Two World Titles at Stake When Hanna Gabriels Battles Katia Alvarino in Venezuela

LAS VEGAS, NV (May 28, 2016) – For Immediate Release

Reigning WBO World Female junior middleweight champion HANNA GABRIELS meets KATIA ALVARINO in a unification match on June 18 at Domo Jose Maria Vargas de la Guaira in Maiqueita, Venezuela. The 10-round contest is sanctioned for Gabriels WBO title and for the vacant WBA World super welterweight title.

The 33-year-old Gabriels (15-1-1, 10 KOs) is a two-time WBO 154-pound world champion. She hails from Alajuela, Costa Rica, and has been training in Las Vegas at the iconic Johnny Tocco’s Ringside Boxing Gym where she goes through her paces alongside her husband, former WBA interim World super featherweight champion Bryan Vasquez.

KATIA ALVARINO (8-2-1, 3 KOs) hails from the town of Juan Lacaze on the southern tip of Uruguay. Standing 5’11” — four inches taller than Gabriels — the 30-year old boxer, nicknamed “La Leona” (the Lioness), has been working out in boxing gyms since she was a young girl and credits the robust female boxing scene in neighboring Argentina for inspiring her to turn professional. Her biggest bout was one that didn’t materialize. She signed to fight renowned Uruguayan boxer Chris Namus at Montevideo on Dec. 20, 2014, but the match fell out for political reasons. Namus recently went 10 rounds with multiple world title holder Cecilia Braekhus in Germany.

HANNA GABRIELS QUOTE

“It’s been an honor for me to represent the WBO. Unifying the title has always been one of my dreams and I am thankful that the WBO and WBA are allowing me this opportunity. Training in Las Vegas these last few months, I feel I have made tremendous improvement. I am feeling better than I have ever felt and can’t wait to show everyone that I am one of the very best female fighters in the world.”