Since the World Boxing Federation was originally founded by American Larry Carrier in 1988, many of the sport’s biggest names have won a WBF title, and proudly defended the blue, red and gold belt all over the world.
In the Champions Of The Past Series we take a closer look at some of the boxers who held WBF titles in years gone by, from lesser known champions to world renowned fighters, legends of the sport and current or future Hall of Famers.
Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen” Salinas, the former World Boxing Federation (WBF) Women’s World Super Bantamweight Champion, was born to a Bolivian father and a North American mother on June 30, 1982 in Annandale, Virginia, USA.
Not much was pointing in the direction of her becoming a world class boxer, or athlete in general, until she discovered her talent for fighting at the age of nineteen. She had her first bout and won the Michigan Golden Gloves that same year, 2001.
In 2002 Salinas won the USA nationals, and it soon became apparent that she was ready to turn professional. In May of 2003 she entered the paid ranks, and won her debut by decision over Nicole Beard (1-4) in Grand Rapids.
By March of 2005, Salinas had put together five straight victories, including one over the very capable Sharon Gaines (5-2), when she suffered her first set-back, losing a unanimous decision to fellow prospect Heather Percival (5-1).
Between November 2005 and September 2009, Salinas racked up another six victories. All low profile, but on decent-sized cards, and she continued to learn her trade in the ring. So it was a surprise when she, at 11-1 (4), lost what was supposed to be another learning fight to Nathalie Forget (2-1) in July 2010.
Despite the unexpected loss, she never the less was picked to challenge for the Interim WBC World Super Bantamweight title against reigning champion, and massive favorite, Jackie Nava (22-3-2) in Mexico four months later.
Salinas took the big opportunity, fighting outside the USA for the first time, and showed she had the skills and determination to compete at world level, despite losing a wide unanimous decision to the much more experienced local heroine.
While the effort against Nava surely boosted her self-belief, it would be almost two years before Salinas returned to the ring in July 2012, comprehensively out-scoring former WBO world title-challenger Angel Gladney (7-5-1).
A string of three clear-cut victories put her back in world title-contention, and it was big news in Bolivia when it was announced she would fight there, in her fathers birth-country, for the first time, with the vacant WBF world title on the line on November 11, 2013.
In a huge event at the Estadio Ramon Tahuici Aguilera in Santa Cruz, Salinas beat former world champion Yollis Marrugo Franco (15-8-3) from Colombia, losing only one round on each scorecard on her way to the biggest triumph of her career.
The significance of Salinas winning the WBF Women’s World Super Bantamweight title, was underlined by the fact that it prompted Bolivian President Evo Morales to invite her to the presidential palace in La Paz, where he awarded her a special medal to commemorate her achievement.
Unfortunately a long spell of inactivity followed for Salinas, and she was officially stripped of the WBF world title, without defending it, when she moved up to Super Featherweight in early 2015.
In November of 2016 she lost a challenge for the IBF World title in her new weight class, dropping a competitive decision to Maiva Hamadouche (13-1) in France.
In June of 2017 Salinas returned with a routine victory, and so far that has been her last fight. At 37 years of age she obviously still has time for another comeback, but if that doesn’t happen she retires with a fine record of 20-4 (5).
A mother of four children, she currently lives in Bristow, Virginia, where she uses her fame from being a world champion boxer to help victims of violence and sexual violence, especially children, in the local Latino community.
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