HISTORY OF
WOMEN'S BOXING

What does Cathy "Cat" Davis, a 70's/80's fighter have in common with a 90's fighter, Suzanne Riccio-Major? 

PREFIGHT ARTICLE OF THE EVENT BEFORE CAT'S OPPONENT knocked her down several times before the fight was stopped.  Resource from the Atlantic Constitution, Tuesday, June 6, 1978 by Al Thomy - Staff Writer (Excerpt)

CAT CLAWS SMITH WITH PRE-FIGHT TAUNTS

The words were harsh. I've got a ticket for you," said Cathy Cat Davis to Connie Smith (Later found out that her true name was Ernestine Jones.TL Fox)  during a Monday morning press conference.  "It admits you to the canvas Wednesday night and later to the hospital of your choice."    Connie Smith mumbled something.  She's not much on talking.  But her manager, Ronnie Tidwell, filled the silence admirably.   "We're going to stay a day or two after the fight so we can visit you in the hospital," he said, pointing a finger at Davis.  "We'll send flowers and candy." 

Then, turning to Davis' manager-fiancée, Sal Algieri, Tidwell asked, "Do you have a good cut man coming in?" "Cut man:" replied Algieri. "What do we need a cur man for? Cat never gets cut."  Connie Smith mumbled something.   "What's the matter Connie, cat got your tongue?"  Cat Davis said.  "Or does your manager do all the talking for you?"   Algieri smiled proudly at the pun.   Connie Smith mumbled.  "What did you say?"  "We'll see Wednesday night."   Smith seemed ill-at-ease at the type of hype from the Muhammad Ali school of promotions.  She's a quiet, 20-year old kid from Chicago who attended business school on the south side and was forced to defend herself in street fights.  Tidwell, her manager, said she turned to boxing because "she kept hanging around the gym, and I figured she might as well fight."

"Beats housework," said Smith, in one of her more verbose moments.  Cat Davis read a proclamation from Mayor Maynard Jackson proclaiming Wednesday as "Women's Boxing Day in Atlanta."   That's the day David and Smith will introduce ladies in Atlantic City.

Of course women have fought each other since the day there were just two, but this is the first time they've fought here with gloves under auspices of the Women's Boxing Federation.   "And why not?! said Sid Martin, Imported to train Davis after working with fighters such as Emile Griffith, Oscar Bonavena (who was found shot outside in Nevada) and George Foreman."

THE NIGHT OF THE FIGHT 0N JUNE 7, 1978

Smith proceeded to knock Davis down several times, and there are many conflicting reports as to the events of this fight.  Some who witnessed the fight said that it was a pathetic sight and that Davis was no competition for Smith(Jones).  Others said that the fight should be disqualified, for Smith fought very dirty. The fight was never video'd, so not even the boxing commission could view what really occurred.  Her manager, Sal Algieri    managed to get the fight reversed.  Cat could now say her record was undefeated, but even in her own words after the fight she said to a news reporter,   of how can you reverse a KO?

DALLAS MALLOY WOULD NOT TAKE "NO" FOR  AN ANSWER......BUT WAS MALLOY "REALLY" THE FIRST WOMAN TO BOX IN AMATEURS? By Sue TL Fox 12/18/99 

DALLAS MALLOY, a 15-year-old from Bellingham, Washington, filed a lawsuit, challenging rules that barred women from amateur boxing in March of 1993. The suit was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, and stated reasons for the suit that it violated Washington law against discrimination on the basis of sex.  The suit was filed in King County Superior Court for Jennifer McCleery, a Bellingham high school sophomore who also was a poet, writer and musician and boxed under the name of DALLAS MALLOY.  Check out WBAN'S setting the record straight on Amateur Boxing History! Thanks to Bill Dickson, the father of women's boxing, he produced over two-dozen documents, showing that the first sanctioned amateur bouts took place in 1978---not 1993, as most newspapers and magazines have reported!  Sue TL Fox Copyrighted 3/31/99. All Rights Reserved.

THERE WAS A LOT OF HOOPLA WHEN BRIDGETT RILEY WAS STRIPPED OF HER IFBA BANTAMWEIGHT BELT.....BUT WAS SHE THE ONLY ONE?......

Lady Tyger Trimiar, one of the most noted and popular women boxers in the 70's and 80's, was the World Lightweight Champion after fighting a sanctioned W.W.B.A. bout in 1979.   Two years later, she would lose that crown......

In June of 1981, Lady Tyger Trimiar was stripped of that title when Trimiar did not meet the deadline to defend her belt.    The W.W.B.A. was quoted as saying, "The W.W.B.A. has of this date stripped lightweight champion Marion Lady Tyger Trimiar of her title due to the fact she has not defended her title within the W.W.B.A. stipulated deadline..  Diane Clarke, the light-heavy champion, and Graciella Casillas, bantamweight champion, have made arrangements to defend within ninety days in a location approved by W.W.B.A.  Tyger will be required to compete in an elimination tournament if she wishes to regain her title."

The W.W.B.A. then moved New York Yvonne Barclay to #1, and Tyger dropped to No.2 spot due to the fact that Barclay had beaten her twice in non-title bouts.

The W.W.B.A. regulations at that time were as follows, effective Jan. 1, 1981. 

• All title bouts shall be scheduled for 15 rounds of 2 minutes duration each.
  W.W.B.A. approved breast protectors are mandatory
• Abdominal protectors are optional.
• Teeth protectors are mandatory.
• Eight-ounce gloves will be used in all  professional bouts.
• Tennis-type costumes, or boxing trunks, may be worn (The boxer's choice)
• No competitor will be denied the right to fight, should her menstrual period occur on or about the date of the contest.
• One doctor shall be in attendance at ringside at all times.
• No world title bout will be held in any state, province, country, or regime unless it is approved in writing by the W.W.B.A.

Just for a little boxing trivia, Lady Tyger Trimiar did fight in that elimination round all-female card, and defeated her opponent!    T.L.Fox  Copyrighted 3/22/99