Catherine Phiri


Catherine Phiri is a Zambian professional boxer. She held the WBC female bantamweight title from 2016 to 2017 and challenged twice for the WBC female super-bantamweight title in 2017 and 2019.

Boxing career

Phiri debuted on 25 July 2011 when she defeated Zambian boxer Esther Chalwe at the National Sports Development Centre in Lusaka. She won the WBC female bantamweight title by defeating reigning champion Yazmín Rivas on 30 January 2016 in Mexico. She became the first Zambian to win a WBC title.
Her 13th fight was on 27 August 2016 at Lusaka's Government Complex where she retained her WBC title with a first-round stoppage victory against Gabisile Tshabalala. She lost the title in her next fight, suffering the second defeat of her career against Mariana Juárez on 1 April 2017, in Mexico City, Mexico.
On 17 December 2016, she was honoured by the World Boxing Council for being the first boxer from Africa to win the WBC bantamweight title. On 2 November 2017, she was defeated by Fatuma Zarika in a WBC super-bantamweight title fight, losing by unanimous decision with the judges' scorecards reading 97–92, 98–91 and 99–92. Zarika was the defending champion.
A rematch between Phiri and Zarika took place on 3 March 2019 at Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, Kenya with the WBC title again on the line. Zarika won by unanimous decision.
Phiri faced Zimbabwe's Kudakwashe Chiwandire for the vacant WBC female interim super-bantamweight title on 26 February 2022, at the Government Complex in Lusaka, Zambia, losing by split decision.
Phiri was suspended from all boxing activities for two years in October 2022, after being found to have used a banned substance. She tested positive for the diuretic furosemide after her loss to Chiwandire in February. Phiri admitted her guilt and her ban was backdated to start from May 2022.

Awards

Catherine Phiri was also given an academic scholarship from the Justina Mutale Foundations Scholarship Programme on 9 June 2016. She is expected to go and study Sports Management at the European School of Economics in Italy. President of Zambia Edgar Chagwa Lungu honoured Catherine Phiri with the Zambia insignia of meritorious achievement award for her accomplishment on Africa Freedom Day, 25 May 2017.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
21Loss16–5Kudakwashe ChiwandireSD1026 Feb 2022Government Complex, Lusaka, ZambiaFor vacant WBC female interim super-bantamweight title
20Loss16–4Fatuma ZarikaUD1023 Mar 2019Kenyatta International Convention Centre, Nairobi, KenyaFor WBC female super-bantamweight title
19Win16–3Asandiswa NxokwanaTKO2, 1:3713 Oct 2018Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
18Win15–3Halima YaziduKO2, 0:4228 Apr 2018City Mall, Solwezi, Zambia
17Win14–3Rukia NasiriteTKO2, 2:2730 Dec 2017Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
16Loss13–3Fatuma ZarikaUD102 Dec 2017Carnivore Grounds, Nairobi, KenyaFor WBC female super-bantamweight title
15Win13–2Flora MachelaKO1, 2:002 Jul 2017Zmart Mall, Ndola, Zambia
14Loss12–2Mariana JuárezUD101 Apr 2017Mexico City, MexicoLost WBC female bantamweight title
13Win12–1Gabisile TshabalalaTKO1, 1:0027 Aug 2016Government Complex, Lusaka, ZambiaRetained WBC female bantamweight title
12Win11–1Yazmín Rivas6, 2:0030 Jan 2016Centro de Convenciones, Rosarito Beach, MexicoWon WBC female bantamweight title;
Majority TD after Rivas was cut from an accidental head clash
11Loss10–1Christina McMahon102 May 2015Mulungushi Conference Centre, Lusaka, ZambiaFor WBC interim female bantamweight title
10Win10–0Bukiwe NoninaTKO2 22 Nov 2014Government Complex, Lusaka, ZambiaRetained WBC Silver female bantamweight title
9Win9–0Joyce ChileshePTS43 May 2014Mongu Stadium, Mongu, Zambia
8Win8–0Pia MazelanikKO3, 1:0015 Mar 2014Government Complex, Lusaka, ZambiaWon vacant WBC Silver female bantamweight title
7Win7–0Hawa Daku8 28 Sep 2013Mulungushi Conference Centre, Lusaka, ZambiaWon vacant African female bantamweight title
6Win6–0Leslie Domingo2 23 Mar 2013Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
5Win5–0Nathalie ForgetUD1020 Oct 2012Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
4Win4–0Hamisa Willy4, 2:0031 Mar 2012Government Complex, Lusaka, Zambia
3Win3–0Diana MakumbeUD429 Oct 2011Konkola Stadium, Chililabombwe, Zambia
2Win2–0Cicilia Pitiseni43 Sep 2011Maramba Stadium, Livingstone, Zambia
1Win1–0Esther Chalwe428 May 2011National Sports Development Centre, Lusaka, Zambia