Ana Julaton with fellow boxer Glenn DonaireManny Pacquiao isn’t the only Filipino boxing champion. On September 12, Ana “The Hurricane” Julaton won the IBA Super Bantamweight championship (122 lbs) by defeating Kelsey “the Road Warrior” Jeffries. We have written before about female Asian boxers defying stereotypes, but “The Hurricane” not only defies stereotypes but proves that she can be the best at what is typically thought of as a male sport. Her match at the HP Arena in San Jose is said to be the first time a female bout was featured as an IBA main event.
Julaton lives in the Filipino American enclave of Daly City, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. In this article, she cites the influence of Bruce Lee as an inspiration:
“I wasn’t sure where I fit in; I didn’t know who I was. I found some kind of purpose I guess, in seeing a successful Chinese American like Bruce Lee.”
His influence lead her not only to learn Taekwondo and become a boxer, but also to embrace her own Filipino-American heritage.
Another thing she has in common with Manny Pacquiao is the hall of fame trainer Freddie Roach. With excellent people like Roach behind her, Ana “the Hurricane” Julaton will be making an impact for some time to come.
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