Julie Shabalala is the Queen of the Ring.

This Middleweight champion packs a punch!!!

Female boxing in this country was not taken seriously, until the acting CEO of Boxing South Africa “Mr. Boxing” Loyiso Mtya, intervened. He moved hills and mountains in ensuring that the females get involved in this fistic sport, as is the case in other parts of the world like the United States of America.

One of the ladies who benefited from the program is Julie Queen Shabalala, the first South African female middleweight champion.

Born about thirty years ago in Middleburg, in Mpumalanga, Queen started boxing as an amateur around year 2000, where she recorded 38 fights with only 2 loses and a single draw.

Becoming the first SA female middleweight champion was the best moment of her life. “I was very happy when the results were announced that I won the championship fight. The fight was not easy considering that my opponent, Bomkazi Klaas, was a favourite because she was fighting at home in East London.” She says.

Julie is not happy that because they are females, it is not easy to get the sponsorships as well as the regular action. “Look, we are not working, we depend on boxing for a living, so if promoters don’t offer us fights how are we going to survive? She asks. “But I am happy with the latest developments, we will get fights now even if it means one female bout per tournament. “ It’s better than nothing” she said.

This Old Apostolic Church member is a married mother of two kids, who dreams of becoming a world champion one day like her counterpart, Noni Tenge. Her wish is to see more and more females joining the sport of boxing. “I would advise anyone who aspires to be a boxer , to love the sport first, be dedicated in the gym and best of all take the education seriously, so that he/she can have something to fall back on after boxing” concludes Julie Shabalala