Kali Reis facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kali Reis
Reis in 2024
Statistics
Nickname(s)	K.O. Mequinonoag
Rated at	Light welterweight Welterweight Light middleweight Middleweight
Height	5 ft 8 in
Born	(1986-08-24) August 24, 1986 (age 38) Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	27
Wins	19
Wins by KO	5
Losses	7
Draws	1

Kali Reis (born August 24, 1986) is an American professional boxer and actress. She is a former world champion in boxing, meaning she held important titles in different weight classes. In 2016, she won the World Boxing Council (WBC) female middleweight title. From 2020 to 2022, she held the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Organization (WBO), and International Boxing Organization (IBO) female light welterweight titles. She also competed for the undisputed female welterweight title in 2018.

In 2021, Kali Reis started her acting career. She starred in the thriller movie Catch the Fair One. In this film, she played a boxer trying to find her missing sister. Her performance was highly praised, and she was nominated for a special award for best female lead. Later, she also starred in the mystery TV series True Detective: Night Country in 2024.

About Kali Reis

Kali Reis was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on August 24, 1986. She is the youngest of five children. Her mother raised her and her siblings in East Providence. Kali has Cape Verdean heritage and is part of the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe. Her mother gave her the name Mequinonoag, which means "many feathers" or "many talents." She uses this name in her boxing nickname, "K.O. Mequinonoag."

Kali was a very active child. She often played sports with the boys in her neighborhood. In junior high and high school, she was in the marching band and color guard. She also played volleyball, basketball, and softball. Kali started boxing when she was 14 years old. She trained at Manfredo's Gym in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. A Native American boxer, who was a friend of her mother, also coached her at home.

After high school, Kali studied criminology. She wanted to become a corrections officer for young people. She also learned how to fix motorcycles. She kept training at Manfredos Gym and Big Six Boxing Academy in Providence. Before becoming a professional boxer, Kali had a successful amateur career. This means she won many fights as an amateur, including the 2007 Rocky Marciano Championship.

Boxing Career

In 2012, Kali Reis had a serious motorcycle accident. This kept her from boxing for the rest of that season. But she came back strong in 2014. In November 2014, she won the IBA crown by defeating Teresa Perozzi in Bermuda. This win brought her more attention in the boxing world.

Kali also helps teach boxing to young people. She works as a trainer too. In April 2016, she won her first big world title in New Zealand. She won the vacant WBC World Middleweight title against Maricela Cornejo.

On May 5, 2018, HBO showed its first women's boxing match. It was between Cecilia Brækhus and Kali Reis. Brækhus won that fight. Throughout her career, Kali Reis won a total of 19 fights. Five of these wins were by knockout.

Acting Career

Kali Reis became involved in the movie Catch the Fair One because of her work helping the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement. The filmmaker, Josef Kubota Wladyka, learned about her advocacy. He asked her to help write the story and star in a movie about this important topic. Catch the Fair One was first shown in June 2021 at the Tribeca Film Festival. Both the movie and Kali's first acting performance received great reviews.

Kali was also cast in a 2023 film called Asphalt City. In this movie, she acted alongside famous actors like Sean Penn and Tye Sheridan.

In June 2022, it was announced that Kali Reis would be a main star in True Detective: Night Country. This is the fourth season of HBO's crime series. Kali starred with Jodie Foster as a detective. They investigated the disappearance of eight men from a research station in Alaska. They also looked into how this might be connected to an earlier murder of a young woman.

Awards and Honors

For her role in Catch the Fair One, Kali Reis won the Jury Award for Best Actress in 2021. This was at the Newport Beach Film Festival. She was also nominated for Best Female Lead at the 37th Independent Spirit Awards. In 2024, Kali Reis made history. She became the first Native American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for acting. She was nominated for her work in True Detective.

In February 2022, Kali Reis was honored for her achievements as an athlete. She was also recognized for mentoring young people. She was inducted into the North American Indigenous Athletic Hall of Fame. In the same year, she received the "Misty Upham Award" at the Red National International Film Festival. She was also given a special key to the City of East Providence. On March 28, 2024, the Rhode Island House of Representatives gave Kali Reis the Community Hero Award. This was for her strong support of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls movement. The award said: "She needed a hero, so she became one."

Personal Life

Kali Reis is a strong supporter of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) movement. She is married to Brian Cohen, who is a retired professional boxer.

Professional Boxing Record

Film and Television Roles

Movies

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2021	Catch the Fair One	Kaylee	Also helped write the story
2023	Asphalt City	Nia
2025	Rebuilding		Post-production (means it's being finished)
2026	Mercy		Post-production
TBA	Wind River: The Next Chapter		Post-production

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

TV Shows

See also

• List of female boxers