Patricio Manuel is no amateur to the boxing scene. Previously a five time US women's champion, the boxer underwent gender reassignment surgery nearly a decade ago. It was a surprise defeat to boxer Joshua Reyes after getting knocked out in less than 25 seconds. He struggled to get up with shaky legs and the match was ended with the referee declaring a knockout. Manuel had become the first transgender boxer to compete professionally and remains to this day the one and only.
Despite getting defeated by Reyes, Manuel still has a promising career ahead. "I refuse to bow my head in shame. I've never been one to play it safe and sometimes that means I fail. And life has taught me over and over again that failure will not break me. Thank you to everyone who has been (and hopefully will still be) in my corner." Manuel earned a four-round win over Hieun Huynh in 2023 and even backed that up in June with an unanimous decision over Alexander Gutierrez where he earned twice as many blows as his opponent.
"One of the most gender-affirming things I think I've experienced is the affirmation as I walk in the gym," Manuel told Outsports in 2022. The transgender boxer has a promising career ahead, do you think that Patricio Manuel can make a come back? Share your comments here.
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