Websites
The movement to create parity between male and female professional fighters has seen significant advancement in recent years. Katie Taylor and Claressa Shields, among others, have worked tirelessly to push women’s boxing onto a larger platform and earn the respect it deserves. However, this fight for equality is not new; it has been happening for decades. Sky’s new documentary, Right to Fight, focuses on the women who laid the foundations for boxing as we know it today. The documentary, written and directed by Georgina Cammalleri, uses research and archive footage from former fighter Sue Fox.
The film delves into the stories of several women who overcame unimaginable obstacles in the 70s just to pursue their careers as fighters. One such woman is Pat Pineda, who endured an abusive childhood, early marriage, teenage pregnancy, and suicidal thoughts. Boxing became her refuge and a way to channel her inner rage. However, even in the ring, she faced abuse, as the documentary reveals how her manager hid threatening letters that targeted Pineda with rape and the death of her children.
Cathy Davis defied her family’s gender-based expectations and moved to New York to train as a fencer. When she approached a coach, she was rejected because he didn’t train women and even went as far as slashing her leg with his weapon. Davis turned to boxing instead and was assisted by manager Sal Alighieri. While other documentarians might have stopped there, Cammalleri skillfully highlights the privilege Davis enjoyed as a white woman, making her the face of women’s boxing at the time, unlike fighters like Pineda and Marian Trimiar.
Trimiar, from Harlem, had dreams of becoming a fighter from a young age, inspired by Muhammad Ali. However, she faced repeated rejections from gyms when she tried to pursue her dreams. To gain entry, she had to create business cards labeling herself as the “First Black Female Boxer.” Even when she gained access to the gym, she endured hazing from male boxers, including having a peephole drilled into the shower she used.
All of these women endured constant harassment and abuse from men, both in their personal and professional lives. Trimiar escaped from her violent husband when she discovered she was pregnant. Alighieri tried to force Davis into marriage, despite her being gay. Despite these challenges, they persisted, showing up at the gym, working hard, taking any fights they could, and refusing to be scared away from the sport.
The documentary concludes with a brief reunion of the three women and footage of Trimiar’s induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, symbolizing triumph. Their stories captivate viewers, showcasing the charisma and storytelling abilities of the women involved. This documentary is not only a must-watch for boxing fans but for anyone with even a remote interest in sports. Boxing has traditionally been a male-dominated sport, but we are witnessing a shift. The seeds for this change were planted by these women decades ago, and their stories deserve to be heard.
After watching this incredible documentary, it was disheartening to see ‘influencer’ Daniella Hemsley expose her breasts in the ring after winning her bout on the Kingpyn Boxing card aired on DAZN. Unfortunately, this is not the first time such incidents have occurred on influencer boxing shows. Incredibly, this act overshadowed the headlines not just on boxing sites but also in national newspapers. If you were to search ‘boxing’ on Google over the weekend, all the top results would have been about Hemsley’s breasts.
Eddie Hearn, asked for his opinion on the matter, expressed his distaste: “I hate it. We’ve worked so hard for women in boxing to be respected for their ability, for their merits, for their hard work. One thing we must understand is that isn’t boxing. That needs to be pushed. All that stuff – Misfits, Kingpyn. It needs to be booted so far away from professional boxing, and we really need to disassociate ourselves from what it is.”
It may seem ironic coming from Hearn, who played a significant role in bringing influencers into boxing, but his words ring true. Alycia Baumgardner defended her super-featherweight crown over the weekend and received far less coverage than Hemsley. This discrepancy is embarrassing.
Websites
The WBC continues to embarrass itself with its handling of Tyson Fury, who is set to fight MMA star Francis Ngannou later this year. While Fury’s “world” WBC title will not be on the line against Ngannou, the bout will still appear on his professional boxing record, according to MMA Fighting.
Despite the insignificance of their titles, the WBC has been discussing Fury’s status as champion and the opponents he should face for months without taking any concrete action. The proposal of a final eliminator between Deontay Wilder and Andy Ruiz has not materialized.
Similar to their treatment of fighters like Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez, the WBC seems to be allowing Fury to do as he pleases due to his financial value. If the organization had any self-respect, it would enforce its rules and ensure that Fury faces deserving challengers.
Boxing on the Box
July 21
Lee McGregor-Erik Robles Ayala
Channel 5
Coverage begins at 8pm
July 23
George Kambosos Jnr-Maxi Hughes
Sky Sports Action
Coverage begins at 1am
July 25
Stephen Fulton-Naoya Inoue
Sky Sports Action
Coverage begins at 11am