FAMED BRAZILIAN AMATEUR boxing star Beatriz Ferreira has turned professional under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing promotional banner and will be managed by Meath man Brian Peters, who currently steers the careers of Katie Taylor and several other highly regarded pro fighters.
Ferreira, the gold-medal favourite at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, was beaten by Ireland’s Kellie Harrington in their 60kg decider but remains one of the most revered female boxing talents on the planet.
The Salvador native is a three-time Pan-American champion (2017, 2018, 2019), took gold at the 2018 South American Games, and replaced Harrington as the lightweight world champion in 2019 when the Dubliner was unable to compete due to injury.
Known as ‘The Beast’, Ferreira, 29, joins Matchroom stablemate Katie Taylor in the lightweight professional ranks. With Taylor having recently turned 36, they may be too far apart in their respective professional journeys ever to meet in the middle, but Hearn will be confident that the vicious, all-action Ferreira can succeed Taylor as the bona fide star of the women’s game in due course.
The Brazilian will remain a more immediate threat to another Irish boxing great in Harrington: by dint of a rule change ahead of Rio 2016, professional boxers are permitted to represent their countries at the Olympic Games.
While in most cases, the differences between the ‘amateur’ and professional sports — particularly regarding the pace and duration of bouts — make the switch back impractical (they require different types of training and it is difficult to transition between the two), Ferreira’s status in her home country is such that she is a lock for Brazil’s lightweight category ahead of Paris.
As such, Brazil’s boxing federation, Confederaco Brasileira De Boxe, were consulted on her venture into the pro ranks and will remain involved in her career, particularly around Olympic qualification tournaments next year.
“Today is truly a very special day for me,” Ferreira said of her pro move.
I’m so excited to be turning professional and to sign with the best in the business, my manager Brian Peters and promoter Eddie Hearn and Matchroom. I can’t wait to have my debut and to be involved in big fights and have people all over the world follow my journey on DAZN.
“It’s a big challenge for me and an exciting new stage in my career but I’m also really happy that I can continue to live my Olympic dream. I plan to win gold at Paris in 2024 while also winning many world titles as a professional. I’m more determined than ever to succeed at the very top in this sport and I can promise the fans a great show every time I step in the ring.”
Promoter Hearn added: “Beatriz is one of the most ferocious pound-for-pound fighters I have ever seen come through the amateur system. She is going to absolutely light up the professional scene and become a huge star of the sport. If you have been around or watched this talent then you know exactly what I’m talking about.”
Marcos Brito, President, Confederaco Brasileira De Boxe, said: “’Bia’ is so excited to start her professional boxing career. Of course she dreams of winning Olympic gold in Paris but this is the right time and the right opportunity with a great promoter and a great broadcast platform to launch her professional career. She has won the world championship as an amateur and I have no doubt she will win many world titles as a professional. She will not settle for anything less.
“We are grateful that Eddie understood and respected Bia’s desire to win gold at the next Olympics. It means that she can have the best of both worlds and bring success back to Brazil with medals and world title belts!”
