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Former WBF Womens World
Flyweight Champion Irma “La
Guerita” Sanchez from
Guadalajara in Mexico turned
professional in August of 2006,
fighting as a Super
Featherweight.
Only eighteen at the time (Born
December 6, 1987), she got off
to a successful start, but a
year later she had already lost
twice (6-2) and it was clear she
needed to move down in weight to
maximize her potential.
So she did, and at Super
Flyweight she managed to win
something called the “Mundo
Hispano Intercontinental” title,
defeating Magaly Avalos (2-2) on
points, in a rematch on May 2,
2008.
Avalos had been the first to
beat Sanchez, almost exactly a
year earlier, and she showed
considerable improvements as she
won convincingly over the ten
round distance.
A technical draw against Susana
Vasquez (4-2) in a fight for the
Mexican national title, and a
landslide unanimous decision
over Lucida Avalos (0-7) to
capture the WBC International
belt, followed.
On December 6, 2008, Sanchez
scored her first real impressive
victory when she beat Panamanian
Chanttall Martinez (7-2) by
unanimous decision, in the
headlining bout of a show in
Zapopan.
After losing her first two
outings, Martinez had won seven
straight fights, and would go on
to win and make three defenses
of the WBA World Super
Bantamweight title.
After a victory over former
Mexican Champion Sandra
Hernandez (2-4) in April of
2009, Sanchez was picked to vie
for the Interim WBC World
Flyweight title against
compatriot Mariana Juarez
(19-5-3) the following June.
Now 13-2-1 (2), Sanchez did well
and was competitive throughout,
but eventually lost a relatively
close unanimous decision.
Sanchez rebounded well and won
her next five fights, all minor
title bouts, beating decent
opponent such as Susana Morales
(7-6-1), Yesenia Castrejon
(4-2), Kanittha Kokietgym (4-1)
and Soledad Macedo (8-4-1).
That streak earned her a second
world title-shot, this time
against reigning WBC Light
Flyweight ruler Naomi Togashi
(7-0-1) from Japan, in October
of 2010.
Again Sanchez did well, but came
up short. Togashi, who had
become WBC Champion in only her
third fight and was making her
fifth defense, won by scores of
97-93, 99-92 and 99-91.
But Sanchez´ time was soon to
come, and only three months
later she captured the vacant
IBF World Light Flyweight title
when she out-pointed Katia
Gutierrez (11-2).
Unfortunately her first world
title-reign would be short, as
he lost the title to Jessica
Chavez (10-3-2) less than three
months on.
But her prime years were yet to
come, and on July 23, 2011 she
won the vacant WBF World
Flyweight title when she scored
a rare stoppage over Carlota
Santos (5-2-3) from Panama on
home turf in Guadalajara.
Sanchez had developed into a
fan-favorite, and her world
championship fights were fought
in front of big crowds and
televised throughout Mexico with
excellent viewing figures.
Less than three months after
winning the WBF World title, she
made her first defense against
Susana Cruz Perez (9-2), winning
widely on points.
Cruz Perez would make a name for
herself in 2014 when she beat
undefeated Anna Sophie Da Costa
for the WBF World Strawweight
title in France.
Further successful WBF world
title-defenses over Waranya
Yoohanngoh (7-6), Sharon Gaines
(11-13-1) and American multiple
former and future world titlist
Carina Moreno (22-4) followed.
Sanchez then decided to move
down to Light Flyweight, where
she lost again to Jessica Chavez
(16-3-2) in a WBC Silver title
fight.
Back at Flyweight, but with no
world title, she scored
victories over Tania Cosme
(4-3-2), Katia Gutierrez (18-3)
again, and Yesenia Catrejon
(15-13) in another rematch, but
also suffered a disappointing
loss to Jazmin Ortega (1-3-1).
After one low-profile comeback
victory she won the Interim WBA
World Flyweight title with a
split decision over Brenda Ramos
(9-5) in October of 2017, but
lost clearly on points when she
faced the full WBA champion
Naoko Fujioka in Japan on
September 14. 2018.
At the time of writing, Irma
Sanchez has not boxed since
losing to Fujioka. If that turns
out to be her last bout, she
retires with a fine record of
30-8-1 (8), having won three
versions of a world title.
Married to Hector Garcia, who
has promoted many of her fights,
she remains active in the boxing
gym and recently ran a marathon.
Not yet thirty-two, she is
certainly not too old to still
fight and do well in the ring.
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