Beke Bas suffered bitter setbacks time and again in her career as an athlete. But the lightweight never gave up and continued to fight her way up. Now she wants to take the next step – and box for a world championship.
Her sporting journey did not begin in the boxing ring, but on the soccer pitch. In her youth, Beke Bas demonstrated her talent with the ball on her foot at 1. FC Köln and TBV Lemgo. “When I wasn’t training, I was playing soccer outside,” recalls Beke. However, a promising soccer career was abruptly cut short by a stroke of fate – she tore her cruciate ligament twice. Beke was then forced to look for another sport. “After the doctor said that I couldn’t play soccer anymore, I looked for a new challenge that required more strength,” she tells BOXSPORT. And “after the first boxing training session, I knew: this is my sport”.
Born in Lemgo, she has fought her way into the world elite of boxing with unwavering determination and great passion. Bas has been a professional boxer since 2015 and has had an impressive career ever since. The 30-year-old lightweight is undefeated and holds several titles, including the world championship belts of the International Boxing Association (IBA) and Women International Boxing Association (WIBA). Despite her long history of injuries, Bas has fought her way back time and again, proving her stamina and determination. “I’ve been boxing for ten years without an ACL. My knees are badly damaged, I have no cartilage left,” she says.
Rapid rise at the IBF
Bas has boxed her way from one victory to the next over the past nine years. And even if she hasn’t faced the big names yet, her fight record of 19-0 (8 knockouts) is impressive. The regular boxer doesn’t have a favorite fight, but she definitely remembers the fight against Clair Ciantar in 2018. “I broke my nose in the second round, kept fighting anyway, switched from infighting to distance boxing and won.”
In her last fight on June 22, the champion from Lemgo defeated South African Bonita van Jaarsfeld and secured the WIBA World Lightweight Championship title. “Amanda Serrano held the WIBA featherweight belt, that’s something to be proud of,” says Bas. This victory also saw her jump to first place in the world rankings of the renowned International Boxing Federation (IBF). However, if everything goes according to plan, she will not fight for the IBF world championship belt, which is currently held by Brazilian Beatriz Ferreira, until next year. “It looks like we’ll have the opportunity to fight for the IBF Intercontinental lightweight title at the end of the year, then we’ll see,” says the power woman looking ahead. She adds: “I’m really looking forward to it and hope to be able to fight for the world championship after the Intercontinental title. But there’s always a financial hurdle to overcome.”
In addition to her own career, Beke Bas is dedicated to training and promoting young talent. At the “Tosa Inu” sports school in Lemgo, she trains over 150 children and young people in boxing, kickboxing and Thai boxing. Her training as a curative and educational nurse helps her to integrate people with disabilities into sport in particular. Bas wants to remain active in this field after her active professional career. “In five years’ time, I still see myself in boxing, perhaps no longer as an active fighter, but as a trainer and head of the Tosa Inu sports school. I really enjoy working with the children and young people.”
Rest and relaxation at home
Through her work, the East Westphalian wants to further promote boxing in her hometown and absolute favorite city. “Everyone always associates Lemgo with handball. I want to change that,” emphasizes Bas. “I want people to say: ‘Ah, Lemgo! I associate that with boxing’.” What else she associates with her home town will probably bore most city kids. Because away from sport, the lightweight uses the small town of 40,000 inhabitants and its surrounding nature for “rest and relaxation”. This will certainly help Beke Bas on her way to a major world championship fight next year.
Text by Robin Josten