JoAnn Hagen: The Bashing Blonde Who Paved the Way Back in the 1950s, stepping into a boxing ring as a woman was almost unthinkable. Athletic commissions frowned, promoters sneered, and most of the public considered it a novelty at best. Enter JoAnn Hagen (Jo Ann Verhaegen), South Bend, Indiana’s own firebrand who refused to be sidelined. […]
Category Archives: Flashback Fridays
Flashback Fridays: Martin and Ali – Pioneers of Women’s Boxing Women’s boxing has evolved from niche exhibitions into a globally recognized sport, thanks to the trailblazers who proved that female fighters could compete at the highest level. Among those shaping the modern landscape, are the careers of Christy Martin and Laila Ali. Their influence on […]
Flashback Friday: Christy Martin vs Belinda Laracuente at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas March 3, 2000. For those that follow female boxing, the “Coalminer’s Daughter” Christy Martin needs no introduction. Arguably the first American female boxer to break through to the mainstream, Martin began boxing after participating in “tough women” contests in the […]
Five Landmark Dates in Women’s Prizefighting – A version of boxing has been around since time immemorial. There is evidence of it in the Middle East Before Christ. Records of actual prizefighting go back as far as the 16th century. But the boxing we recognize and know today, with its rules and weight divisions, began with […]
Jolene Blackshear vs Sindy Amador – In every fight, whether male or female, there are lessons to be learned. The winner, the loser and even the audience walks away with something new they can use in the future. It is certain the night of Friday, July 26th, 2013, at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, all […]