Flyweight Contender Viviana Ruiz’s Journey To Championship Glory

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA – Viviana “La Diosa de la Guerra” Ruiz beat all odds to become the WBC Latino and WBA Oceania Flyweight Champion and has now signed with DiBella Entertainment for the next phase of her career one that she and Lou DiBella are confident will yield a world championship.
Ruiz began boxing when she was 32 years old, after setting out from Bogota, Colombia, to Sydney, Australia, in search of opportunities to grow and support her family.
Alone in a big city, Ruiz found human connection the way many people she met there do by going to pubs and drinking. This was problematic for Ruiz, who grew up with an alcoholic father. She feared she could easily slip into a similar lifestyle, squandering her opportunity to start over and build her career and life in Australia.
Ruiz realized she needed to change her circle of friends, and one day, while walking the streets, she found the family she’d been craving in a boxing gym. Smelling the sweat, and the leather, and hearing the bell ding, she knew she’d found her new home.
Her inner circle changed, and her competitive spirit shone through as she traded shot glasses for water bottles, and time in a pub for time in the ring. She was a natural but knew that she would have to make her own way as someone older than her fighting peers. She amassed 60 amateur fights, getting experience wherever she could.
“I finally found a purpose to wake up early in the morning,” said Ruiz. “Boxing completely saved me. If it weren’t for boxing, I’d be back home, just working and trying to survive. I wouldnߣt be achieving what I’m achieving right now or helping my family.
“Everyone has issues,” Ruiz continued, “but when you’re in the gym, your circle is focused on how much you can push yourself, how long you can run, how many rounds you can do, how good you are, and how much weight you can lift. That’s what challenged me.”
In only her sixth amateur about, Ruiz competed at the national level. After the first round, she realized she was in trouble. “What am I doing here?” she asked herself. “I’m terrible, I’m nobody.” Somehow, Ruiz survived.
“I was a punching bag,” said Ruiz of the fight. Her coach encouraged her to get past the loss.”
“You’ve already had your biggest challenge,” said coach Ben Savva, a one-time professional welterweight contender, who is now Ruiz’s partner. “It’s only up from here.”
It was a rough start, but Ruiz’s steadfastness and dedicationßžqualities she credits her mother for instilling in her would pay off as she began to win. She was fighting whoever was put in front of her, and sometimes she’d fight the same girls two or three times. She went on to represent Australia at the 2018 AIBA Women’s World Championships, an Olympic qualifier tournament held in India, winning a silver medal. Ruiz also won three Australian National titles and a gold medal at the 2018 Boxam International Tournament in Spain. It was time to hit the professional ranks.
Ruiz made her professional debut in April 2021, besting Bec Moss by technical knockout in the third round. She would struggle to get fights as a professional, as her amateur record would scare off potential opponents.
In 2022, Ruiz scraped together whatever money she had and headed home to Colombia, hoping to find more willing opposition in her home country. While home, she was able to help her mother and brother start a business that is still successful today.
Ruiz fought in Colombia four times and, in the fourth fight, she defeated Johana Zuniga for the WBC Latino Flyweight Championship via a 10-round unanimous decision.
It was Ruiz’s manager, Steve Scanlan, who would make the pivotal connection between Lou DiBella and the fighter.
“Throughout my life and my boxing career, I have always had struggles,” said Ruiz. “I had to use all my savings to go back home. I didn’t have any support. I had to train myself, corner myself, find my own fights. “Even sitting at #1 in Australia, you get stuck with no promoter or support. You won’t get anywhere, especially at my age.”
“The fact that Lou DiBella is giving me a chance is all I ever dreamed of, “Ruiz continued.” I’m a very hard worker, I’m dedicated and train every day. I love this sport and I’m passionate about it. My diet, my mindset, every day I do the best that I can. With Lou believing that I’m going to win a world title at 41 years old is the greatest feeling ever.”
“Viviana has the talent to compete at the highest level of the sport, but she is running out of time. I want to give her the opportunity to succeed,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “Her spirit and drive have brought her to this point and I’m thrilled to work with her manager, and my friend, Steve Scanlan, to help Viviana get the international championship opportunity that she deserves.”
Viviana Ruiz continues her journey in Australia, where she has gained residency and hopes to bring her mother and brother for visits more frequently eventually. Last year, Ruiz captured the WBA Oceania Flyweight belt in April then traveled to Thailand in December to make her first defense. Now 8-1 (4 KOs), she is presently ranked #2 by the WBA, #11 by the WBC, #12 by the IBF, and is rated the #1 flyweight in Australia by BoxRec.com.

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.
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