Gloves On, Ladies
With women’s boxing now an Olympic Sport, controversy continues. NSW Boxing struggles to accommodate the fledgling sport despite the newly-found enthusiasm of female boxers at local gyms. Sportsgirls reporter CASSANDRA O’CONNOR steps into the ring with the 'for' and 'against' corners...
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WOMEN IN BOXING THROUGHOUT THE AGES
1720s
In London women were allowed to strike any part of the body with feet, hands, knees and elbows.
1876
Nell Saunders and Rose Harland fought for a silver butter dish, now considered the first women's match in the United States.
1904
Boxing was introduced at the 1904 Olympic Games for men, while women’s boxing was a display event at the third Olympic Games.
1954
Barbara Buttrick, one of the most famous women's boxers of all time, became the first female boxer to have her fight broadcast on national television.
1975
Eva Shain became the first female to referee and score a boxing match and the first female to judge a world heavyweight title bout.
February 11, 1979
The first all-female fight night.
1987
Former World Women's Lightweight Marian "Lady Tyger" Trimiar staged a well-publicised month-long hunger strike, losing nearly 30 lbs., to advocate the need for financial support for female professional boxers.
1993
USA Boxing recognised female boxers after losing a landmark court case in which they were ordered to support female boxing.
1996
Amateur Boxing Association of England voted in favour of lifting the 116-year ban against women boxing but age restrictions on young girls still apply.
1999
Muhammad Ali's Daughter, Laila "She-Bee Stingin" Ali made her pro debut and gained more media coverage for the sport than ever before.
2009
- NSW lifted a ban on women’s boxing which was legislated in 1986.
- Women’s boxing was announced as a sport to be contested at the London 2012 Olympics.
- NSW Boxing newsletter read: “All entrants for the Championships and the Team coaches should anticipate each will have to meet the costs of their participation in the 2010 Women’s (Elite) World Championships as none of BAI’s sponsors permit their sponsorships to support women’s boxing.”
ROUND 1: PRO BOXING
In the two months since the International Olympic Committee announced women’s boxing would be included at the London Olympics, there has been rising interest in the sport. “Already we have a girls-only sparring class with six to eight women regularly attending on a Saturday afternoon, and the boxercise classes have always been popular,” says Eddie Button, manager of Sydney gym Boxing Works.
In NSW, bans on female boxing were lifted and gazetted on October 1, therefore eradicating the last ban in Australia on the full contact sport. According to Button, prior to the new legislation women in NSW were able to find a few loopholes in the legislation. “Before the bans were lifted, females had to either compete interstate or under the proviso that it was a full contact traditional martial arts match,” he says.
Part of the problem has been the media’s unfriendly response. Button says women’s bouts have not been televised due to perceived unpopularity. “The media have never received women’s boxing well; too many people have double standards about watching ‘violence’. It is alright for men to [box] but for women it is described as horrific,” Button explains.
Button believes there is a misconception that boxing promotes violence, and that women are more prone to injuries than men in full contact sports. He suggests that “most of the girls who spar treat it more like a game of tag. That’s how it should be when you are training. No one is trying to kill each other.”
ROUND 2: NO BOXING
Secretary of NSW Boxing and boxing commentator Arthur Tunstall is more pessimistic about the fate of women’s boxing. He believes the IOC made a "terrible" decision. Tunstall doesn't foresee a large rise in the popularity of women's boxing, "because of the weight difference and the attitude of most women regarding boxing. It’s not as if they are clambering into the ring."
Men aren't the only critics. Columnist Tory Maguire expressed her views that the sport is too violent and aggressive on the opinion website The Punch. “The right to get in a ring and beat each other about the head is not exactly what I had in mind as a great leap forward for equality of the sexes,” she wrote.
There is also the problem of finding competitors who are suitable to fight. In the process of organising bouts for the NSW Boxing Titles, there are currently four women eager to compete. But their different weight categories may prevent them from being able to fight each other. Many fledgling sports face similar hurdles.
Well known for his controversial support for boys under the age of 14 being allowed to box, Tunstall is not willing to put his neck on the chopping block to advocate the same rights for women. "I have been lobbying the ABA [Australian Boxing Association] and the NSW Government for 12 years to allow boys under 14 to box," he says. "Girls are in the same position, but I'm not about to start advocating that when boys can't even box at a young age."
Despite these early set backs there may be hope for Australia’s newest athletes. Tunstall says that some women's boxing is already taking place in the international arena. "A few girls have already competed at the World Championships, but haven’t done any good because of their lack of experience,” he says. As the sport gains more national acceptance, perhaps there will be more opportunities and training partners for those girls willing to wear the gloves.
Tags: boxing; women; arthur tunstall; london olympics; tory maguire; gender; australian boxing association; nsw boxing
Related stories: The Double Life; Select Your Sex: Male, Female or Intersex?; Where Are All The Women?
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