’Ten thousand to one odds’: Viviana Ruiz’s incredible journey to world title shot

A decade ago, no one would train rookie boxer Viviana Ruiz. Now she’s fighting for a world title, having risen through the ranks with her mum in her corner, coaching her via texts from her boyfriend.

When she landed in Australia from Colombia 10 years ago, Viviana Ruiz was a university-educated telecommunications engineer who’d never thrown a punch in her life.

And at 32, she wasn’t really looking to start.

But after walking into a boxing gym to make friends, she quickly realised the ring was her true calling and ditched thoughts of white collar work to go all in on fighting.

A decade later, after too many ups and downs to count, a now 42-year-old Ruiz fights for the interim WBA flyweight world title against Maria Rivera (14-6-3) in Brisbane this weekend, with the possibility of an even bigger fight later this year.

This is her modern day boxing fairytale.

Viviana Ruiz is chasing a world title.

FALLING IN LOVE

After landing in Australia, Ruiz started boxing to find a community and test her limits.

Pretty soon she met, “This handsome English guy who came to the gym,“ she tells CODE Sports.

“I asked him to train me.”

That Aussie-based English boxer was Ben Savva, who went on to an 11-2 professional record.

“He said he wouldn’t train me,” Ruiz laughs now. “He said he didn’t want to train women.”

It took a few weeks of badgering before Savva finally relented.

“That’s completely true,” he admits. “I don’t mind telling people this now, because she’s changed my views, but back when I was boxing, the girls in the gym were only there to flirt with the boxers – they were more a hindrance than anything.

“That’s the impression I had.”

Ruiz eventually persuaded Savva to train her. Picture: Supplied

Savva began training Ruiz, and ironically, they became a couple as well.

“She said, ‘I want to become a world champion’, and we started this journey together,” he says. “We still debate whether we were a couple first, or whether I was her coach first.

“We still don’t know.”

FAST-TRACKED

Coming into the sport so late, Ruiz couldn’t afford to take her time.

So Savva had her travelling all over Australia, taking tough fights, winning a few, losing some and learning more.

After six years in the amateurs, she went professional, and the same approach applied.

She won her first pro bout, and lost her second, but soon found it nearly impossible to get opponents in Australia.

That’s when Savva came up with a crazy plan.

“He said, ‘Take all the savings, I’ll stay here in Australia, you go back home to Colombia and come back when you’ve got a ranking,” Ruiz says. “So I left.

“I didn’t have a return flight, I was my own trainer, my own manager.”

Collecting belts. Picture: Supplied

Ruiz had four fights and four wins in three months in tiny arenas from Bogota to Medellin.

Making it up as she went along, her mum cornered her, and sometimes she had to ask other coaches or boxers to wrap her hands.

“We came up with this system of 10 basic instructions, and I’d watch a live stream and text Viviana’s mum, who was in her corner,” Savva remembers. “I was coaching her via text messages to her mum.”

Ruiz’s mum cornered her back in Colombia. Picture: Supplied

SETBACKS

Ruiz continued her rise after returning to Australia in 2022. But with her world title dreams in sight, she ruptured her Achilles.

Savva already knew she was built differently, but Ruiz’s reaction to the ground-shattering news that she could be sidelined for a year and lose her shot at a world title was further evidence.

“She cried for 24 hours and then a day later she’s got gym equipment set up at home and she’s back training,” Savva says. “You just can’t teach that stuff.

“You either have it or don’t.”

Ruiz adds: “I was supposed to only be going back to full training about now, but I’ve had two fights already.

“I was training in a moon boot until two weeks before my first fight back.”

A ruptured Achilles nearly derailed her dream. Picture: Supplied

ALL THE BELTS

Ruiz’s world title dreams can come true at Nissan Arena in Brisbane on Saturday night, and there could be more to come.

“The winner of this weekend’s fight will be the mandatory for Gabriela Fundora,” says Steve Scanlan, who is promoting this Saturday’s show. “We’ve been told it’s a fight that could happen later in the year.”

Gabriela Fundora is the undisputed flyweight world champion and younger sister of Sebastian Fundora, who beat Tim Tszyu in the bloodiest bout of 2024.

If Ruiz gets her shot, she’ll create history by becoming the first Aussie female to fight for an undisputed boxing title.

Promoter Lou di Bella (L), Ruiz and Steven Scanlan (R). Ruiz and Savva say without Scanlan, none of this would be possible. Picture: Supplied

“She’s good, but I feel like her other opponents haven’t had a game plan to fight her,” says Ruiz, who trains alongside the Moloney twins, Jason and Andrew at Undisputed Boxing in Tweed Heads. “We work on plans, we’re precise.

“I just have to get the job done this weekend.”

For Savva, who had plenty of experience preparing for his own fights, it’s a different vibe getting your partner ready for a world title fight.

“There’s so many setbacks that she’s had to overcome,” he says. “You can’t make it up, I’ve never seen anything like it. Odds makers would’ve given you 10,000 to one on this happening.

“If there’s any justice in the universe, Viviana will become a world champion this weekend.

“She deserves it so much.”

Originally published as ’Ten thousand to one odds’: Viviana Ruiz’s incredible journey to world title shot