She towers over boxing legend ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson and is rated the scariest female fighter in Australia.
But after four false starts in 18 months, Gold Coast-based slugger Che Kenneally has finally found an opponent _ and is hellbent on conquering the world.
The former beauty pageant queen turned boxing machine will fly out of Australia on Sunday to defend her light heavyweight world title against American Danielle Perkins in Detroit on February 22.
The implications of this bout are potentially life-changing.
Victory over Perkins (5-1) will set up Kenneally (5-0) for a blockbuster showdown with American pound-for-pound queen Claressa Shields (17-0) to fight for the undisputed heavyweight world titles.
But first, the beauty queen brawler must pulverise Perkins and Kenneally’s Burleigh-based trainer Fidel Tukel is adamant she has the size, skill and power to prevail in her first fight on US soil.
The 31-year-old is undefeated in five fights, winning the WBA light heavyweight world title with a brutal third-round TKO of Colombian Angie Paola Rocha in July 2024.
“This will be Che’s first defence of her world title,” said Tukel, who also trains leading Australian male heavyweight Demsey McKean.
“It’s been frustrating … we’ve had four fights fall over in the last 18 months.
“Che is the scariest and toughest female fighter in Australia.
“She stands six feet tall (183cm), she towers over male boxers like Mike Tyson (178cm), Tim Tszyu (175cm) and Liam Paro (174cm).
“This is a huge fight for Australian boxing fans.
“If Che wins this, she sets up a super fight against Claressa for the undisputed heavyweight titles, so there’s a lot at stake.”
The Sydney-born fighter’s father Drew named her daughter after Che Guevara, the Argentine diplomat and guerilla leader who was a key figure in the Cuban Revolution.
Kenneally’s dedication is admirable.
The one-time model fights for love, not money, and thrives on her self-imposed moniker ‘The Fighting Mum’, a tribute to her four-year-old daughter Havana.
“I didn’t start fighting until 23, before then I just trained with my dad and it was our thing we did together,” she said.
“My daughter comes to training with me.
“There’s no reason why women can’t be champions athletes and a mother, I want to do my daughter proud, she is No.1.”
A former junior athletics star in shot put and discus, Kenneally, who has Kiwi blood, is so tough she happily spars men at Tukel’s FiteKlub gym.
“Che holds her own against the guys,” Tukel said.
“I had one of my boys spar her in the gym recently and after 10 rounds, he came up to me and said, ‘She is crazy … that was the hardest f***ing spar I’ve ever had.
“Che never takes a backward step and I’m confident she will be too strong and smart in this fight.
“There aren’t many female boxers on the planet built like Che, physically and mentally.”
Originally published as Gold Coast boxer Che Kenneally fights to keep world title in career-defining bout
