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I
found out about female boxing
when I watched the news one day in October of 1975. They were
broadcasting the results of a female bout that had just taken place the
night before between boxers, Caroline Svendsen,
34, and Jean Lang, 35. The news revealed that the fight was the first sanctioned female bout in the State of
Oregon. When they reported that the women were paid to fight, it immediately
hit me that I was actually paying to fight in karate tournaments! The next day, I started
calling around to the boxing gyms to find out how a person would go about becoming a
boxer. I ended up talking to a guy who managed fighters. He immediately
volunteered to take me under his wing as a manager. Little did I know,
my
newly-found manager did not appear to have my interest at heart.
He told me
that he would get me a fight with a girl by the name of Theresa
"Red Star" Kibby. He said that Kibby had never had a fight, had
been only boxing casually for two years and was not in very good shape.
It was quite a publicity gimmick--female black belt against female
boxer. The news media went into a frenzy about the match and did several
feature stories about the upcoming fight. There was quite a bit of hype over
the whole ordeal. My newly-found "manager" never even bothered to
get me a boxing trainer. He let me continue to train at my karate
school with my karate instructor---no boxing ring, no proper boxing
equipment—nothing. The fight was set to go on February 12, 1976, four months from the
date it was scheduled.
Two
days before my fight, I began to read newspaper articles in the local papers
about my opponent's background. I quickly found out that Kibby had not been boxing
for two years---she had been boxing for close to thirteen years with her two brothers, who
were also professional boxers. In fact, one of the brothers was listed
on the same boxing card as Kibby and me.
After I got over
the shock of the unexpected information, I immediately called my manager to
find out why he had not told me the truth. He tried to calm my fears.
He then
"sprung" another new piece of information on me. He told me that the fight
would be four three-minute rounds, not two-minute rounds as originally agreed upon. I
quickly figured out that "he was definitely the best man on their team."
Needless to say,
this was no "Rocky" story, and the bout was a disaster. The referee stopped the fight in the third round,
after I was too stubborn to fall down. What was unfortunate
for me and for other martial artists was that everybody thought that I would win
because of being a black belt. They did not realize that I had been duped, and by
taking away my powerful leg kicks, I was just a "bad boxer."
I did
recoup from my "not-so-great" start in professional boxing.
I moved
down to California to get into a boxing gym with a competent boxing trainer and
manager. I found a gym in Westminster, California, that World Welterweight
Champion, Carlos Palomino trained at. The first day I walked in, I approached one of
the trainers, and asked him if I could use the gym to train. He reluctantly
said that I could. I told him that I would start the following day.
The next day, I took my equipment to the gym and started warming up.
All of the male fighters completely ignored me. They walked to the shower area in their
underwear, acting like I did not exist. After about a half hour or so, one of the
trainers approached me and asked me if I wanted to go four rounds with one of their
fighters. I was eager to do that because I thought, "all right" they
are going to accept me in the gym. I put my headgear and gloves on, my
sparring partner got his equipment on, and we proceeded to spar four three-minute rounds.
This little fighter who was much lighter than me, probably a bantamweight, proceeded to
kick the wholly daylights out of me, even with a head gear on. I got body
punched, hooked, and who knows what else during those four rounds.
At the end of the fourth round, my body
felt like someone had just put me through a meat grinder. I was exhausted, and
shocked at what a beating I just took. Even though I was hurting, I went to my
sparring partner and shook his hands while still gloved up. I thanked him for sparring
with me, and told him that I would like to spar with him the following day.
Little
did he know that, THAT was the last thing I wanted to do!
The
next day before going to the gym, I dreaded having to face him again in the
ring. I knew that if I failed to show up at the gym that I would never save
face in the gym. I decided then that if I had to take a "licking" everyday
from those fighters, I would. I loved boxing that much.
The following day, I walked in the gym, ready to take my punishment. To my amazement, the
guy that beat me up the previous day was not there. I cannot even begin to tell you how
relieved I was, and I didn’t care to ask why he was not in the gym.
After about
a week of not seeing him though, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked one of the
trainers what happened to him. He proceeded to tell me that my "sparring
partner" was instructed to KNOCK ME OUT, and that when he was unable
to do that, he was too humiliated to return to the gym. I never saw that fighter again.
I trained for about nine months in Carlos Palomino's gym, and during that entire time, I
did not have one conversation with Carlos other than, "Hi and bye."
His
trainer did finally break down and say one thing to me. I was thrilled when he
called me over to the side of the ring while I was sparring with someone.
I
immediately went to where he was standing and he told me that he wanted to give me a word
of advice. He proceeded to tell me that if I could not "at least"
jog five miles a day, to quit boxing. Palomino's trainer woke me up with that
startling statement. I was running about three miles a day, but it was obvious to
him that it was not nearly enough. From that day forward, I added another three
miles on the road at night.
Even though I did receive a little notoriety
as a boxer, there were many setbacks in the 70's, during my boxing career.
One
of the major setbacks for me and other female boxers was when CBS made
an offer to me and other top contenders. They wanted to sign us for a one-year
contract, guaranteeing us three national fights, paying us $15,000, whether we fought or
not. They later withdrew their offer after the feedback from the public was
not well received after the CBS televised nationally a Welterweight Championship fight
between Teresa Kibby and
Lavonne Ludian
at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 16, 1977. What they didn't know
was that even though Ludian had the flu and was very ill, that she fought
anyway.
Another setback for my career, was when I was offered a fight with Lavonne
Ludian,
and her manager would not accept a rematch with me at the Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas in
1977. I had fought her previously in Lake Tahoe which apparently was her home
town. The fight was a draw, but some of the folks in Las Vegas thought I had won the
fight. They offered her $5,000, and $2,500 to me to have this rematch.
I decided to hang up the gloves after it
became obvious that female boxing was starting to die out. I went back to
college to pursue my dream of becoming a police officer. I worked different
jobs, until I finally was hired in 1990 as a police officer.
I also
pursued other ambitions, playing music professionally singing, playing keyboards
and bass guitar in various bands.
Other highlights.. Undefeated Full-Contact
fighter earning two Northwest Championships, 1977-1978; three
years amateur competition in Karate tournaments, with about 30 plus
entered tournaments, before boxing professionally. Earned black belt
in 1975; 1976-First woman in the State of Washington
to obtain a boxing license;
1977-First woman licensed in State of Utah; and 1976-First woman licensed in the
State of Montana. Ranked #1 in the world by the WBB and WBBA as a
welterweight (Champion spot was vacant); Ranked #2 Welterweight 1978;
Ranked #3 in 1977. TL
FOX'S RANKING
A Special Tribute to Fox's brother
Jim- Link
Life After Breast Cancer
Link)
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