Sydney-based Viviana Ruiz has signed a long-term managerial contract with Perth based manager Tony Tolj, who has been a key figure in the rise of fighters such as Chris John, Andrew & Jason Moloney, Bruno Tarimo, Andres Campos among others.
Tolj is a big advocate of women's boxing and is currently managing the largest stable of women boxers in the pacific rim, with world #6 Kylie Hutt, as well as prospects, Sarah Higginson, Natalie Jenkinson, Sylvia Cinque, Jeanine Brown.
Ruiz has represented Australia at the Women's World Championships in India. She was competing against the best in the country to qualify (which I did) and then against the best in the world. Ruiz has had over 60 fights, 5 x State Champion, 2x Australian Champion, Gold medallist in Spain at the Boxam event (the best in the world), Silver medallist for the Commonwealth games trials and Silver medal for the Olympic qualifiers.
Ruiz discussed her boxing journey:
"I came from Colombia alone and without speaking English so I was getting into drinking too much, smoking and not doing anything about the great opportunities that Australia has to offer. I decided to do something healthy and good for my life and started walking every night.
"On one of my walks I saw 'the fight gym.' I went in there, did my first class and had an amazing feeling of happiness , control and anger release. We Colombians are very passionate and have a lot of anger, so it helped me lots to address it another way. The coach said I was good and should have a fight and six months later I was in the ring. I haven't stopped since then.
“I am delighted to link up with Tony Tolj and Dragon Fire Boxing. I loved boxing in the amateurs but my ambition was always to be a success in the professional ranks, and I felt that this was the right opportunity for me to make that leap into the pro game and I am really excited to get the ball rolling. I have seen the job Tony has done with the likes of the Moloney twins and I believe he will be able to do the same job with myself and take me all the way to world title fights. That is what I am in this game for.”
“I have an all action style and I can also box when I need too. I enjoy putting on a show for those in attendance and I feel my style is more suited to the pro game. I am learning all the time but I can guarantee excitement from my fights. I want to become a world champion. I want to change all the odds of being too old for the sport. I believe because the world has evolved in many ways, you can now have a proper diet, correct strength and conditioning and be on the top of your game for much longer than they used to be able to."
