Women’s Boxing: Olympics 2012 - Here Come the Women?

By Jill Diamond: My name is Jill Diamond. I’m on the WBC Female Championship Committee. I’m Chair of the NABF Women’s Division and World Boxing Cares. I’m the ring finger in the fist of a large sanctioning body, one which is trying to make a place in the arena for women boxers. I’ve been with them since the beginning of this journey. We’re moving ahead, but slowly.

I take women’s boxing very seriously. More to the point, I take women athletes very seriously. So seriously, I give up about five hours a day, unpaid, to try and further their visibility.

Our snail’s pace doesn’t diminish the value of the ground we break; It’s hallowed; built on the bones of the greats before us; Jackie, Christy, Babe, Nancy… So what we do, all of us, is as important as anything else in sports; more-so than another forty yard goal or a three point shot.

When I mention women’s boxing some people respond, “Who wants to see women hitting women?” OK, but who wants to see men hitting men? “The point,” I generally reply, “is to be so good you don’t get hit.” It’s not a brawl, it’s a sport; a complicated dance to music heard only by the two people in the ring and their corners. Besides, I’m not here to defend boxing – I’m simply saying that if you like boxing – you have to respect the women; they’re Suffragettes in hand wraps.

It’s a tragedy that today’s women boxers may never be able to give up their day jobs, find suitable trainers, or make enough from their winnings to cover their medical costs. Many of the people in charge of this sport are out of touch with its economic realities; the television executives see women bouts as distraction; the match makers see women taking money from their purse; the promoters see a sure thing only when its 200 pounds stuffed in a groin protector. Funny, but I see the future of this declining sport resting on the muscled shoulders of these athletes, however, trying to convince the media to show them in primetime is like trying to put a bowling ball in one side of your nose to pull it out the other end.

So, when the AIBA decides to finally request women’s boxing for Olympics 2012 I am thrilled. No I am exalted. I spread the news through the internets, blogs, and mailings. You have a shot, ladies! Maybe, just maybe, right after women’s wrestling and weight lifting you will hear the bell in London. And now, the fight begins. Not whether or not women should go, but which women. And who will represent them.

Within days I receive enough mail to require a corporate laxative for my computer. The high is gone, and what’s left is a discussion, precedence in basketball, soccer and other main-stream sports. Professional? Amateurs? How will the decision effect the men’s team, which is composed of amateurs only? Everyone has a different opinion, and, unfortunately, they all make sense enough to further cloud the issue.

Of course, there are also women, like Christy Halbert, who want this discussion shelved until the fate of women’s Olympic boxing has been decided. Her concern is that any disparity in the community risks harpooning an already shaky ship. Given all the work that’s gone into this fight, it’s hard not to be sympathetic; however, the discussion is born of hope. How women are presented in this sport is critical, and almost as important as the ‘will they be presented at all.’

Therefore, since my views are considered ‘tainted’, I offer a sampling of what a cross section of the community, both pro and amateur, thought:

Question: If Women’s Boxing becomes a part of the London Olympics, do you think professional women boxers should be allowed on the Team?

“Amateurs today are awesome. They are on a new level and that is very exciting for female boxing. Having said that, women in the past who participated in "paving the way," had to LEARN how to fight AS A PRO. If I wanted to fight, I HAD to go pro. Even as a kickboxer, it was GO PRO or do not fight. I liked coming up that way. I believe it put me on the edge. I had to learn quickly. Being a "NEW" sport for the Olympics....we need ALL to go.” - Bridgett “Baby Doll” Riley, Former IFBA World Champion/Stunt Woman

“Compared to the men the number of participants in women’s amateur boxing is low. Women are not staying in the amateurs long enough to get 200 or more amateur fights before turning pro, primarily due to the lack of women’s bouts. Let’s face it the only women from the pro’s that will qualify will be the taller fast handed ones (with a couple exceptions). If the pros don’t get involved we will be sending some young immature girls to fight very experienced mature women. I say let the pro’s in and make it even.” - Dennis Hadesty, Boxing Coach/Mgr

“Women have fought so hard over the years (and rightly so) to have equal rights in boxing with men, so why should they now want to change that? Professional male boxers cannot enter the Olympics. Why should women professional boxers be allowed to?”- Gary Stetch, Former WBC International WW Champion/Actor

“Personally I am strongly against allowing professional female boxers to compete in the London Olympics for many reasons. First of all, the young kids need to have Olympic heroes in the amateurs, and that goes for males and females. Amateur females in the Olympics would bring more recognition to the amateur programs which feed the Olympians, and eventually the professionals. Boxing is boxing; forget the term "Women’s Boxing". It just so happens that the ladies have a lot to offer the sport, and that would only help the growth of boxing. But that fresh new look has to come from the fresh young amateurs!

“It must be taken into account that professionals are judged on ring generalship, effective aggression, and defense. Amateur boxing is a whole different style, and quite often it takes an adjustment of sorts on coaches as well. The amateurs are looking strictly for clean punches that score to the judges, basically using movement and scoring clean points. That is why when you hear an amateur say so and so should have won because they landed more punches, they quite often are wrong. It is two different styles of the same sport. When the women are brought into the Olympics, they should be strictly amateurs. Women in Olympic boxing will grow the sport fiercely in the amateur programs which will eventually feed the professionals and grow the sport immensely an all fronts.” - Luigi Olces, Boxing Trainer/Mgr

“Definitely yes, otherwise the competition would be of very low level.” - José Sulaimán, President WBC

“There have been changes in the Olympic rules in regard to the professional and amateur status of athletes competing in the Olympics, which is the sole decision of the Olympic governors and their governing associates. The same rules and regulations should apply to women with due considerations for the conventions of the particular sport e.g. in golf women hit off a little further down the fairway. In the official Olympic sport of Tae Kwan Do the men and women compete within the same rules, wear the same protection, use the same body weapons and are scored without any bias towards their sex. Like Tae Kwan Di the one requirement is that men fight men and women fight women, which is fair enough. We are living in time of human rights that includes gender equality and, therefore (1) women boxers should be entitled to compete in the Olympics and (2) women and men should abide by the same ruling re the validity of amateur or professional status.” - Patrick Cusick, ABCO, General Sectretary

“I do think professional women should have the opportunity to compete in the Olympics. The best women boxers should be able to represent their country. Because the number of amateur women boxers is still relatively low, I feel the skill level and experience of professionals would make the sport more successful for the Olympics.” - Christy “The Coal Miner’s Daughter” Martin, Boxer

“I think if women boxers want to fight in Olympic games it will be nice because women boxing will be more popular for simple people. I think that professional women should compete in the games because, unlike men’s boxing, there aren’t enough amateurs in the world.” - Dmitry Luchnikow, Cut Man

“While I embrace the possibility of women’s boxing at the 2012 Olympics I firmly believe the fighters should be amateurs. Amateur fighters will adapt better to the training system of USA Boxing. Economically pro fighters can not afford to take off the time necessary to commit to the Olympic Team. Unlike NBA stars, they are not making 7 figure incomes which would afford them the possibility of being philanthropic and there is no off season in boxing as there is in the NBA…This opportunity to showcase new talent in 10 or 12 weight classes should not be taken lightly. The scoring system at the Olympics is much more tailored for the amateur style of boxing. Consistency is important in sports and the men’s boxing teams from all countries have always been amateurs, hence so should the women’s team. I realize many women professional fighters will feel left out and sad that they didn’t get the chance to compete at the Olympic level while they helped pioneer and build the sport. But women’s boxing in the Olympics only helps the balance of their pro careers.” - Arnie Rosenthal, Promoter, AROTO, Commentator

“I feel that our pro women should go the Olympics because our amateur women are still too green to go against countries like Canada where women get paid and taken care of to box. Our amateur women box because they love the sport. They have to pay for everything so a lot of focus doesn’t go in training. While our pros don’t get paid a lot but have that training time. Also the way the men looked with that Olympic scoring think of how the women would look. I push for a strong team of pro women to go to the games and a coach that knows the game; not some random draw cause they’ve been a supporter of USA boxing. We need a group of women that will make a mark and statement.” - Melissa Hernandez, IFBA Featherweight World Champion

“Of course pros should be allowed in the team. There are pro tennis players and footballers. Why not pro boxers? Also in England there isn’t enough depth in the amateurs. They haven’t got the same experience as many of the other countries.” - Jane Couch, Professional Boxer, Author

“NO! That is why we have the WBC and the many other Female Alphabet organizations. We do not have pro male fighters in the Olympics.” - Lee Peters, Co-Chair, NABF Female Division, Fight Supervisor

“If female boxing is made an Olympic sport (and a larger issue is what, if any, tangible benefits are to be derived by the sport from Olympic inclusion), professional boxers should, no, must, be included in the field. It is a necessity, from both practical and esthetic standpoints. There are simply not now (and it is improbable to foresee any substantial change four years hence) an adequate number of amateur female boxing programs or women athletes gravitating to the sport, in any countries, save possibly the very largest in the world, to adequately fill out rosters of amateur fighters who possess what could be perceived as Olympic quality skill. And sending boxers with inadequate skill levels to the Olympic Games would cause incalculable damage to a sport that, even in today’s "enlightened world," endures criticism simply for being ("women shouldn’t punch each other"). The inclusion of professionals would provide Olympic rosters with female fighters possessing skill levels associated with world class competition. Additionally, the pretense of amateurism in the Olympic Games has long been eliminated in track and field, basketball, baseball and softball, and tennis, to mention just several high visibility sports. Thus, the addition of "pros" to the ranks of female boxing would hardly be an assault on the "Olympic spirit" sensibility and would, instead, serve the purpose of raising the level of competition to a plateau that would put the sport in the best possible light, showcasing the top fighters in the sport. Of course, an awkward issue might be raised when professional laden female boxing teams are compared to the rosters of another Olympic sport that has long sought to maintain it’s Olympian amateur status: male boxing.” - Bernie McCoy, Boxing Columnist, Journalist

“No the pros should not be in the Olympics, unless the pros fight pros and the amateurs fight fellow amateurs. The sports are different, use different rules, scoring criteria, etc, etc. It just wouldn’t work – impossible. Let’s just be happy if we can get female boxing in the Olympics, which, of course, they should be. It’s not like basketball where the rules are essentially the same whether it’s NBA or college. Pro and amateur boxing are as different as night and day. I think it would have to be a different category in order to have pro’s there. I think it is a great thing for female boxing to be included in the Olympics, but only for the amateurs.

“I don’t really know enough about it, but it seems to me that there are no male pro boxers, mainly because it’s a different sport, essentially. The same with female boxing. Different rules, scoring, equipment, etc.. This would make it very difficult to accommodate pros. In other sports where they allow pros to participate, like basketball, I think the sports are essentially the same at both the pro and amateur levels.” - Ed Pearson, Secretary, WBC Women’s Championship Committee

“Yes, clearly. The Olympics should represent the best fighting the best. Professional women boxers are the talent pool. The majority fight simply for the love of the sport and are barely compensated. They should be able to participate.” - Lou DiBella, Promoter

“No, I don’t think that Professional Women should be allowed on the Olympic Team for 3 reasons: The best Female Boxers in America are not in the Pro ranks but in the Amateurs. Show me a good female Pro (outside of a world Champion) and the chances are there is an elite Amateur that can beat her.

“Amateur Boxing is a different style of competition than that of Pro Boxing with different objectives. The main difference is the scoring system. You have 4 rounds at 2 minutes each to get the job done. For most Pros (men included) that is not enough time. They are used to more rounds and in many cases need 4 plus rounds just to get started. By then the show is over.

“Respect for those who are coming up the ranks. It’s always been a tradition that once you turn Pro in Boxing that’s it. You’ve had your time in the amateurs, you’ve had the opportunity to compete in everything from the Golden Gloves to the Nationals ... Therefore make the best of your Pro career and let the new breeds have their time to shine.” - Lee Shabaka, Coach

“Yes I do believe the pros should be allowed to participate in the London Olympics. Simply because we don’t have enough women athletes period! We need the over all pool of women to bring out the best. It’s quite obvious that we do not have enough women boxers on the Amateur level to put our best in international competition, not to discredit our amateur women. Most of them are better then the Pro’s. The fact is that our experienced amateur women can’t even get a match in the Pro’s because they are considered to experienced. Women boxing has evolved to the level of any competition, for that I’m great full to have been a witness. Yes they belong in the Olympics, they earned the right. We need the over all pool of women boxers to bring out the best, both amateur and pro. Only because the numbers of women boxers are considered low compared to most if not all women Olympic sports. I support women’s boxing from the ground up.” – Joe Higgins, President, USA Boxing, Metro

The story, as I see it, is still evolving. The vote is a passionate tie. In my heart, I see the pros in there alongside the amateurs; the hard work it takes to qualify for the games, thinning the pack.

The real question remaining is… will 2012 be the year? Will it happen at all? Will women boxers be represented?

So, in meanwhile, they’re living their dreams; filling out the talent pool, practicing the Sweet Science; doing the only thing they really want to. To me, these women are heroes, their trailblazers, their gatekeepers. Gold or Green, they have everything it takes to be Champions; the heart, the sweat and the courage. All they are missing is the opportunity.