Susianna Levonovna Kentikian (; born Syuzanna Kentikyan on 11 September 1987) is an Armenian-German former professional boxer who competed from 2005 to 2016.. Retrieved 4 October 2016. She was born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR, but left the country with her family at the age of five because of the First Nagorno-Karabakh War. Kentikian has lived in Hamburg since 1996 and began boxing at the age of 12.
Kentikian is a two-time flyweight world champion, having held the unified World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Organization (WBO) female titles between 2007 and 2012, and the WBA female title again from 2013 to 2017. Additionally, she held the Women's International Boxing Federation (WIBF) title twice between 2007 and 2017. During the 2009 WBA convention in Colombia she was named the first ever female Super champion. It was announced that this belt would be called "Susi Kentikian belt" for all other future Super champions.
Until 2012, Kentikian remained undefeated as a professional, winning 16 of her first 30 fights by knockout or stoppage. The German television station ZDF has broadcast her fights since July 2009. She had previously headlined fight cards for the television station ProSieben from 2007 to 2009. Kentikian has gained minor celebrity status in Germany and she hopes to reach a popularity similar to that of the retired German female boxing star Regina Halmich.
Kentikian was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2022.
Early life
Susianna Kentikian was born in Yerevan, Armenian SSR.Jensen, Björn. "Killer Queen" krönt sich mit WM-Titel. Hamburger Abendblatt. 19 February 2007. Accessed 26 May 2008. At the age of five, she left Armenia with her parents and her nine-year-old brother, because her father was called up to serve in the military during the First Nagorno-Karabakh War.Bösecke, Ina. "Ich bin ein Killer, ich kämpfe wie ein Mann". Spiegel Online. 16 February 2007. Accessed 1 May 2007. In 1992, the family first moved to Berlin, Germany and stayed at asylum seekers' homes. However, due to the violence at these facilities and their poor knowledge of the German language, they left Berlin and moved to Moldova and later to Russia, where Kentikian went to school for a short period of time.Treptow, Julia. Ein Fliegengewicht boxt sich nach oben. Spiegel Online. 18 January 2006. Accessed 1 May 2007. The family returned to Germany in 1996 and relocated in Hamburg, again living in government facilities for asylum seekers.Krohn, Anne-Dore. Durchgeboxt. Die Zeit. 15 February 2007. Accessed 1 May 2007. Kentikian's residence status remained uncertain for almost a decade. Several times, she and her family were taken to the airport for deportation, but the intervention of local friends such as her amateur trainer, Frank Rieth, who called lawyers, the media and local politicians, prevented their final expulsion. Her family received a permanent residence permit in 2005 when she signed a three-year professional boxing contract that established a stable income.Hardt, Andreas. Susi Kentikian – Hamburgs "Million Dollar Baby". Die Welt. 31 March 2005. Accessed 1 May 2007.
At the age of 16, Kentikian began working as a cleaner in a local fitness center to help her family financially. She graduated from high school (Realschule) in the summer of 2006"Ich wollte schon als Siebenjährige Großes schaffen". Hamburger Abendblatt. 7 April 2007. Accessed 1 May 2007. and she eventually became a German citizen in June 2008.Hamburg. Hamburger Abendblatt. 16 June 2008. Accessed 26 June 2008. She applied for dispensation to be allowed to retain her Armenian citizenship. Kentikian lived with her family in an apartment near her Hamburg boxing gym.
Amateur career
Kentikian discovered her enthusiasm for boxing when she was twelve years old after accompanying her brother to his boxing training. She started with regular training herself and stated that boxing had allowed her to forget the difficulties of her life for a short time: "I could let everything out, my whole energy. If you have so many problems like our family, you need something like that."
Kentikian won the Hamburg Championships for juniors from 2001 to 2004.Susianna Kentikian | Portrait. Kentikian.de. Accessed 17 April 2008. She also won the Northern German Championships for juniors in 2003 and 2004, and in October 2004, she had her biggest amateur success by winning the International German Women's Amateur Championships in the featherweight division for juniors. Kentikian found it increasingly difficult to find opponents in the amateur ranks, as few boxers wanted to face her, and her status as an asylum seeker did not allow her to box outside Hamburg.Susi Kentikian. taz Hamburg. 2 January 2003. Accessed 21 June 2008. Kentikian's final amateur record stood at 24 wins and one loss. She later blamed overeagerness for her single loss, having fought despite health problems at the time.Kötter, Andreas. ProSieben Fight Night – Interview mit Susi Kentikian. ProSieben.de. Accessed 13 April 2008. Her aggressive style and fast combinations, and her ambition to always attack until she knocked out the opponent earned her the nickname "Killer Queen"; she has often used the identically named song by the English rock band Queen as her entrance music.
Professional career
2005–2007
Kentikian was discovered as a professional boxer at an exhibition fight during qualifications for the World Amateur Boxing Championships. At the beginning of 2005, she signed a three-year contract with the Hamburg boxing promoter Spotlight Boxing, a joint venture of Universum Box-Promotion, focusing on young athletes. In future years, she was coached by Universum trainer Magomed Schaburow. Kentikian started her professional career on 15 January 2005, with a win by unanimous decision over Iliana Boneva on the undercard of Regina Halmich. Over the next 14 months, Kentikian won nine of her eleven fights by knockout. Her unusually high knockout percentage, rarely seen in lower female weight classes, began to draw attention. On 25 July 2006, she won her first championship, the International German flyweight title, against Daniela Graf by unanimous decision. In her first international title fight on 9 September 2006, Kentikian beat Maribel Zurita with a fourth round technical knockout for the WIBF InterContinental flyweight title; the fight was stopped when Zurita was cut over the left eyebrow.
In her 15th professional bout, Kentikian fought for her first world championship in Cologne, Germany, on 16 February 2007; it was also her first time headlining a fight card.Monheim, Gert. Die starke Susi – Boxen zum Überleben. Das Erste. 27 June 2007. Accessed 16 April 2008. She won by a ninth-round technical knockout against Carolina Alvarez, thereby winning the vacant WBA female flyweight title. Alvarez took unanswered punches in most of the rounds and was bleeding heavily from her nose, prompting the referee to stop the fight in round nine out of concern for Alvarez's health.Drexel, Fritz. Kentikian Stops Alvarez. East Side Boxing. 17 February 2007. Accessed 21 June 2008. Six weeks later, on 30 March 2007, Kentikian made her first title defense. Before a crowd of 19,500 in the Kölnarena, she fought on the undercard of an exhibition bout between comedian Stefan Raab and WIBF world champion Halmich. Kentikian beat María José Núñez with a third-round technical knockout. Núñez was knocked down in round two and Kentikian finished the fight one round later with a right cross followed up by combinations that left Núñez defenseless on the ropes, causing the referee to step in.Drexel, Fritz. Kentikian Destroys Anchorena. East Side Boxing. 30 March 2007. Accessed 21 June 2008.
Kentikian next faced Nadia Hokmi on 25 May 2007, in her second title defense. Hokmi, using her height and reach advantage, proved to be the first test of Kentikian's professional career and both boxers fought a competitive bout. While Hokmi started out slower, she managed to win several of the later rounds by landing repeated combinations. Kentikian won through a split decision for the first time in her career.Drexel, Fritz. Kentikian struggles to split decision victory over Hockmi. East Side Boxing. 25 May 2007. Accessed 13 April 2008. The fight was voted among the five "Top Fights of the Year" by WomenBoxing.com.Womens Boxing – WBAN Awards 2007. WomenBoxing.com. Accessed 18 March 2008. On 7 September 2007, Kentikian defended her title against Shanee Martin, winning by a third-round technical knockout. Kentikian controlled her opponent from the opening bell and the referee stopped the fight after Martin was knocked down from a straight right hand in round three.Drexel, Fritz. Kentikian Destroys Martin! East Side Boxing. 7 September 2007. Accessed 13 April 2008.
Following the retirement of long-standing WIBF champion Halmich, Kentikian added the vacant WIBF flyweight titles in her hometown of Hamburg on 7 December 2007. She met Hokmi in a rematch of their contest six months earlier. The French boxer again proved to be a tough opponent and the fight developed similarly to their first encounter. Once more, Kentikian had the better start, but Hokmi scored during the second half of the fight, again making the bout close. This time however, Kentikian was ahead on all three of the judges' scorecards, winning by unanimous decision.Susi Kentikian wins Halmich's belt. East Side Boxing. 8 December 2007. Accessed 21 June 2008. After the end of the year, Kentikian was chosen as Hamburg's sportswoman of the year.Hamburgs Sportler des Jahres. Die Welt. 5 February 2008. Accessed 13 April 2008.
2008–2010
Kentikian successfully defended her titles against Sarah Goodson by a third-round technical knockout on 29 February 2008. Goodson, who had fought almost exclusively in lower weight classes before, was overpowered by Kentikian and the referee ended the fight after a series of body punches in round three.Dower, Jim. Kentikian Destroys Goodson. Boxing News 24. 1 March 2008. Accessed 21 June 2008. In her next title defense on 10 May 2008, Kentikian beat Mary Ortega with a first-round technical knockout. Ortega, who had previously fought against well-known opponents such as Elena Reid and Hollie Dunaway, was knocked down twice by straight right hands during the first 90 seconds of the fight. When Kentikian had Ortega pinned against the ropes again, the referee stepped in shortly before the end of round one. The quick stoppage came as a surprise to many, including television commentator Halmich, who had expected a hard-fought bout.Schmidt, Erik. Kentikian Destroys Ortega. Boxing News 24. 11 May 2008. Accessed 21 June 2008.
In her next title defense on 29 August 2008, Kentikian met Hager Finer, Halmich's last opponent before retiring. Following a close opening round, the boxing match turned into a brawl and Finer scored during the first half of the fight. From round five onwards, Kentikian managed to take over the bout by landing the cleaner punches and she won by unanimous decision.Swiecznik, Sebastian. Zbik schools Carvalho, Kentikian beats Shmoulefeld Finer! East Side Boxing. 29 August 2008. Accessed 30 August 2008. On 5 December 2008, Kentikian faced Anastasia Toktaulova, the reigning GBU flyweight champion, although the GBU title was not on the line. During the uncharacteristic tactical fight, Kentikian managed to control her opponent from the middle of the ring in most of the rounds. The three judges all scored the bout in favor of Kentikian.Schmidt, Erik. Kentikian Defeats Toktaulova. Boxing News 24. 6 December 2008. Accessed 5 January 2009. In December 2008, she was named Germany's female boxer of the year for the first time."König Arthur" sticht Klitschkos aus. FOCUS Online. 18. Dezember 2008. Accessed 5 January 2009. In addition, she won the WBA Best Female Boxer award for 2007–08.The WBA congratulates 2007/2008 Award Winners. WBAOnline.com. Accessed 26 July 2008.