(JUNE 27) The first two classes
of the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF) are dominated
by "modern era" (1995-2005) boxers, several of whose names
continue to be synonymous with the sport. Christy Martin,
Lucia Rijker and Laila Ali are logical candidates for a three woman
Rushmore of female fighters, likely to be included in any
paragraph written about the history of Women's boxing. All three
have (Martin, Rijker) or will (Ali) ascend to the sport's Hall of
Fame and are joined by talented boxers from that era who were
honored in the 2014 class (Regina Halmich, Bonnie Canino) or
will be inducted on July 11 (Laura Serrano, Jeannine Garside,
Ann Wolfe, Deirdre Gogarty, Terri Moss), indicative of the
popularity of the sport during their time in the ring, a time
when the popularity of Women's boxing was at it's zenith.
[2014 IWBHF Inductee Hall of
Famer Christy Martin (third from left) a special guest at the
2015 Induction Ceremony on July 11th, will do a special
presentation on our 2015's International Women's Boxing Hall of
Fame Inductee Deirdre Gogarty]
Simply stated, these boxers knew how to box and they dispelled,
quickly, the attitude, prevalent at the time, among too many
fight fans, promoters and the media, that "girls had no place in
a boxing ring." These Hall of Fame boxers knew about angles, knew about
"sitting down on punches," knew how to spin off the ropes or out
of a corner. They were far removed from the first female boxers
who appeared in the mid-seventies, athletes who forced to endure
such patronizing attention as CBS announcer Tom Brookshier
infamously comparing them to "saloon girls brawling in the old
West," and, condescendingly, "hope(ing) they don't get hurt."
But what really separated these boxers from those who had gone
before and, to a larger degree, far too many who would come
later, was the fact that their careers were largely comprised of
fighting the best possible opponents available and, in many
cases, taking bouts with each other.
Laura Serrano began her professional career by stepping into the
ring with Christy Martin who was, at the time, firmly implanted
at the top of the sport. Shortly thereafter, Serrano fought
fellow 2015 IWBHF inductee Deirdre Gogarty, to rave "live" TV
commentary extolling the devastating ability of Serrano "to go
to the body." Near the end of her career, Serrano, still seeking
out the best available opponents, matched up with Jeannine
Garside, with whom she will be inducted into the IWBHF on July
11. And near the end of her career, Gogarty fought a memorable
ten rounds with 2014 Hall inductee Bonnie Canino for the WIBF
featherweight title. What distinguished these matches, that
typified an era of the sport that the IWBHF has extensively
honored with it's first two classes, is that, prior to the
opening bell, it was difficult to pinpoint the better fighter.
These were "two good fighter" bouts that were more the rule than
the exception. The comparison with today's sport is, sometimes,
all too obvious.
But despite the predominance of competitive bouts that fed the
popularity of female boxing during that period, one bout
continues, to this day, to loom over all others. One bout, one
six round female bout still resounds as the takeoff point for
the sport and the success that it knew in the late nineties and
early years of the new century. It was a March 16,1996
undercard bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas featuring a main
event between Mike Tyson and Frank Bruno. The world wide pay per
view TV audience was estimated at 30 million in over 100
countries. And what they saw, in that female bout "underneath"
the main event, was six rounds of boxing skill. Not six rounds
of female boxing skill, six rounds featuring two athletes, who
happened to be female, who knew how to box. Christy Martin and
Deirdre Gogarty transfixed the MGM Grand crowd along with the TV
audience with their skills and eliminated, in twelve minutes of
action, any question among those that saw the bout, that both
Martin and Gogarty belonged to be exactly where they were; in
the ring of a championship card in Las Vegas.
Martin, the bigger puncher, scored a second round knockdown
while Gogarty, the skilled boxer, recovered from the knockdown
and, at the end of the bout, left Martin bleeding copiously from
the nose. And both fighters left the fans in the venue and those
millions in front of their TVs with a new outlook on the sport
of female boxing; an appreciation of the athletes and their ring
skills that propelled the sport well into the new century. A
month later, (April 15, 1996) Christy Martin appeared on the
cover of Sports Illustrated, on her way to becoming the putative
"face" of Women's boxing. Deirdre Gogarty went on to a
successful (16-5-2, 14KOs) career that will culminate on July 11
in Fort Lauderdale, FL with her induction into the International
Women's Boxing Hall of Fame.
And that induction will be highlighted by a reunion of the two
boxers as Gogarty will receive her plaque and be welcomed into
the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame by Martin. The
moment will recall what many in the boxing community still
consider the signal female boxing match in the history of the
sport; in an era when the sport of Women's boxing and it's
athletes reached a high level of competitive excellence; an era
that continues to be honored by the IWBHF. The Martin/Gogarty
reunion will also be one more highlight of what promises to be
the event of the year for and about the sport of Women's boxing.
Our 2015 Sponsors!
