Belinda Laracuente

Belinda Laracuente (born 1980) is a women's boxing competitor from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, where she lived from 1989 to 1998. Her nickname is Brown Sugar.

Laracuente debuted as a professional boxer on 12 February 1997 in a match against Karen Nye, which Laracuente won.

On 10 October 1999 she reached a draw in four rounds with Jeanne Martinez. After winning her next fight, she went to Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where she was arrested the night before the fight for underage gambling. She spent a night in jail, and then lost a decision in ten rounds to Denise Moraetes.^{[citation needed]}

In her next competition, Laracuente beat future world champion Daniela Somers by a unanimous decision in Miami. After Somers went on to win the world title by beating Leah Melinger, Laracuente asked for a rematch, but she was denied by Somers' management.^{[citation needed]}

After winning three more matches, she faced Zulfia Koutdoussova, who she ultimately lost to on a split decision.^{[citation needed]}

Facing world champion Christy Martin at the Félix Trinidad-David Reid Pay Per View undercard, Laracuente lost a decision in eight rounds, in a bout that HBO Boxing commentator Jim Lampley said that he thought Laracuente should have won by 78 to 74 on his unofficial score.

After losing one more fight, she retired, but in December 2002 she announced plans to return into the ring, with hopes of getting a new world title chance.^{[citation needed]}

On 14 May 2005, she returned, losing a decision to Mary Jo Sanders, in Kinder, Louisiana. She later lost also to Layla McCarter.

On 8 July 2005, she fought Missy Fiorentino on short notice, losing a unanimous decision to the undefeated prospect.

In 2007 Esther Phiri defeated Belinda to become a world champion.

In 2008 she appeared as a defendant on The People's Court. She was sued by a one-time cornerman who claimed Laracuente never paid him for his services. The cornerman had sued for $2500 of her $7000 purse, plus an additional $2500 for embarrassment and threats, but was awarded only $350 by judge Marilyn Milian.^{[citation needed]}

Laracuente ended her boxing career on 22 June 2012, with a career record of 26-28-3 (9 KO's).^{[citation needed]}

She also appeared in an episode of Made when a teenager was being made into a boxer.^{[citation needed]}

Laracuente was inducted into the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2018.

• List of Puerto Ricans

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