(MAR 30)  The International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame (IWBHF) is looking forward to this year's event that takes place on October 6-7, 2023, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Two of our inductees, 2023 IWBHF Inductee Dallas Malloy; and 2024 IWBHF Inductee Jenny Reid, are in fact pioneer amateur boxers from the 1990's.  Not only did they both pave the way for other future female amateurs boxers---but they both definitely did it their way! This is a "History First" for the IWBHF when for the first time we are inducting pioneer amateur boxers.

In March of 1993, Dallas Malloy became the first female to challenge the USA Boxing’s bylaw in a federal court. Her dream was to box against other women in the Olympic Games, a goal attainable only as a member of USA Boxing. For months she trained without any immediate hope of competing. Malloy’s lawsuit against USA Boxing would go to trial, unless settled, in December of 1993, before the U.S. District Court in Seattle.

 

In May of 1993, Judge Barbara Rothstein granted Malloy a court injunction, temporarily nullifying USA’s ban on women until the matter could go to trial. Malloy's application for membership was sent through.

At the time, if an amateur boxing match for Malloy could be made by the fall of 1993, this would be a history-first for females to fight in a sanctioned bout with USA Boxing.

Malloy had first become interested in boxing when she found a local boxing gym from looking in a phone book, and she had spoken to boxing promoter, Bob Jarvis. Jarvis at that time told Malloy that there was no place for women’s boxing. Wrong answer!

So Malloy at the tender age of 15 wrote a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union, who then was responsible for finding her an attorney.

A Seattle firm, “Graham and Dunn”, took the case, expecting it to be quickly settled due to state law that was very clear about gender discrimination. Malloy’s attorney filed the lawsuit in state court, anticipating that the USA Boxing would resist a trial in federal court.

Judge Rothstein only took a few moments to grant the injunction.

Malloy succeeded in taking the USA Boxing to task and on October 30, 1993, at the Edmonds Community College Gymnasium, in front of a crowd of about 1,200, she stepped into the ring with her opponent Heather Poyner, winning the fight by a second round stoppage of Poyner. Malloy entered the ring with the USA Flag wrapped around her.

[In the top left photo, Reid lands a left to  Therese Robitaille’s chin, Copyrights:  The Whig-Standard, dated July 30, 1991; and in the bottom right photo Robitaille (left) backs away from a right delivered by Reid, copyrights:  Rob Cowperthwaite/The Kingston Whig-Standard/Postmedia Network.]

Amateur female boxer Jenny Reid, born in Calgary, Alberta and raised in Toronto, Ontario, she was the 3rd of 5 c

hildren in what was a very active and athletic family. With her brothers and sisters participating in track and field, hockey, football, volleyball, and basketball, Jenny found her own way running track, cross country, triathlons, and also played soccer and hockey.

In 1990, Jenny started boxing in Kingston as a way to challenge herself physically and find a release from the still demanding law career . Realizing that women were not allowed to box competitively as amateurs, Jenny pushed Boxing Canada to allow her and other women to have the opportunity to compete.

On July 29, 1991 Reid and Therese Robitaille made “History in the Ring” when the two became the first amateur female boxers women to box in a sanctioned amateur boxing match in North America in front of 1,200 spectators in Sydney Nova Scotia.  Robitaille won by a split decision in a three-two minute round bout. 

Jenny went on to fight about eleven more times as an amateur with matches at the first Canadian Nationals in 1995, as well as the first internationally sanctioned women’s boxing open in Sweden in 1996. Jenny also served as the Canadian women’s team manager at the Italian national tournament in 2005 As well as the Russian World Championships in 2006.

Jenny was called to the bar in Ontario in 1989 and has now practiced in six other Providences and territories from coast to coast specializing in criminal and family law. Reid currently is practicing law in Victoria, BC.

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TWO-DAY CELEBRATION EVENT - OCT. 6-7, 2023

On Friday, October 6, 2023, from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.

The Pre-Celebration "NIGHT OF THE STARS" event, will include Free Give-aways; networking opportunities with other boxers,  autographs, the Will Call table to pick up tickets; Photo/Video Ops; Pre-sale merchandise available and more!  We have some special awards going to two-active world champions, Layla McCarter and Chevelle Hallback for their longevity of boxing professionally 25 plus years; a Special award for pioneer female boxer Jamie Johnson from the UK, and posthumous Michael O’Neil, a long-time boxing advocate and journalist. It will be held in the Saloon (Espanada) Ballroom.  

On Saturday, October 7th, at our “NIGHT OF THE STARS” Gala event

5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Meet and Greet
The Gala Event to honor and celebrate our 2023 and 2024 IWBHF Inductees--along with our special award recipients, begins with a “Meet and Greet” at 5:00 pm, at the Mardi Gra Ballroom where the event is held.

6:00 p.m.  Dinner for Guests - Mardi Gra Ballroom
The huge assortment and choices of entrees, salads, desserts and more, with two no-host bars available. 

7:00 p.m. Official Induction Ceremony Event