(JUNE 26) 5'7" super featherweight boxer Kallia "Pink Tyson"  Kourouni, 28 years old, of Athens, Greece, currently fighting out of Birghton Sussex, United Kingdom, is looking to make her next move in the sport to Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Kallia told WBAN about her background, "I am from Spartan specifically from Mani Peninsula also long known by its medieval name Maina or Maïna (Μαΐνη), and is a geographical and cultural region in southern Greece that is home to the Maniots (Mανιάτες, Maniátes in Greek), who claim descent from the ancient Spartans. Long isolated from the rest of Greece, the Mani peninsula is home to a clannish community that claims warrior heritage."

"When I was 7 years old, like my two brothers, we trained in boxing, wrestling and martial arts.  Usually only boys must learn all of those, but my father was a police officer and a world champion in Greco Romanian wrestling, and he allowed me to train with the boys," added Kallia.

So how did Kallia's training go at that time?

Kallia said that training with her brothers was like the "military".  That before school began early in the morning they would do their training, and then after school, they would train again!  She went on to say that the truth is that they give priority over training than school, but adds that she did well in school and had finished drama school and dance college.  When Kallia was only a mere 15 years old,  her father passed away.

Kallia,  a tough-as-nails boxer credits her strength and power to being an original Manios or Spartan saying that those people who are from that area are the toughest people in Greece, and that she in particular having those attributes fought all the time in the street.

"Unfortunately I was a difficult child and as a girl doing the same hard training as the boys----I was always making trouble.  But in reality, when I was doing that,  I was crying inside, from losing my father.  It was very difficult to control myself at that time and I didn't have the discipline," said Kallia.

Kallia said her mother was always disappointed with her as a young girl,  because Kallia would cause problems with her temper. Even though she was a good student, as her teachers could attest, they thought she was a good child with a bad attitude!  So needless to say there was a lot of drama in the home, when she was growing up.

Kallia recalled one incident in particular, when one evening three boys were messing with her bicycle, and it escalated to an argument---which led to her beating them up!  Someone saw this situation, and suggested that she start boxing.  Kallia said, "I responded with telling that person to go to hell---but that for some reason made it made me start thinking about it every day."

"My dad, when he was alive, had wanted on many times to make me a champion in wrestling or boxing like himself, and as like my  brothers who were champions in Greco Roman Wrestling.   But I didn't want to follow his footsteps and I only cared at the time to being an actress!  I liked to fight in the street, but at the same time, I loved to dance and acting!" said Kallia.

Kallia told WBAN that after her father's  death and many fights on the street, and never thinking of going to a boxing gym to train--after the incident with the three boys---she decided to go to the best coach in Greece, and started everything, with only 20 days of training, she took a professional K1 fight---losing the fight and it was the only one she did lose out of 50 K1 fights with 49 wins, in six months and taking the Gold Medal in the Boxing National Championship after this she fought more amateur bouts, including AIBA Tournaments.  She accumulated 31 amateur bouts, with 23 KO stoppages, with three losses. 

In an AIBA World Boxing Championship in Cyprus, a German manager saw her and encouraged Kallia  to try out for professional boxing, which he felt suited her best because of her strength power punching. 

During this time, she had an offer by a boxing manager from Germany to turn pro but she had a dream to try out for the Olympics---but that her country were in a economic crisis, and could not support her to go to the European championship to get the opportunity to win a medal to continue to qualify. 

Kallia did turn pro on November 1, 2014, in  Karlsruhe, Germany, winning against Ivana Mirkov, winning by a first round TKO in a scheduled four-round bout. Since making her pro debut, and has since won the GBU and WIBF Super Featherweight world titles. 

Kallia has gone from Germany to the UK, and now she is ready to make more accomplishments in Las Vegas!  She has signed with a new manager, Alessandro Gelke of Las Vegas. 

Kallia told WBAN that Alessandro has a lot of faith in me as a professional boxer with me having 12 fights thus far, at 10-2-0 (1KO). Kallia expressed her own thoughts that in reality one of her losses were controversial. But with that said, that she cannot look back, but to only look forward. 

Kallia's goal with her current manager is to be on TV Promotions, and that after she defeats fighters in her division in the super featherweight division, that she will go into more divisions.

"I want to have belts and good titles.  It is my dream.  I never had the opportunities to achieve my wishes and I hope now with my manager he can make my dreams come true.  I will be proud for myself to try hard and I am not weak!   I want this year to have my debut in a bare knuckle fight and MMA because as world champion in 2012 in USA in K1 and after world champion in boxing and many times national champion in wrestling that I have all the skills to go in MMA or bare knuckles," added Kallia.  

She said, " I am so excited without gloves to defeat others.  This will remind me of the old days before I began boxing.   MMA is so tough, and I think I will be a good fit for that sport but boxing is my priority."

I have big goals, but better not to tell them-----I don't like "words" but "actions!"