According to this week’s Time Out, the first recorded women’s boxing match (at least in the UK) was in 1722, between Elizabeth Wilkinson and Hannah Hayfield, for a prize of three guineas. The event was held in Islington (probably away from the prying eyes of the authorities, I’d suspect) and Wilkinson won. (I couldn’t find a web reference.)
Yet after men’s boxing was legalised and regularised, women’s remained illegal in the UK, and was only legalised in 1996.
The first televised bout will be shown on Chanel Five on Friday September 29 at midnight.
How do I feel about it? Well I’m somewhat in two minds about boxing in general, but if the men can do it, there’s no reason why women shouldn’t.
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