Alejandra Marina Oliveras (; 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. She was the fourth of seven siblings and after finishing primary school she began working as a farm labourer. 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.
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.
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. 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.
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.
On 5 January 2012, Oliveras won against Jessica Villafranca by a knockout. The two were fighting for the vacant WBO featherweight world title.
On 19 April 2013, on her 5th defense of the featherweight title, Oliveras defeated Calixta Silgado in the fifth round by knockout. On 11 October 2013, she won the WBC Superkigero title against Lely Luz Flórez.
Oliveras lost her WBC light welterweight title on 15 November 2014, after being defeated by Erica Farias in a split decision. After this defeat, she ended her career with two victories, in 2015 and 2017. 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.
She was inducted into the Latin American Boxing Hall of Fame in 2024. In October 2025, she was posthumously named among the inductees for the 2026 International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame class.
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.
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.Alejandra 'Locomotora' Oliveras, la mujer que peleó dentro y fuera del ring, muere a los 47 años
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.
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.
Personal life and death Oliveras had two sons, Alejandro and Alexis, both also gym instructors who worked with her.
On 14 July 2025, Oliveras suffered a stroke, leaving her hospitalized in Santa Fe, Argentina, in serious condition. That day, she was to be sworn in as a member of the Santa Fe Constitutional Convention, which was beginning its sessions. She died 14 days later from a pulmonary embolism on 28 July, at the age of 47.El boxeo argentino de luto: murió Locomotora Oliveras a los 47 años
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes38Win33–3–2Lesly MoralesUD108 Apr 201737Win32–3–2Natalia del Valle AguirreUD617 Jul 201536Loss31–3–2Érica FaríasSD1015 Nov 201435Win31–2–2Lely Luz FlorezTKO7 (10)11 Oct 201334Win30–2–2Calixta SilgadoKO5 (10)19 Apr 201333Win29–2–2Dayana CorderoUD1023 Feb 201332Win28–2–2Paulina CardonaTKO4 (10)22 Dec 201231Win27–2–2Migdalia AsprillaTKO5 (10)14 Jul 201230Win26–2–2Diana AyalaRTD6 (10)9 Jun 201229Win25–2–2Simone Da Silva DuarteKO5 (8)13 Apr 201228Win24–2–2Jessica VillafrancaKO5 (10)5 Jan 201227Win23–2–2Roxana Beatriz LabordeUD611 Nov 201126Win22–2–2Liliana PalmeraRTD5 (10)12 Aug 201125Win21–2–2Alicia Susana AlegreTKO6 (6)13 May 201124Win20–2–2Pamela Elizabeth BenavidezUD69 Apr 201123Loss19–2–2Mónica AcostaUD1018 Feb 201122Win19–1–2Silvia Fernanda ZacariasKO5 (8)12 Nov 201021Win18–1–2Sonia Edith PaladinoUD824 Sep 201020Win17–1–2Maria Eugenia QuirogaUD618 Jun 201019Win16–1–2Antonina Ayala VazquezKO2 (6)10 Apr 201018Win15–1–2Silvia Beatriz LescanoTKO1 (4)30 Jan 201017Win14–1–2Natalia del Pilar BurgaUD106 Nov 200916Win13–1–2Adriana SallesUD1016 May 200915Loss12–1–2Marcela AcuñaUD104 Dec 200814Win12–0–2Michelle Larissa BonassoliRTD5 (6)7 Nov 200813Win11–0–2Maria del Carmen MontielUD811 Jul 200812Win10–0–2Adriana SallesUD104 Aug 200711Draw9–0–2Jackie NavaMD102 Mar 200710Win9–0–1Claudia Andrea LopezSD822 Dec 20069Win8–0–1Anays Cecilia Gutierrez CarrilloUD1013 Oct 20068Win7–0–1Jackie NavaKO8 (10)20 May 20067Win6–0–1Graciela BaezTKO1 (4)7 Apr 20066Draw5–0–1Betina Gabriela GarinoPTS424 Mar 20065Win5–0Betina Gabriela GarinoSD417 Feb 20064Win4–0Maria del Carmen PotenzaTD3 (4)6 Jan 20063Win3–0Silvia Raquel GervasiUD411 Nov 20052Win2–0Maria del Carmen MontielUD49 Sep 20051Win1–0Maria del Carmen PotenzaTKO2 (4)12 Aug 2005
See also List of female boxers List of boxing quadruple champions
References
External links
Alejandra Oliveras - Profile at Women Boxing Archive Network