Patrick Kinigamazi
# Patrick Kinigamazi

Patrick Kinigamazi (born 2 March 1983) is a Rwandan former professional boxer who competed from 2006 to 2020. He held the African lightweight title in 2016 and the WBF super featherweight title from 2017 to 2020.

## Early life

Kinigamazi was born on 2 March 1983 in Gisenyi, Rwanda, and moved to Switzerland in at the age of fifteen to join family in the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. After beginning in combat sports when he was seventeen, he followed his brother into a boxing ring and joined Club pugilistique de Carouge (CP Carouge).

During his early years as a pro boxer he also competed in kickboxing, winning two World and four European titles. On 2 May 2010, he won the WKN full-contact world featherweight title from Gary Hamilton, ending his seven-year reign as champion. Kinigamazi later called it his toughest fight.

Kinigamazi also played basketball with Bernex Geneve Basket.

## Professional career

Kinigamazi made his professional boxing debut on 29 June 2006, defeating Rocco Cipriano by fifth-round technical knockout in Carouge. He won his first title in his seventh fight, a split decision victory over Martino Ciano for the vacant Swiss lightweight title. After a streak of 16 wins to start his pro career he lost his first bout in 2011 to future European super featherweight champion Guillaume Frenois. A year later he suffered his second defeat at the hands of another Frenchman, Sebastien Cornu.

On 18 November 2016, more than nine years after his last championship fight, he beat Spanish-based Congolese fighter Clark Telamanou for the vacant African lightweight title via majority decision with the scorecards reading 96–94, 96–94 and 95–95. Two fights later, on 9 June 2017, a 34-year-old Kinigamazi defeated Juan José Farias unanimously (117–106, 116–107, 116–107) to win vacant WBF super featherweight title. He had four successful defenses against young contenders before he faced veteran South African Bongani Mahlangu in Geneva in his fifth defense, defeating the 2004 Olympian by majority decision on 12 December 2019. He was also named 2017 Fighter of the Year at the WBF Awards.

Kinigamazi was scheduled to fight Michael Magnesi on 6 November 2020 for the vacant IBO super featherweight title, but it had to be postponed after he tested positive for COVID-19. Three weeks later, Kinigamazi was stopped for the first time in his career. Magnesi knocked him down in the third round and again in the fifth to seal the victory. Kinigamazi confirmed that this was his last fight.

Kinigamazi had previously served as a promoter during his career, and continued in the role after his retirement. On 24 June 2021, he organized an event at the Salle Palladium in Geneva which featured the pro debut of Bryan Fanga, a Swiss prospect of Cameroonian origin who was seen by many as Kinigamazi's successor. It featured both pro and amateur bouts and was the first boxing event held in Switzerland in over a year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

## Professional boxing record

| 35 fights | 32 wins | 3 losses |
| - | - | - |
| By knockout | 4 | 1 |
| By decision | 27 | 2 |
| By disqualification | 1 | 0 |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
| 35 | Loss | 32–3 | Michael Magnesi | TKO | 5 (12) | 27 Nov 2020 | Palasport, Fondi, Italy | For vacant IBO super featherweight title |
| 34 | Win | 32–2 | Bongani Mahlangu | MD | 12 | 12 Dec 2019 | Cirque de Noel, Geneva, Switzerland | Retained WBF super featherweight title |
| 33 | Win | 31–2 | Martin Parlagi | UD | 10 | 28 Jun 2019 | Théâtre du Léman, Geneva, Switzerland | Retained WBF super featherweight title |
| 32 | Win | 30–2 | Jordan McCorry | UD | 12 | 13 Dec 2018 | Cirque de Noel, Geneva, Switzerland | Retained WBF super featherweight title |
| 31 | Win | 29–2 | Ramiro Blanco | UD | 12 | 1 Jun 2018 | Salle bout du Monde, Geneva, Switzerland | Retained WBF super featherweight title |
| 30 | Win | 28–2 | Robert Laki | TKO | 5 (12) | 24 Nov 2017 | Salle bout du Monde, Geneva, Switzerland | Retained WBF super featherweight title |
| 29 | Win | 27–2 | Juan José Farias | UD | 12 | 9 Jun 2017 | Thônex, Switzerland | Won vacant WBF super featherweight title |
| 28 | Win | 26–2 | Ruben Gouveia | PTS | 8 | 18 Feb 2017 | Maison des sports, Annemasse, France | |
| 27 | Win | 25–2 | Clark Telamanou | MD | 10 | 18 Nov 2016 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | Won vacant African lightweight title |
| 26 | Win | 24–2 | Miguel González | UD | 8 | 22 Apr 2016 | Citroën Acacias, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 25 | Win | 23–2 | Sylvain Chapelle | UD | 8 | 3 Jul 2015 | Hotel Novotel, Monte Carlo, Monaco | |
| 24 | Win | 22–2 | King Daluz | UD | 8 | 21 Nov 2014 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 23 | Win | 21–2 | Ryan Peleguer | PTS | 6 | 1 Nov 2014 | Pabellón Central, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain | |
| 22 | Win | 20–2 | Francisco Urena | UD | 6 | 25 May 2013 | Salle Louis-Bertrand, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 21 | Win | 19–2 | Zsolt Nagy | UD | 8 | 15 Feb 2013 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 20 | Loss | 18–2 | Sebastien Cornu | UD | 6 | 1 Dec 2012 | Salle de Gymnastique du Bourg, Martigny, Switzerland | |
| 19 | Win | 18–1 | Janos Vass | TKO | 2 (6), 1:22 | 6 Oct 2012 | Villars-sur-Ollon, Switzerland | |
| 18 | Win | 17–1 | Andrei Staliarchuk | UD | 8 | 10 Feb 2012 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 17 | Loss | 16–1 | Guillaume Frenois | UD | 12 | 26 Nov 2011 | Arena de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 16 | Win | 16–0 | Youness Laribi | DQ | 6 (8), 2:20 | 7 May 2011 | Salle Louis-Bertrand, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 15 | Win | 15–0 | Zsolt Nagy | UD | 6 | 6 Nov 2010 | Salle bout du Monde, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 14 | Win | 14–0 | Argel Salinas | UD | 10 | 3 Jun 2010 | Salle Communale de Carouge, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 13 | Win | 13–0 | Danys Díaz | UD | 10 | 27 Nov 2009 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 12 | Win | 12–0 | Mario Hayes | UD | 8 | 13 Nov 2009 | Casino de Deauville, Deauville, France | |
| 11 | Win | 11–0 | Samir Boukrara | UD | 6 | 14 Feb 2009 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 10 | Win | 10–0 | Roman Rafael | TKO | 2 (8), 1:40 | 1 Jun 2008 | Ecole de Charmettes, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 9 | Win | 9–0 | Ruddy Encarnación | UD | 6 | 8 Feb 2008 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 8 | Win | 8–0 | Omar Krim | UD | 6 | 15 Nov 2007 | Salle Palladium, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 7 | Win | 7–0 | Martino Ciano | SD | 10 | 30 Sep 2007 | Salle bout du Monde, Geneva, Switzerland | Won vacant Swiss lightweight title |
| 6 | Win | 6–0 | Mickaël Gomard | UD | 6 | 15 Mar 2007 | Salle Palladium, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 5 | Win | 5–0 | Nicolas Fargette | UD | 6 | 2 Mar 2007 | Salle des Fêtes de Perdtemps, Nyon, Switzerland | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Frederic Gosset | UD | 6 | 16 Feb 2007 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Nicolas Fargette | UD | 6 | 26 Oct 2006 | Salle Palladium, Geneva, Switzerland | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Franck Aiello | UD | 6 | 16 Sep 2006 | Casino Lucien Barrière, Montreux, Switzerland | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Rocco Cipriano | TKO | 5 (6), 2:25 | 29 Jun 2006 | Salle des Fêtes, Carouge, Switzerland | |
