Women-less Boxing in the USA
When there are so many great women boxers living and training in the United States, why are most of the good women’s fights happening elsewhere? What is it about the American culture that acknowledges a sport but ignores the women who partake in it? What does that say about us?
There are a few top promoters who do support women’s boxing. Some, like Burchfield and Goossen Tudor, had women under contract before the non gender sanctioning bodies got involved. Others, like Fresquez, have built stars by creating hometown heroes. These are the exception.
Many of our best and most talented women have to travel to Mexico or Europe to find decent pay, media attention and meaningful title matches. Even Japan, a country that came late to game, televises and honors their women boxers. What’s wrong here?
The major television networks in the US have ignored there own athletes for years. When I supervised Laila Ali’s World Title fight at MSG, they showed a rerun of the Mayweather fight instead. HBO will tell you that it was because her opponent wasn’t tough enough. Really? Well, the male World Title fight that followed was over in a few rounds. So, that excuse doesn’t hang true. Not when an executive from another network said to me, “Jill, do you really want to see women on TV hitting each other?” “No,” I answered. “I want to see two skilled athletes fight.”
This is an issue that we’ve been struggling with for a number of years. Will the Olympics help? I hope so. Validation always helps. It’s not the cure, though. Not when boxing itself is designated a third rate spot on TV during the Olympic Games.
Women’s Belts? For years they were the only belts the women could fight for. I, however, am not a separatist. A belt is only as good as it’s history, and most women want the belt that Ali wore. They deserve that that opportunity. Our goal is to see good women and men’s fights on the same card. Like the WBC Super Flyweight women’s title fight tonight – It’s the main event, it’s televised and it’s sold out. When a good fight starts, the public seems to fly past gender into the match itself. Like I’ve been know to say, ad nauseam, there shouldn’t be women’s boxing – just good boxing and bad boxing.
I was told by John Campi, who runs the Golden Gloves for the NY Daily News that when it comes to women’s boxing, in the USA it breaks down this way:
Men over 50 – They generally don’t like it
Men between 35 and 50 – They are ambiguous.
Men under 35 – Burn baby, burn – they are 100% for it.
So, we either wait it out, and hope that boxing doesn’t disappear altogether in the interim; or we work together to try and change the perception about women’s boxing and market it better.
The promoters are only a reflection of what the public wants, or what they think the public wants. I say, we are a few great fights and few great stars from making this work. Step by step, we are moving forward. But oh, so slowly.
America, respect your women athletes. They will only make you proud!
An interesting response from Molly McConnell:
I read your article on women’s boxing in the US and why so many women’s fights are taking place elsewhere. One of the reasons, in my opinion, is that a lot of promoters will use women on their cards but for a limited time. I was fighting regularly for a promoter here in the northwest who does a lot of women’s fights. But when you get to the stage of your career when you are past the 4 or 6 round stage, they drop you and move on to someone less experienced. That way they don’t have to pay money for title fights ect. There are a few exceptions of course, but not too many. Most of the women’s fights in the US are 4 or 6 rounds in length and it’s like pulling teeth to try to get them to do a title fight. In Eurpoe, they seem to put more money and effort into their women, but once they have the titles, they do everything they can to protect them.