Kali Reis
Born (1986-08-24) August 24, 1986[1][2]
Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Other namesK.O. Mequinonoag[3]
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Boxing record[4]
Total fights26
Wins18
Wins by KO5
Losses7
Draws1

Kali Reis (born August 24, 1986) is an American professional boxer and actress. She is a former world champion in two weight classes, having held the WBC female middleweight title in 2016 and the WBA, WBO, and IBO female light welterweight titles between 2020 and 2022. She also challenged Cecilia Brækhus for the undisputed female welterweight title in 2018.

In 2021, Reis made her acting debut as the star of the American thriller film, Catch the Fair One, for which she also received story credit. For her performance as a boxer endeavoring to rescue her missing sister, Reis was nominated for Best Female Lead at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards.[5][6]

Personal life

Reis was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 24, 1986[3][1][2][7][8] and is the youngest of five children.[9] She and her siblings were raised by their mother in East Providence, Rhode Island.[9][10] Reis claims Cape Verdean ancestry, and identifies as being of Native American descent, specifically Cherokee, Nipmuc ancestry.[11] She is a member of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe,[11] an unrecognized tribe in Massachusetts.

As a child, she attended and competed in powwows regularly.[9][12]. She has incorporated the name Mequinonoag, which she translates as "many feathers" or "many talents," into her boxing nickname, "K.O. Mequinonoag."[13][11] The name was given to her by her mother, whom Reis identifies as being "the medicine woman of our Seaconke Wampanoag tribe."[13]

Reis was an athletic child and often played rougher sports with the neighborhood boys.[9] She also was involved in her school's bands/marching bands and color guard, as well as playing high school volleyball.[11] Since junior year of high school she was active in basketball and softball leagues. She started boxing at age 14 out of Manfredo's Gym in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and was coached by a friend of her mother.[9][14] Reis later went to school for criminology and also learned how to repair motorcycles at MTTI.[10] Reis went on to continue her training at Peter Manfredo Sr’s gym to advance her boxing career.[9] Before going pro, Reis had a successful amateur career, securing the 2007 Rocky Marciano Championship, the 2007 NYC Golden Gloves, and the 2006 New England 154 Championship.[11]

Reis is an active supporter of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement.[12][15]

Professional boxing career

In 2012, Reis was involved in a serious motorcycle accident that sidelined her for the remainder of the boxing season.[14] However, she returned in 2013 and fought for the WIBA title in November of that year.[3] Reis gained further attention in the sport after the match.[14] On November 12, 2014, Reis won the IBA crown defeating Teresa Perozzi in Bermuda.[3][10] Reis also coaches boxing for youth and works as a trainer.[14] In April 2016, Reis won her first major world title in New Zealand against Maricela Cornejo for the vacant WBC World Middleweight title.

HBO broadcast its first women's bout between Cecilia Brækhus and Reis, on May 5, 2018, which Brækhus won.[16][17]

Acting career

Reis became involved in Catch The Fair One after filmmaker Josef Kubota Wladyka discovered Reis's advocacy for the MMIWG movement and asked if she would collaborate as a co-writer and lead actress on a film about that subject.[18] Catch The Fair One premiered in June 2021 at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film and Reis's debut performance received critical acclaim.

Reis was cast in Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire's upcoming film Black Flies, starring Sean Penn, Tye Sheridan, and Katherine Waterston.[19]

In June 2022, Reis was announced as the co-lead of True Detective: Night Country, the fourth season of HBO's anthology crime series. Reis will star alongside Jodie Foster as a detective investigating the disappearance of six men from an Alaskan research station.[19]

Accolades

For her role in Catch The Fair One, Reis won the Jury Award for Best Actress at the 2021 Newport Beach Film Festival.[20] She was also nominated for Best Female Lead at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards.[21]

Professional boxing record

27 fights 19 wins 7 losses
By knockout 5 0
By decision 13 7
By disqualification 1 0
Draws 1
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
27 Win 19–7–1 Jessica Camara SD 10 Nov 19, 2021 SNHU Arena, Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S. Retained WBA and IBO female light welterweight titles;
Won vacant WBO light welterweight title
26 Win 18–7–1 Diana Prazak UD 10 Aug 20, 2021 Sycuan Casino, El Cajon, California, U.S. Retained WBA female light welterweight title;
Won vacant IBO female light welterweight title
25 Win 17–7–1 Kandi Wyatt UD 10 Nov 6, 2020 Marriott Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. Won vacant WBA female light welterweight title
24 Win 16–7–1 Patricia Juarez UD 6 Aug 29, 2019 Foxwoods Resort Casino, Ledyard, Connecticut, U.S.
23 Win 15–7–1 Szilvia Szabados TKO 6 (6) 1:30 Oct 18, 2018 Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, U.S.
22 Win 14–7–1 Paty Ramirez UD 8 Jun 30, 2018 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
21 Loss 13–7–1 Cecilia Brækhus UD 10 May 5, 2018 StubHub Center, Carson, California, U.S. For WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and IBO female welterweight titles
20 Win 13–6–1 Tiffany Woodard UD 6 Nov 25, 2017 Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC, U.S.
19 Win 12–6–1 Sydney LeBlanc UD 6 Oct 19, 2017 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
18 Win 11–6–1 Ashleigh Curry MD 6 May 11, 2017 Mohegan Sun Arena, Montville, Connecticut, U.S.
17 Loss 10–6–1 Christina Hammer UD 10 Nov 5, 2016 Ballhaus Forum, Munich, Germany Lost WBC female middleweight title;
For WBO female middleweight title
16 Win 10–5–1 Althea Saunders UD 8 Jul 15, 2016 Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, Rhode Island, U.S.
15 Win 9–5–1 Maricela Cornejo SD 10 Apr 16, 2016 The Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand Won vacant WBC female middleweight title
14 Win 8–5–1 Victoria Cisneros TKO 1 (10) 1:31 Feb 19, 2016 Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, Rhode Island, U.S. Won vacant UBF female middleweight title
13 Loss 7–5–1 Hanna Gabriels UD 10 Oct 17, 2015 Estadio Edgardo Baltodano Briceño, Liberia, Costa Rica For WBO female light middleweight title
12 Loss 7–4–1 Christina Hammer UD 10 May 2, 2015 Sparkassen-Arena, Jena, Germany For WBO female middleweight title
11 Win 7–3–1 Teresa Perozzi TKO 3 (10) 0:51 Nov 21, 2014 Fairmont Southampton Resort, Southampton, Bermuda Won vacant IBA female middleweight title
10 Loss 6–3–1 Mikaela Laurén UD 8 Jul 18, 2014 Pabellon Municipal, Sedaví, Spain
9 Win 6–2–1 Marva Dash DQ 4 (6) 1:41 Mar 3, 2014 Irish Cultural Center, Canton, Massachusetts, U.S. Dash disqualified for excessive holding
8 Loss 5–2–1 Tori Nelson UD 10 Nov 7, 2013 Martin's Valley Mansion, Cockeysville, Maryland, U.S. For WIBA welterweight title
7 Win 5–1–1 Lyneisha Jefferson PTS 4 Jun 29, 2012 Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
6 Win 4–1–1 Marva Dash UD 4 Mar 9, 2012 Convention Center, Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
5 Win 3–1–1 Kate Aversa TKO 2 (4) Dec 9, 2011 Civic Center, West Warwick, Rhode Island, U.S.
4 Draw 2–1–1 Sarah Kuhn SD 6 Oct 28, 2011 Empire State Plaza Convention Center, Albany, New York, U.S.
3 Loss 2–1 Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes MD 6 Jul 9, 2010 Twin River Event Center, Lincoln, Rhode Island, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Aleksandra Magdziak Lopes UD 4 Mar 6, 2009 Memorial Hall, Plymouth, Massachusetts, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Betsy Rowell TKO 2 (4), 1:16 Sep 6, 2008 The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2021 Catch the Fair One Kaylee Also received a "story by" credit
2022 Black Flies
2024 True Detective: Night Country Evangeline Navarro
TBA Wind River: The Next Chapter Filming

References

  1. 1 2 "Kali Reis: Behind the Fighter". roundbyroundboxing.com. April 30, 2018.
  2. 1 2 "2 FEMALE BOXERS FIGHTIN THEIR WAY IN A MAN'S WORLD: SHELLY VINCENT AND KALI REIS - REAL COMBAT MEDIA". October 29, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Sam Laskaris (2014). "Native Boxer Wins Women's IBA Crown". Indian Country Today Media Network. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Boxing record for Kali Reis". BoxRec.
  5. ↑ D'Alessandro, Anthony (February 11, 2022). "ICM & Authentic Talent & Lit Management Sign 'Catch The Fair One' Boxer, Actress & Writer Kali Reis". Deadline. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  6. ↑ Gracewood, Gemma (February 14, 2022). "Fighting Spirit: Catch the Fair One's Many-Feathered Star • Journal • A Letterboxd Magazine". letterboxd.com. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  7. ↑ "Kali Active". TB Data. 2015. Archived from the original on September 26, 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  8. ↑ Gia Bolton (2015). "WHAT A KNOCKOUT: AN INTERVIEW WITH K.O. KALI REIS". Native Max Magazine. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved September 30, 2015.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Kali Reis Interview". Women's Boxing Archive Network. 2015. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 Dawn Karima (2014). "Native Knockout". PowWows.com. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Women's Boxing: Kali Reis-".
  12. 1 2 "Kali Reis: Everything - or nothing at all". February 4, 2021.
  13. 1 2 "Kali Reis". WBAN.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Girlboxing (2014). "K.O. Mequinonoag Reis: Exclusive Q & A Ahead Of Her May 3, 2014 Fight!". Girlboxing. Retrieved September 25, 2015.
  15. ↑ "Blackfeet".
  16. ↑ 🖉"Cecilia Braekhus outpoints game Kali Reis, remains undisputed welterweight champ". May 6, 2018.
  17. ↑ 🖉Mahmood, Zahid (May 2, 2018). "HBO's first televised female boxing match breaking 'the last barrier'". CNN.
  18. ↑ Feldberg, Isaac (February 8, 2022). "By Any Means Necessary: Kali Reis on Catch the Fair One | Interviews | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  19. 1 2 Andreeva, Nellie (June 28, 2022). "'True Detective': Kali Reis Joins Jodie Foster In Season 4 As It Gets HBO Greenlight". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  20. ↑ "2021 Awards". Newport Beach Film Festival. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Best Female Lead Archives". Film Independent. Archived from the original on March 5, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
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