Why didn’t Rijker want to fight me??

The Unification Challenge (June 14, 2004) was posted in Eastside, WBAN, & BoxinginLasVegas. Lucia was personally sent a copy, so no excuse that she didn’t know!