Women’s Boxing as far back as 1722!

Women in boxing since 1722.  In that year, Elizabeth Wilkinson and Hannah (Ann Field) Hyfield advertised they would box in London for 3 guineas; but according to some reports (not all) this match never took place in any event,  they did box (barefisted) in 1728) and Wilkinson  whose last name is now Stokes – won it.  Source/Hit and Miss Newsletter, 1977

London: First-staged women fights. The women would punch, use their feet and knee lifting/kicking to all parts of their opponents body. They also could maul, scratch and throw. This resulted in serious injury for either or both fighters. In other reports, in London in 1722 at the Boarded House, near what is now Oxford Circus, Elizabeth Wilkinson, the Cockney Championess, defeated Martha Jones.

While women’s boxing can loosely trace it beginnings to London in the 1720’s, throughout the ensuing decades, there were various exhibitions and scattered bouts until the 1950’s when several fighters, most notably Barbara Buttrick, JoAnn Hagen (Verhaegen), and Phyllis Kugler staged professional fights. The sport rekindled again in the 1970s thanks to the efforts of several important trailblazers. The 1970’s, in particular, were highlighted by many women’s boxing “firsts” including many states lifting bans for women to box; issuing “first time” boxing licenses, sanctioning boxing matches; and the various commissions approving more than four rounds for women’s bouts.