Patrick Kinigamazi (born 2 March 1983) is a Rwandan former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2020. He held the African lightweight title in 2016 and the WBF super featherweight title from 2017 to 2020.
Early life Kinigamazi was born on 2 March 1983 in Gisenyi, Rwanda, and moved to Switzerland in at the age of fifteen to join family in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. After beginning in combat sports when he was seventeen, he followed his brother into a boxing ring and joined Club pugilistique de Carouge (CP Carouge).
During his early years as a pro boxer he also competed in kickboxing, winning two World and four European titles. On 2 May 2010, he won the WKN full-contact world featherweight title from Gary Hamilton, ending his seven-year reign as champion. Kinigamazi later called it his toughest fight.
Kinigamazi also played basketball with Bernex Geneve Basket.
Professional career Kinigamazi made his professional boxing debut on 29 June 2006, defeating Rocco Cipriano by fifth-round technical knockout in Carouge. He won his first title in his seventh fight, a split decision victory over Martino Ciano for the vacant Swiss lightweight title. After a streak of 16 wins to start his pro career he lost his first bout in 2011 to future European super featherweight champion Guillaume Frenois. A year later he suffered his second defeat at the hands of another Frenchman, Sebastien Cornu.
On 18 November 2016, more than nine years after his last championship fight, he beat Spanish-based Congolese fighter Clark Telamanou for the vacant African lightweight title via majority decision with the scorecards reading 96–94, 96–94 and 95–95. Two fights later, on 9 June 2017, a 34-year-old Kinigamazi defeated Juan José Farias unanimously (117–106, 116–107, 116–107) to win vacant WBF super featherweight title. He had four successful defenses against young contenders before he faced veteran South African Bongani Mahlangu in Geneva in his fifth defense, defeating the 2004 Olympian by majority decision on 12 December 2019. He was also named 2017 Fighter of the Year at the WBF Awards.
Kinigamazi was scheduled to fight Michael Magnesi on 6 November 2020 for the vacant IBO super featherweight title, but it had to be postponed after he tested positive for COVID-19. Three weeks later, Kinigamazi was stopped for the first time in his career. Magnesi knocked him down in the third round and again in the fifth to seal the victory. Kinigamazi confirmed that this was his last fight.
Kinigamazi had previously served as a promoter during his career, and continued in the role after his retirement. On 24 June 2021, he organized an event at the Salle Palladium in Geneva which featured the pro debut of Bryan Fanga, a Swiss prospect of Cameroonian origin who was seen by many as Kinigamazi's successor. It featured both pro and amateur bouts and was the first boxing event held in Switzerland in over a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Professional boxing record
ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes35Loss32–3 Michael MagnesiTKO5 (12)27 Nov 2020 34Win32–2 Bongani MahlanguMD1212 Dec 2019 33Win31–2 Martin ParlagiUD1028 Jun 2019 32Win30–2 Jordan McCorryUD1213 Dec 2018 31Win29–2 Ramiro BlancoUD121 Jun 2018 30Win28–2 Robert LakiTKO5 (12)24 Nov 2017 29Win27–2 Juan José FariasUD129 Jun 2017 28Win26–2 Ruben GouveiaPTS818 Feb 2017 27Win25–2 Clark Telamanou1018 Nov 2016 26Win24–2 Miguel GonzálezUD822 Apr 2016 25Win23–2 Sylvain ChapelleUD83 Jul 2015 24Win22–2 King DaluzUD821 Nov 2014 23Win21–2 Ryan Peleguer61 Nov 2014 22Win20–2 Francisco UrenaUD625 May 2013 21Win19–2 Zsolt NagyUD815 Feb 2013 20Loss18–2 Sebastien CornuUD61 Dec 2012 19Win18–1 Janos VassTKO2 (6), 6 Oct 2012 18Win17–1 Andrei StaliarchukUD810 Feb 2012 17Loss16–1 Guillaume FrenoisUD1226 Nov 2011 16Win16–0 Youness Laribi6 (8), 7 May 2011 15Win15–0 Zsolt NagyUD66 Nov 2010 14Win14–0 Argel SalinasUD103 Jun 2010 13Win13–0 Danys DíazUD1027 Nov 2009 12Win12–0 Mario HayesUD813 Nov 2009 11Win11–0 Samir BoukraraUD614 Feb 2009 10Win10–0 Roman RafaelTKO2 (8), 1 Jun 2008 9Win9–0 Ruddy EncarnaciónUD68 Feb 2008 8Win8–0 Omar KrimUD615 Nov 2007 7Win7–0 Martino Ciano1030 Sep 2007 6Win6–0 Mickaël GomardUD615 Mar 2007 5Win5–0 Nicolas FargetteUD62 Mar 2007 4Win4–0 Frederic GossetUD616 Feb 2007 3Win3–0 Nicolas FargetteUD626 Oct 2006 2Win2–0 Franck Aiello616 Sep 2006 1Win1–0 Rocco Cipriano5 (6), 29 Jun 2006
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