New Zealand’s Boxer: Geovana Peres

Geovana De Cassia Peres was born in Brazil, and is a citizen of New Zealand, with a pro record of 8-1-0 (1KO), having her last fight in 2019.  She had three (3) Amateur bouts, and in Kickboxing she has a 2-1-0 record.

Titles held:

2016 New Zealand North Island Golden Gloves Gold medalist
New Zealand National (NZNBF version) Light Heavyweight Title
New Zealand National (PBCNZ version) Light Heavyweight Title
WBO World Light Heavyweight title

Background of Geovana Peres:

Geovana Peres began her boxing career at the age of 38 in 2015 when she fought in a fundraising boxing event for Canteen (Kids Cancer Foundation). She would fight in another charity bout before moving to Amateur boxing to win 2016 New Zealand North Island Golden Gloves Gold medal. She would turn pro in 2017 when she suffered her one and only loss against Sarah Long.

In the same year she debuted in 2017, she made history where she became the first ever LGBT person to win the New Zealand National Professional title. She would again make history when she became the first ever person to win two different New Zealand National Professional titles (from two different commissioning bodies).

In 2018 she began her two fight rivalry with Lani Daniels (who now is the IBF World Heavyweight champion).

Geovana Peres would successfully defeat Lani Daniels on both occasions with the first fight for a New Zealand title defence and the Second fight in 2019. In the 2019 fight, Geovana would win the WBO Light Heavyweight title making history on so many levels.

She became the second female New Zealand citizen to win a world title, first LGBT person to represent New Zealand to win a major world title, first Brazilian female to win a world boxing title above the 66 kgs weight division, the first Light Heavyweight world champion from either WBA, WBO, WBC, IBO and IBF and finally the fourth ever Light Heavyweight World champion with the first being Valerie Mahfood (1999, WIBF, IWBF), Ann Wolfe (2004, IBA, WIBA), and Ijeoma Egbunine (2005, WBE, WIBF).

At the end of 2019, Geovana Peres successfully defended her world title against number 1 ranked heavyweight boxer Claire Hafner, gaining Geovana’s first stoppage win. In 2020, Geovana Peres was scheduled to fight Savvanah Marshal to defend her world title, however, due to the Covid 19 Pandemic, the fight never took place. On January 2021, Geovana Peres retired from Professional boxing.

She would fight as a kickboxer for 2 years, winning the WMC New Zealand Heavyweight Title and Fau Vake Warrior’s Heart Memorial Shield before retiring from combat sports in 2022. Today at the age of 46 she still is an active sparring partner for many amazing boxers including World Champion Lani Daniels, Alrie Meleisea, Troy Garton and many more.

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Benjamin Watt