Posted on 03/07/2024
The distaff side rarely disapppoints on Boxing Insider’s shows at Sony Hall, and on Thursday night, the six-rounder between New Yorkers Chiara Dituri and Jaica Pavilus should be no exception. In fact, it could supply an extra treat, as “Speedy” is getting her toughest career test…. by far.
We hope you can come, but in case you can’t, the bout, as well as the others on the May 7 card, are available LIVE and on demand on Boxing Insider’s streaming platform.
CHIARA DITURI (Weight: 127-1/2)
The 29-year-old Chiara Dituri, who is known as “Speedy,” resides in Brooklyn and sports a record of 7-0 with three KO’s.
She comes from the world of martial arts, where she has been a practitioner since the age of six. Her area of expertise was karate, and specifically point karate, where she explains that she competed at an international level. But boxing offered better rewards. She told Boxing Insider, “I wanted to challenge myself to a higher degree, turning pro in boxing and winning a world title is exactly that.”
She began her profressional journey with a four-round decision over Claudia Vargas Ramirez in Mexico, scoring a shutout on two of the judges’ scorecards.
She’s been the six-round distance once, winning a majority decision over Michelle Cook to capture the American Boxing Federation USA Super Featherweight crown in Queens in February 2022. But then she had to take a break due to injuries, and was out for 17 months. She said she turned to God and told him that if He gave her another chance, she would be a completely different, more dedicated boxer – mentally, physically and spiritually. “A completely different Speedy,” as she put it.
So we’re looking forward to that.
Dituri won a four-round decision over Julie Metzner last time out, and that was back in August.
Even though she’s had only seven fights, she’s already compiled quite the travel log, competing in three different countries thus far.
Checking IMDB, she’s acted in two movies – Blood Mixed (2019) and The Genesis Project (2014).
She takes a very fresh, philosophical attitude toward boxing.“There’s something beautiful at the end of struggle and suffering. Something rewarding. And that’s what I chase.”
When she’s not boxing, Chiara is a high school teacher. And there’s no doubt she is passing along some valuable life lessons to her students.
JAICA PAVILUS (Weight: 127)
Jaica “The Hitmaker” Pavilus (3-6-1, 1 KO) is a tricky veteran who hopes to provide a dfficult opposition for undefeated Chiara “Speedy” Dituri at Sony Hall on Thursday night.
Pavilus is a native of Port-au-Prince, Haiti who now calls New York her home.
One thing you can say she has that Speedy doesn’t is an amateur background. Pavilus made it to the finals of the 2019 New York Golden Gloves and also to the semi-finals of the 2019 USA Eastern Elite Qualifier semi-final.
She began her pro career with three losses in her first four bouts, but she was not stopped. In fact, she has never been beaten inside the distance in her pro career.
She may be one of the few female pros who has fought three-minute rounds, having done so in August of 2021, when she boxed to a four-round draw with undefeated (8-0) Amanda Pavone. That bout took place in New Hampshire.
She has not fought since June 2022, when she lost a six-round decision in California to Aida Satybaldinova. That was the only fight in her last six in which she was not facing someone with an unbeaten record. All three of her wins have come against undefeated fighters (okay, one of them was a pro debut). But the point is, she is absolutely at home with opponents who have a spotless mark. And she is also used to fighting opponents that are much bigger than Chiara “Speedy” Dituri.
Perhaps her most notable win came in February 2022, when she scored a majority six-round decision victory over Miranda Reyes, who just one month ago fought for the IBO world lightweight title at the Wembley Arena (in the UK).
Pavilus has also kept herself busy fighting one-round bouts in Team Combat League (putting together a 6-3 record).
Pavilus has a tendency to keep her hands a little low, but she is quick and ready to counter an opponent, particularly one that doesn’t have a world of experience.
Tickets are priced at $150, $200 and $325, and are available at Ticketweb (https://www.ticketweb.com/event/boxing-insider-live-professional-boxing-sony-hall-tickets/13430053). Sony Hall is located at 235 W 46th Street in Manhattan.
For those who can’t experience the event at Sony Hall, the March 7 show will be shown, free of charge, LIVE and on-demand on BoxingInsider’s steaming platform (https://videos.boxinginsider.com).