Two-division and reigning undisputed atomweight champion
Tina Rupprecht has officially announced her retirement following a glittering 12-year professional career.
The Augsburg native, 33, made an emotional announcement last Saturday at the Bavarian Sports Awards ceremony in Munich, where she won Boxer of the Year acclaim.
During her acceptance speech, Rupprecht (15-1-1, 3 KOs) called it the perfect time to depart at the very top as she and husband Markus Fritschi are expecting their first child in March.
"I'm beginning a new phase of my life. I still feel like it's perfect, reached a place where I always wanted to be, even much higher. Now, I'm done," she was quoted as saying.
After outpointing Fabiana Bytyqi to win the WBC world title in a second weight division in January 2024, she later unified 102-pound titles with decision wins beyond WBO/WBA beltholder
Eri Matsuda and IBF champion
Sumire Yamanaka.
A first-round knockdown helped her ease past Japan's Matsuda, clinching the inaugural Ring title too in November, which she defended in April against unbeaten 8-0 contender Yamanaka via 10-round majority decision.
That achievement saw her become the first German, male or female, to fully unify a weight class in the four-belt era.
Her lone career defeat came against another recently-departed undisputed champion in
Seniesa Estrada during their March 2023 WBC/WBA strawweight unification, one the Californian clinched with a shutout points victory.
Having racked up five title defences prior, the setback prompted her to move down in weight and seek greatness elsewhere.
The resume 'Tiny Tina' built has continued ageing well, having pitched wins over the likes of reigning WBC strawweight champion
Yokasta Valle (33-3, 10 KOs) and then-unbeaten contender Niorkis Carreno in the second-half of 2018.
While the WBC have been swift in elevating 17-year-old
Camila Zamorano from interim to full champion after this news, her predecessor is at peace leaving matters as they stand.
"Even though I'm no longer actively in the ring, my love and passion for the sport will always remain. I want to pass on my experiences with exciting lectures, workshops and other projects," she added.