‘The Tigress’ is no more. Belarusian-born boxer Alesia Graff, who once said that her fighting style reminded WBF President Mick Croucher of Muhammad Ali, has passed away at the age of 43. Graff secured German citizenship in 2008, having initially moved to the country with no intentions of boxing. But things soon took a different turn.

Graff came to Germany in 1999 and lived in Stuttgart with the idea of studying, but she soon found out that her hold on the German language wasn’t efficient enough. She began finding her feet as an amateur boxer in 20o1 and made her pro debut in 2004. She became one of the stars for the Universum Box Promotion in Hamburg. Universum also promoted her friend and training partner Regina Halmich, who confirmed Graff’s demise in an Instagram post.

“How special you were” Halmich pens emotional note for “friend” Alesia Graff

“I am shocked and stunned. You were not only a training partner and world champion, but also a friend. 43 years – far too young to go,” wrote Halmich in the post. The cause of her death remains unknown as of right now. The IG post from Halmich further read, “I don’t get it. Such sad news, RIP Alesia. Ps: I could tell so many stories about you, what made you outstanding and how special you were- but at the moment I can’t, sorry.”

Coincidentally, it was also Halmich who was responsible for Graf taking up the sport of boxing. In an interview, she recalled, “I read in the newspaper, an article about Regina Halmich, and that she was a world champion in boxing. That is what inspired me to get into boxing—I thought, what she can do, I can also do. So, I began to look for a gym to work out in, and then began boxing at that time.”

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Part of both the IWBHF and the IBHOF, it didn’t take long for Graf to achieve her first milestone in boxing. The “Tigress” won the GBU world super flyweight title in 2006, followed by eleven successful title defenses. In 2008, Graf won the Women’s WIBF world super flyweight title and defended it four times consecutively. She moved to Australia for a while in 2o11 and established her company Graf-Promotions, before retiring in 2019, after a defeat to Dina Thorslund.

The untimely passing of Alesia Graf has left the boxing world shaken. Learning of the tragic passing of the boxer the World Boxing Association took to social media to pay tribute. The sanctioning body’s Instagram post mourned her loss, stating, “The World Boxing Association (WBA) mourns the passing of Alesia Graf.”

Her demise left the boxing community in mourning with several fans paying tribute to Graf.

“She was amazing,” boxing world remembers “The Tigress”

Graf took on several formidable opponents throughout her 19-year-long career and appeared in good health after her retirement. So the news of her passing shocked some fans. Reacting to WBA’s post about her demise, Argentine boxer Carolina Duer wrote in disbelief, “What???? What happened?? She was amazing!!”

Another user recalled their encounter with Graf during a fight in Germany in 2007 when she fought Zulina Munoz. Graf notably ended Zulina Munoz’s 16-0 win streak in that fight.

“I had the opportunity to be in Zulina Muñoz’s corner for the first one with her in Germany. [It was a] Hell of a fight. R.I.P,” wrote the user. The two met in the ring again in Mexico after seven years with Munoz coming out on top.

One fan lamented Graf’s passing by penning a somber message for the late fighter. “May She Rest In Peace,” the fan’s comment read. A champion for women’s boxing, she was hopeful of more female boxers following in her footsteps and taking up the sport. “This year is the first year when female boxing is included at the Olympic Games, and that is great and important for the development for female boxing,” she said back in 2012.

Moreover, the World Boxing Council also took to X, expressing their condolences about the unfortunate loss of the champion. In a statement, they wrote, “The World Boxing Council and its President Mauricio Sulaimán, deeply mourn the death of boxer Alesia Graf.”

Boxing Kingdom one of the oldest sources online for boxing commentary addressed Graf’s demise on X. They bid farewell to “The Tigress” highlighting her success in the ring. Graf retired from boxing with an impressive record of 29-8 record. With 13 KOs to her name, it is no surprise that why she was nicknamed “The Tigress”.

Her first KO victory came in just her second fight when she knocked out Marina Zhekova of Bulgaria in the second round. Her last win was also a KO win against Kleopatra Tolnai of Hungary in 2016.

Graf will go down as one of the trailblazing female boxers of her era. Followed by an admirable career in sweet science, the former champion has now left the world with a legacy of championing women’s sports. Her accomplishments and legacy will be forever imprinted in the annals of boxing history. 

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