Sumya Anani (born February 12, 1972) is one of the top fighters in the sport of women's boxing.
Anani, like many women's boxers, came to the sport in a roundabout fashion. While living in Kansas City in the early 1990s and working as a massage therapist, she took a course in self-defense. When she impressed her instructor with her athletic ability and powerful punch, he encouraged Anani to give boxing a try.
She entered professional boxing in August 1996, mostly fighting in and around Kansas City. She quickly made a name for herself when, in her fourth fight on December 12, 1996, her opponent Katherine Dallam suffered massive brain injuries during a fight that ended in a fourth-round knockout.
In her ninth fight, in March 1998, Anani defeated Andrea DeShong, a longtime rival of world welterweight champion Christy Martin. Then, on December 18 of that year, Anani faced Martin herself, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Coming into the fight, Martin was unbeaten in her last 34 bouts. However, Anani controlled the fight from start to finish and won a stunning victory.
The win over Martin propelled Anani into the top rung of women's boxing stars, and she won her next four fights before suffering an upset at the hands of Britt Van Buskirk on September 17, 2000.
While waiting for a rematch with Van Buskirk, Anani captured the IBA lightweight title from Liz Mueller in May 2001. Then, on October 20, she got the rematch and took a 10-round unanimous decision over Van Buskirk for the GBU welterweight title.
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