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| Born | Zion Hensley September 25, 2009 Youngstown, Ohio, USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | Flyweight Bantamweight | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Stance | Orthodox | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boxing record | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wins | 46 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Win by KO | 7 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Losses | 16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Zion Hensley is an American amateur boxer. Hensley gained national and international recognition as a multiple time USA Boxing national champion.[1] Zion has been trained by several coaches within her young career including former world champion Kelly Pavlik and Darnell Boone.[2]
Personal life
[edit]Zion Hensley was born September 25, 2009, in Youngstown, Ohio. Hensley attends Cardinal Mooney High School,[3] where she competes in track and field.
Amateur boxing career
[edit]Hensley began her amateur career at the age of 9.[4] Hensley has trained under former world champion Kelly Pavlik at Ghost Boxing[2] and has also worked with strength and conditioning coaches in the Youngstown-area athletic community. She has been associated with Youngstown-Salem Boxing Club earlier in her career.[5] Hensley has racked up several awards within her amateur career, including six USA Boxing national championships,[6] and a gold medal in the 2021 USA Junior Olympics. In early 2025, Zion was ranked 71st in the world in the bantamweight division and 46th in the world in the flyweight division.[7]
During the 2021 USA Junior Olympics,[5] Hensley defeated Eva Knight in the first round via unanimous decision,[8] defeated Marina Avalos in the second round[9] and took home a gold medal with a win against Zaydi Cabagua in the finals in July 2021.[10] A few months later in December 2021, Hensley defeated Mia Garcia, the no. 2 ranked fighter in the U.S. at the time, via unanimous decision to win the 90lb USA Boxing national championship.[11]
During the 2022 USA Boxing national championships, Hensley earned a silver medal. Falling to Guadalupe Ruiz.[12]
In 2023, Hensley competed in the 2023 USA Boxing National Qualifier, earning gold and becoming the first ever three-time national champion from the Mahoning Valley.[13] Hensley then went on to compete in the 2024 USA Boxing national championships, defeating Jazmine Gutierrez-Garcia via split decision, earning her 5th national championship,[14] and competed in the USA Boxing Junior Nationals the same year, defeating Marley Guerra via unanimous decision, earning her 6th and most recent championship.[1]
Hensley most recently competed in the 2025 USA Boxing national championships, being defeated by Sophia Martinez via unanimous decision.[15] In January 2026, Hensley competed in the 2026 The Golden Girl Championships and lost via unanimous decision to Tilly Haynes.[16][17]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Teenage boxing phenom makes history as six-time national champion two-time international tournament Gold Medalist". www.wfmj.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ a b Norris, Kelcey (October 29, 2024). "Mahoning County high school student ranked top female boxer in age group nationally". Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "Zion Hensley, a sophomore at Cardinal Mooney just secured another win in her USA Boxing match!". Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "Girl behind the gloves: How boxer Zion Hensley got her start". WKBN.com. 2022-12-11. Archived from the original on 2023-02-08. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ a b Podlaski, Danielle (July 5, 2021). "Valley boxer to compete in National Junior Olympics". WKBN.com. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "Zion Hensley wins 6th boxing national title". tribtoday.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "Hensley earns international ranking in bantam class". vindy.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "Valley boxer wins match at National Junior Olympics". WKBN.com. 2021-07-11. Archived from the original on 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "BoxRec: Bout". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "Canfield boxer Zion Hensley brings home GOLD from Junior Olympics!". www.wfmj.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ Podlaski, Danielle (December 10, 2021). "Valley boxer wins national championship". WKBN.com. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "Grassroots in the News - Dec. 15". www.usaboxing.org. 2022-12-15. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "Zion Hensley Wins Gold". FIGHT SPORTS. 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "Hensley wins 5th national championship in boxing". vindy.com. Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "2025 USA Boxing National Championships, Lubbock, Texas December 6-13" (PDF). Retrieved February 12, 2026.
- ^ "Golden Girl Championship". fin.boxerbase.com (in Hungarian). Retrieved 2026-02-12.
- ^ "The Golden Girl Championship" (PDF). Retrieved February 12, 2026.