Which Moments Put Women’s Boxing on
the Map?
July 11, 2023
Women’s boxing has made great
strides in the last decade—and, in particular, in the last five
years. As any fan of women’s boxing knows, it’s been a long and
incredibly difficult journey to put the sport on the map.
Despite the fact that women have been involved in boxing for
centuries, social constructs slowed its evolution.
Despite this, there’s more interest in women’s bouts than ever
before—and more ways for female boxers to gain fame, respect and
a living from their profession. For example, the advent of
sports betting in the US has propelled interest in just about
every league and branch—including the WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC.
Offers like free bet bonuses from DraftKings
help sweeten the deal for first-time bettors. Those who may have
focused on men’s boxing in the past can now pivot to explore
women’s markets. In other words, it’s helped funnel even more
boxing fans toward women’s bouts. Despite a slow start, there’s
more interest than ever before.
But which moments helped get us here? Let’s explore some of the
biggest female events in modern boxing.
1996 Women’s Boxing Aired on
Showtime
Stretching all the way back to the 1720s, women have been a part
of the boxing world. At the time, women’s fights had different
rules from men’s, including permission to scratch and maul.
History remembers names like Elizabeth Wilkinson from this era,
billed as the ‘Cockney Championess’ for her prized victories.
But it wouldn’t be for another two centuries that the sport
evolved. During the 1950s, boxers in the UK began to stage
fights on a professional scale. However, official boxing
organizations resisted the incorporation of female
competitors—until one key fight in 1996.
Christy Martin took on Deirdre Gogarty in front of thousands of
remote PPV viewers. The fight was aired by Showtime and marked
the first major network exposition on women’s boxing. This fight
directly paved the way for subsequent advances, from the ABA’s
lifted ban on women’s boxing to the IBF’s first Light
Heavyweight bout in 2004.
2012 Olympic Games Admission
Throughout the early 2000s, women’s boxing made huge
strides—from the IBF title fight in 2004 to HBO headlining a
fight on a boxing card in 2005. But one of the most critical
points for change was when the International Olympic Committee
(IOC) officially added women’s boxing to its events in 2012.
The medal went to Nicola Adams of Great Britain, who took home
the very first gold while competing in London. Though women’s
boxing included only three events (Flyweight, Lightweight, and
Middleweight) compared to ten events for male boxers, the
matches were a hit worldwide, accruing millions of viewers.
2022 MSG Headlines Major
Bout
Few years proved as pivotal for women’s boxing as 2022. In May,
New York City’s infamous Madison Square Garden opened its doors
to headline its very first women's
boxing bout. The fight
saw Puerto Rico’s Amanda Serrano against Ireland’s Katie Taylor.
The result was a ten-round bout that saw Taylor win by split
decision.
The fight was easily one of the toughest for Taylor, who now has
a global following. She remains undefeated after the MSG bout
and maintains her WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles. However, many
of Serrano’s fans are waiting on a rematch—one that seems to be
on the cards already.
2022 PPV Launches to the Next Level
Later, in October 2022, women’s boxing saw its biggest turnout
in terms of PPV—at least on Sky Sports. The network reported
that over two million concurrent viewers tuned in for the bout
between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall. This makes it
not only the largest PPV women’s boxing bout but also the
largest turnout for women’s sports in general. Combined
viewership through Sky’s digital platforms was over six million.
The fight saw Shields take down Marshall to become the
Middleweight world champion. The bout was held at a sold-out O2
Arena and also made headlines for its PPV turn out.
[photo credits: Pexel.com]
