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Jennifer “The Bolivian Queen”
Salinas is set for the biggest
fight of her career on November
16, as she takes on Columbia’s
former World Champion Yolis
Marrugo Franco for the vacant
World Boxing Federation Womens
World Super Bantamweight title
at the 33.000 capacity
Estadio Ramón Tahuichi Aguilera
in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.
With a Bolivian father and
American mother, Salinas was
born in the United States but
moved to Santa Cruz as a young
child. At fifteen years of age
she returned to “The Land Of The
Free”, and now holds a dual
citizenship.
Salinas started boxing at age 19
in Grand Rapids, while working
in a Mexican restaurant located
next to a boxing gym. She turned
out to be very talented, but had
only eight amateur fights before
turning pro due to lack of
opponents in the unpaid ranks.
Now 31 years old, and a mother
of four kids, she has compiled a
professional record of 14-3 (4).
In 2010 Salinas fought Mexican
star Jackie Nava for a world
championship, but lost the
decision and took some time off
from boxing before returning in
July 2012.
Since coming back, Salinas has
put together three convincing
victories, and is ready to fight
in Bolivia for the first time,
and possibly fulfilling her
dream of becoming world champion
in front of her Bolivian family
and friends.
Having set up training camp in
Santa Cruz, Salinas is
reportedly on top of her game
and ready as can be, but she
realises what a big occasion is
in front of her, and the
pressure her big homecoming
fight brings, saying:
“I am nervous! I am nervous,
even though I am training hard
and will be well prepared for
Franco, but some times I feel I
am fighting for an entire
country. I don’t want to
disappoint anyone, and I don’t
want to disappoint myself!”
In 37-year-old Yolis Marrugo
Franco, 15-8-3 (7), Salinas will
be facing a fighter who have
seen it all and shared a ring
with some of the best. While she
was knocked out in one round in
her 1998 pro debut, and boasted
a very modest 3-5-3 record after
eleven bouts, she has since
rebounded well and proved to be
a true world-class campaigner.
In 2004 Franco travelled to
Argentina to beat Patricia
Alejandra Quirico to become
world super featherweight
champion, a crown she never lost
in the ring. In 2010 and 2011
she lost world championship
fights against unbeaten
opponents Yesica Patricia Marcos
and Janeth Perez, before winning
two non title bouts in Columbia
last year.
With all her experience, Franco
is in no way intimidated by the
fact that she will be facing
Salinas in front of a fanatical
crowd cheering her opponent on:
“I do not care where the fight
takes place”, said Franco in a
recent interview. “In the ring
we don’t win or lose due to who
is rooting against us or who is
cheering us on. It will only be
the two of us, face to face, and
I just hope the judges will be
fair.”
While she is not worried about
fighting in Bolivia, Franco is
full of respect for Salinas but
believes she has what it takes
to finally win her second world
title:
“Salinas is a good boxer. She
has good movement, and punches
well. But we have a plan and a
way to counter her attacks, so I
am full of confidence. I respect
her, but I will definitely
defeat her”
The Jennifer Salinas vs. Yolis
Marrugo Franco WBF Womens World
Super Bantamweight title fight
on November 16 in Santa Cruz,
Bolivia will be promoted by
Pandora Promotions and Eventos
Bolivia.
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