Alejandra Oliveras
Oliveras in 2025 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
Nickname | Locomotora ("Locomotive") |
| Born | Alejandra Marina Oliveras 20 March 1978 El Carmen, Jujuy, Argentina |
| Died | 28 July 2025 (aged 47) Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina |
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (155 cm) |
| Weight | |
| Boxing career | |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 38 |
| Wins | 33 |
| Win by KO | 16 |
| Losses | 3 |
| Draws | 2 |
Alejandra Marina Oliveras (Spanish: [aleˈxandɾa maˈɾina oliˈβeɾas]; 20 March 1978 – 28 July 2025), known as "La Locomotora", was an Argentine professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2015. She won world championships in four weight classes including the World Boxing Council (WBC) female super-bantamweight title from 2006 to 2008, the World Boxing Association (WBA) female lightweight title from 2011 to 2012, the World Boxing Organization (WBO) female featherweight title from 2012 to 2013, and WBC female super-lightweight title from 2013 to 2014.
Oliveras was also an activist for gender equality and promoted women's boxing. She was inducted into the Latin American Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024. Oliveras is also a member of the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame.
Biography
Oliveras was born on 20 March 1978 in El Carmen, Jujuy, Argentina, and was raised in Alejandro Roca, Juárez Celman Department, in a humble family.[1][2] She was the fourth of seven siblings and after finishing primary school she began working as a farm labourer.[2] A victim of gender violence since becoming a mother at the age of 14 until she separated from her husband, she took up boxing as a form of self-defense.[1][2]
After holding several jobs, Oliveras began working at a local radio station reading the news. After reading a news story about Mike Tyson, a boxer she admired, she commented on live radio, saying, "I wish I could be a boxer". Soon, a former boxer who was in town called the radio station and asked about her. The following month, they organised a boxing festival with a girl from the town.[2]
Professional boxing
Oliveras made her professional boxing debut on 12 August 2005 in General Levalle, Córdoba, with a knockout victory over María del Carmen Potenza.[1] On 20 May 2006, she won her first international title by becoming the World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight world champion against Jackie Nava in Mexico.[1][3]
On 13 October of that year, she successfully defended her title in Rosario against Anays Gutiérrez Carrillo, "La Dama del Ring" (The Lady of the Ring), in a hard-fought bout. Oliveras suffered her first defeat on 4 December 2008, when Marcela ‘La Tigresa’ Acuña took her title on 4 December 2008 at Luna Park Stadium.[3]
On 5 January 2012, Oliveras won against Jessica Villafranca by a knockout. The two were fighting for the vacant WBO featherweight world title.[4]
On 19 April 2013, on her 5th defense of the featherweight title, Oliveras defeated Calixta Silgado in the fifth round by knockout.[5] On 11 October 2013, she won the WBC Superkigero title against Lely Luz Flórez.[3]
Oliveras lost her WBC light welterweight title on 15 November 2014, after being defeated by Erica Farias in a split decision.[6] After this defeat, she ended her career with two victories, in 2015 and 2017.[3] She finished with a record of 33 wins (16 KOs), 2 draws and 3 losses (no KOs), and her style was defined as aggressive and forceful when attacking.[3]
She was inducted into the Latin American Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024.[1] In October 2025, she was posthumously named among the inductees for the 2026 International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame class.[7]
Community work
Oliveras stood out for her activism in favour of women's boxing and against gender inequality, especially in terms of remuneration in sport.[1]
She founded Team Locomotora, a gym that offered free classes to low-income youth in Santó Tomé, Santa Fe, and participated in campaigns against gender violence. Oliveras also organised motivational talks for young people.[8]
Political
Ahead of the 2021 legislative elections, Oliveras announced her intention to run for a seat in the lower house of Congress as part of the right-wing Unite Santa Fe party. With 3.91% of the votes, Oliveras's candidacy did not receive enough votes to get her elected. Oliveras supported Patricia Bullrich's presidential run in the 2023 general election. Following Bullrich's appointment as security minister in the government of Javier Milei, she appointed Oliveras to oversee the country's sports security agency.[9]
In 2025, Oliveras ran for a seat in the Constitutional Convention tasked with writing a new constitution for Santa Fe Province. She won her seat with 78,471 votes, the sixth-most among all candidates in the province.[10]
Personal life and death
Oliveras had two sons, Alejandro and Alexis, both also gym instructors who worked with her.[2]
On 14 July 2025, Oliveras suffered a stroke, leaving her hospitalized in Santa Fe, Argentina, in serious condition.[11] That day, she was to be sworn in as a member of the Santa Fe Constitutional Convention, which was beginning its sessions.[12] She died 14 days later from a pulmonary embolism on 28 July, at the age of 47.[13][14][15]
Professional boxing record
| 38 fights | 33 wins | 3 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 16 | 0 |
| By decision | 17 | 3 |
| Draws | 2 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38 | Win | 33–3–2 | Lesly Morales | UD | 10 | 8 Apr 2017 | Gimnasio Municipal Enrique Mosconi, Cutral Có, Neuquén, Argentina | |
| 37 | Win | 32–3–2 | Natalia del Valle Aguirre | UD | 6 | 17 Jul 2015 | Club Racing, Teodolina, Santa Fe, Argentina | |
| 36 | Loss | 31–3–2 | Érica Farías | SD | 10 | 15 Nov 2014 | Plaza de Toros, Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico | Lost WBC super-lightweight title |
| 35 | Win | 31–2–2 | Lely Luz Florez | TKO | 7 (10) | 11 Oct 2013 | Club Atletico Union, Santo Tome, Santa Fe, Argentina | Won vacant WBC super-lightweight title |
| 34 | Win | 30–2–2 | Calixta Silgado | KO | 5 (10) | 19 Apr 2013 | Federación Jujeña de Básquetbol, San Salvador de Jujuy, Jujuy, Argentina | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 33 | Win | 29–2–2 | Dayana Cordero | UD | 10 | 23 Feb 2013 | Club Olimpo, Bahia Blanca, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 32 | Win | 28–2–2 | Paulina Cardona | TKO | 4 (10) | 22 Dec 2012 | Club Sportivo America, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 31 | Win | 27–2–2 | Migdalia Asprilla | TKO | 5 (10) | 14 Jul 2012 | Salón Bomberos Voluntarios, General Villegas, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 30 | Win | 26–2–2 | Diana Ayala | RTD | 6 (10) | 9 Jun 2012 | Estadio Pedro Estremador, San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina | Retained WBO featherweight title |
| 29 | Win | 25–2–2 | Simone Da Silva Duarte | KO | 5 (8) | 13 Apr 2012 | Polideportivo Municipal, Necochea, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 28 | Win | 24–2–2 | Jessica Villafranca | KO | 5 (10) | 5 Jan 2012 | Gimnasio Santiago Saigós, San Antonio de Areco, Buenos Aires, Argentina | Won vacant WBO featherweight title |
| 27 | Win | 23–2–2 | Roxana Beatriz Laborde | UD | 6 | 11 Nov 2011 | Club Atletico Lanus, Lanus, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 26 | Win | 22–2–2 | Liliana Palmera | RTD | 5 (10) | 12 Aug 2011 | Asociación Deportiva Estudiantes, Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, Argentina | Won vacant WBA lightweight title |
| 25 | Win | 21–2–2 | Alicia Susana Alegre | TKO | 6 (6) | 13 May 2011 | Club Estudiantes, Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 24 | Win | 20–2–2 | Pamela Elizabeth Benavidez | UD | 6 | 9 Apr 2011 | Estadio Cubierto Municipal, Dean Funes, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 23 | Loss | 19–2–2 | Mónica Acosta | UD | 10 | 18 Feb 2011 | Club Estudiantes, Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina | For WBC and vacant WBA female super-lightweight titles |
| 22 | Win | 19–1–2 | Silvia Fernanda Zacarias | KO | 5 (8) | 12 Nov 2010 | Club Atletico Union, Santa Fe, Santa Fe, Argentina | |
| 21 | Win | 18–1–2 | Sonia Edith Paladino | UD | 8 | 24 Sep 2010 | Salón Municipal, Villa del Dique, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 20 | Win | 17–1–2 | Maria Eugenia Quiroga | UD | 6 | 18 Jun 2010 | Club Almirante Brown, San Isidro de Lules, Tucuman, Argentina | |
| 19 | Win | 16–1–2 | Antonina Ayala Vazquez | KO | 2 (6) | 10 Apr 2010 | Ce.De.M. N° 2, Caseros, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 18 | Win | 15–1–2 | Silvia Beatriz Lescano | TKO | 1 (4) | 30 Jan 2010 | Club Social y Deportivo Peñarol, Guaminí, Buenos Aires, Argentina | |
| 17 | Win | 14–1–2 | Natalia del Pilar Burga | UD | 10 | 6 Nov 2009 | Asociación Mutual Club El Tala, San Francisco, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 16 | Win | 13–1–2 | Adriana Salles | UD | 10 | 16 May 2009 | Palacio Peñarol, Montevideo, Uruguay | |
| 15 | Loss | 12–1–2 | Marcela Acuña | UD | 10 | 4 Dec 2008 | Estadio Luna Park, Distrito Federal, Argentina | Lost WBC super-bantamweight title; For WBA super-bantamweight title |
| 14 | Win | 12–0–2 | Michelle Larissa Bonassoli | RTD | 5 (6) | 7 Nov 2008 | Polideportivo Corral de Palos, Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 13 | Win | 11–0–2 | Maria del Carmen Montiel | UD | 8 | 11 Jul 2008 | Club Defensores de Villa Lujan, San Miguel, Tucuman, Argentina | |
| 12 | Win | 10–0–2 | Adriana Salles | UD | 10 | 4 Aug 2007 | Club Atletico Central Argentino, Rio Cuarto, Cordoba, Argentina | Retained WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 11 | Draw | 9–0–2 | Jackie Nava | MD | 10 | 2 Mar 2007 | Super Domo Orfeo, Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina | Retained WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 10 | Win | 9–0–1 | Claudia Andrea Lopez | SD | 8 | 22 Dec 2006 | Buenos Aires Lawn Tennis Club, Buenos Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina | |
| 9 | Win | 8–0–1 | Anays Cecilia Gutierrez Carrillo | UD | 10 | 13 Oct 2006 | Club Sportivo America, Rosario, Santa Fe, Argentina | Retained WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Jackie Nava | KO | 8 (10) | 20 May 2006 | Palenque del Hipodromo, Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico | Won WBC super-bantamweight title |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Graciela Baez | TKO | 1 (4) | 7 Apr 2006 | Club Pabellon, Alejandro, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 6 | Draw | 5–0–1 | Betina Gabriela Garino | PTS | 4 | 24 Mar 2006 | La Carlota, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Betina Gabriela Garino | SD | 4 | 17 Feb 2006 | E.N.E.T. Nº 1, Laboulaye, Cordoba, Argentina | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Maria del Carmen Potenza | TD | 3 (4) | 6 Jan 2006 | Anfiteatro Municipal, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Silvia Raquel Gervasi | UD | 4 | 11 Nov 2005 | Hipólito Bouchard, Alejandro, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Maria del Carmen Montiel | UD | 4 | 9 Sep 2005 | La Carlota, Córdoba, Argentina | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Maria del Carmen Potenza | TKO | 2 (4) | 12 Aug 2005 | General Levalle, Córdoba, Argentina |
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Murió Alejandra "Locomotora" Oliveras a los 47 años: había sufrido un ACV isquémico". La Nación. 29 July 2025.
- ^ a b c d e Driussi, Adriel (27 February 2021). "La historia de la Locomotora Oliveras: la campeona del mundo que empezó a boxear para escapar de la violencia de género". Aire de Santa Fe.
- ^ a b c d e "Las mejores peleas y los nocauts más recordados de la Locomotora Oliveras". Infobae. 29 July 2025.
- ^ "Boxing Federations: We Get it....by Sue TL Fox". WBAN MEDIA. 7 January 2012.
- ^ "Alejandra Oliveras makes successful defense!". Boxing News 24. 20 April 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ^ "Farias Back on Top: Women's Boxing – The Weekly Wrap Up". theboxingtribune.com. 18 November 2014. Archived from the original on 4 April 2016. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
- ^ "The International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame announces our 2026 IWBHF Inductees; Special Award Recipients and more!". womenboxing.com. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ Alejandra 'Locomotora' Oliveras, la mujer que peleó dentro y fuera del ring, muere a los 47 años (in Spanish)
- ^ Volterri, Sebastián (16 April 2024). "La Locomotora Oliveras fue contratada por el Ministerio de Seguridad: qué función realizará". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ Godoy, Juan Manuel (28 July 2025). "Cómo fue el paso por la política de Alejandra "Locomotora" Oliveras tras alejarse del boxeo". Infobae (in Spanish). Retrieved 28 July 2025.
- ^ "Alejandra "Locomotora" Oliveras remains in critical condition and has a reserved prognosis". espn.com.ar (in Spanish). 18 July 2025.
- ^ "Tras la muerte de Locomotora Oliveras, cómo se definirá a su reemplazante en la Convención Constituyente de Santa Fe". infobae (in European Spanish). 29 July 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ LAVOZ, Redacción (28 July 2025). "El boxeo argentino de luto: murió Locomotora Oliveras a los 47 años". www.lavoz.com.ar (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ "Former four-division world champion Oliveras dies at 47 after stroke". Reuters. 29 July 2025. Retrieved 4 August 2025.
- ^ El boxeo argentino de luto: murió Locomotora Oliveras a los 47 años (in Spanish)
External links
- Boxing record for Alejandra Oliveras from BoxRec (registration required)
- Alejandra Oliveras - Profile at Women Boxing Archive Network