After winning a world super-welterweight title twice, Marie-Ève Dicaire decided she had had enough. The 36-year-old Quebecer announced Wednesday that she was drawing a line under her professional boxing career.
Dicaire was twice the International Boxing Federation (IBF) Super Welterweight Queen. She became world champion for the first time on 1er December 2018, defeating Chris Namus by unanimous decision at the Videotron Center, thus becoming the first Quebecer to win a world title.
The boxer from Terrebonne defended this belt three times in 2019: against Mikaela Lauren, Maria Lindberg and Ogleidis Suarez. Then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, curbing the champion’s momentum.
A unification duel against Claressa Shields, then holder of the belts of the three other sanctioning bodies, was postponed more than 10 times before finally taking place in March 2021, in Flint, Michigan, stronghold of the American.
Dicaire gave it her all in this bout, but the two-time Olympic gold medalist unified the titles following an unblemished performance, winning all rounds in the eye of all three judges.
Just nine months later, Dicaire had a chance to reclaim the IBF belt after Shields gave it up to go unify the middleweight titles. The boxer from Terrebonne then took back her title in a brilliant way, passing the K.-O. to Cynthia Lozano in the seventh round in the Bell Center.
Dicaire had the opportunity, in November 2022, to pull off another big blow, when Groupe Yvon Michel and Matchroom Boxing agreed for a unification fight in Manchester, England, against Natasha Jones, holder of the World Championship belts. Boxing Council (WBC) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). Again, however, the unification of the titles escaped Dicaire, who lost by unanimous decision.
Already, before this fight, rumors were circulating to the effect that it was the last of the Quebecoise’s career. After a few months of reflection, Dicaire, also a five-time world karate champion, confirmed her choice on Wednesday.
Dicaire’s professional boxing career began on November 20, 2015 with a unanimous decision win over Christina Barry, the first of 17 straight wins. It therefore ended after 18 victories – one by K.-O. — against two setbacks.