First Opposite Sex Boxing Match
Written by: ^Northernstar*
In the sports world, many barriers have been broken! I’m sure you’ve heard of the infamous “Battle of the Sexes Tennis Tournament” led by Billie Jean King (a female) and Bobby Riggs (a male) in 1973, which King dominated, winning the top prize. There have always been many restraints when it comes to women involved in sports because society portrays them to be “bubbly” and “maternal”, while sports are intended to be played/viewed by men. And in many cases, a woman’s sexuality has been questioned for being inspired to pursue a career in sports. Society portrays women involved in sports to be “butch” & eXcessively dominant. If you are a woman & hate that closed-minded perception, then raise your hand in the air because it is so not true!
Boxing is one of the most violent sports ever, if not the most violent… and it can most certainly cause permanent damage to the face & head. But, in 1999, Margaret MacGregor (a professional boxer from Bremerton, Washington) intended to prove to the world that not only can women box in the ring with NO face mask or helmet on, but they can hop in the ring to box a MAN, as well! MacGregor was eager to win against amateur fighter Martin O’Malley, who wanted to construct a name for himself in the midst of his peers such as Floyd Mayweather & Radford Beasley (whom both started as amateur unknowns & shifted into big named heavy-hitters).
Society portrays women involved in sports to be “butch” & eXcessively dominant. If you are a woman & hate that closed-minded perception, then raise your hand in the air because it is so not true!
O’Malley’s team approached boxing promoter Don King, about the possibility of getting a male/female fight between King’s female boxer, Christy Martin. But, there was no feedback and the idea was dropped completely. Until male boxer, Loi Chow stepped in to fight Margaret.
On October 9, 1999, the 128 pound MacGregor put her red gloves on to fight the fragile framed Chow, which was described as “a lightweight fight which carried disturbing heavyweight undertones” (An Associated Press, 1999). According to An Associated Press, “in front of a capacity audience of 3,000 - around a third of them women - McGregor, who has overcome personal battles such as a 51-month jail sentence for drug-dealing, drug addiction and brawling on the streets and in bars, fought like a raging bull. Her opponent, a part-time jockey, could not bring himself to jump his biggest hurdle yet: hitting a woman in a legitimized environment in front of a worldwide audience including television cameras and journalists from around 15 countries” (1999).
MacGregor beat Chow in the four-round battle that made International history!
***For additional information:
http://www.womenboxing.com/history1.htm
http://www.womenboxing.com/margaret.htm
