Photos: Chinese boxer trounces stereotypes, depression to become ‘Queen of the Ring’

"I made it, my son!" screamed the 29-year-old dreadlocks-wearing Huang Wensi as she danced in the ring before her rival, Thailand's Jarusiri Rongmuang, from whom she snatched away the Asia Female Continental Super Flyweight Championship gold belt at the match in Taipei. As a mother, Huang is also a rarity within an already small circle of professional female professional boxers in China, relishing its intense nature despite traditional stereotypes that steer women away from such activities. And clinching her top title on her son's birthday last October made victory all the sweeter.

Updated on: Apr 03, 2019 11:52 AM IST

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Huang Wensi (R) in action during her final training session in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, China, before she headed to Taiwan for her Asia Female Continental Super Flyweight Championship match held in September 2018. The dreadlocks-wearing Huang is one of a small but growing number of women in China to embrace professional boxing. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi and her husband travel to take their son to their hometown where he will stay with his grandmother in Lianjiang while she prepares for her bout. Born in a small town in Guangdong, Huang started learning to box in 2002 after a coach spotted her potential at school. She joined a provincial team three years later, but retired in 2011, after an injury. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi and her husband Deng Peipeng rest while en route to Lianjiang. In 2015, she met the man who is now her husband and her son was born a year later. But after his birth, she suffered such severe depression that she was driven to contemplate suicide, Huang said. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi and her father argue over family matters during a dinner at home in Lianjiang, Guangdong province in June 2018. Due to a cultural preference for boys over girls, Huang's parents never cared much for her opinion, but her success as an athlete has improved her standing in the family. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi’s sister watches her train at a local gym in Lianjiang. Whenever she is at home, Huang Wensi trains by herself in a local gym. Her depression spurred a comeback as a professional boxer, after spending a few years in gruelling practice to regain her physique and strength, said Huang, who also works as a teacher in the coastal city of Zhejiang. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi and her husband Deng Peipeng spend time in their hometown. They spend most of the year apart because the couple work in different cities in China. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi takes part in a weighing session to make sure she fits the criteria for the super flyweight category in Taipei, Taiwan, ahead of her bout. Huang had received incorrect information about the weight limits, and was too heavy. She weighed in at 118 pounds, three more than the 115 pounds allowed. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi tries to work up a sweat to lower her body weight in Taipei. The tournament organizers gave Huang two hours to lose three pounds and drop below the category limit. If she failed, she would be disqualified. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi is interviewed by a local TV station in Taipei. “I’m the only professional boxer who is a mother in China,” she told them. “I hope more mothers will see this match. Besides family, they should also live for themselves.” (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi applies makeup in her hotel room before the match. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi and her assistant coach exchange a few motivational words before her match in Taipei. Huang’s coach said, “Don't think about winning or losing, fight for honour. Think about your family.” (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi fights against Thailand’s Jarusiri Rongmuang for the Asia Female Continental Super Flyweight Championship gold belt. Huang narrowed her eyes and swung her fists towards her opponent, delivering a series of sharp punches before the referee finally separated the two, who had been duelling for seven rounds. (Yue Wu / REUTERS)

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Huang Wensi celebrates her victory after the referee awards her a technical knock-out during the seventh round. After the victory, fans and friends surrounded Huang to celebrate her medal. “Don’t call me a king,” she said. “Please call me the queen of the ring.” (Yue Wu / REUTERS)