Editing Women's boxing (section)

== United Kingdom ==
One of the earliest mentions of women's boxing is in the [[travel literature|travelogue]] of a German man who visited London in 1710. While taking in a men's boxing match, he met a woman in the audience who claimed to have previously boxed another woman in the same venue.<ref name="auto16"/>

One of the earliest known fights to have been advertised in print was in London between [[Elizabeth Wilkinson]] and Hannah Hyfield in 1722. Billing herself as the "European Championess", Wilkinson and her husband would also fight other mixed couples as a pair, with Wilkinson fighting the other woman and her husband, the other man. In those days, the rules of boxing allowed kicking, gouging and other methods of attack not part of today's arsenal.<ref name="auto9"/><ref>{{Harvnb|Smith|2014|pp=1–4}}</ref>

During the 1920s, Professor Andrew Newton formed a Women's Boxing Club in London.<ref name="auto10"/> However women's boxing was hugely controversial. In early 1926, [[Shoreditch]] borough council banned an arranged exhibition match between boxers [[Annie Newton]] and Madge Baker, a student of [[Digger Stanley]].<ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto7"/><ref name="auto1"/> An attempt to hold the match in nearby [[London Borough of Hackney|Hackney]] instead was defeated by a campaign led by the Mayor of Hackney, who wrote, "I regard this proposed exhibition of women boxers as a gratification of the sensual ideals of a crowd of vulgar men."<ref name="auto1"/> The Home Secretary [[Sir William Joynson-Hicks]] was among those opposing the match, claiming "the Legislature never imagined that such a disgraceful exhibition would have been staged in this country."<ref name="auto"/> The story was reported across the country<ref name="auto6"/> and even internationally.<ref name="auto8"/>

In 1997 the British Amateur Boxing Association sanctioned its first boxing competition for women. The first event was meant to be between two thirteen-year-olds, but one of the boxers dropped out because of hostile media attention. A month later, an event was held between two sixteen-year-olds.<ref name="auto14"/>

[[Jane Couch]] became the first licensed female boxer in the United Kingdom in 1998.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xgames.com/boxing/article/19150981/nicola-adams-fight-3-minute-rounds-bout |title=Nicola Adams to fight 3-minute rounds in next bout |work=X Games |date=4 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220504230119/http://www.xgames.com/boxing/article/19150981/nicola-adams-fight-3-minute-rounds-bout |archive-date=4 May 2022}}</ref> The [[British Boxing Board of Control]] initially refused to grant Couch a professional licence on the sole ground that she was a woman, and argued that [[Premenstrual syndrome|PMS]] made women too unstable to box.<ref name="BBC 1998">{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sport/218581.stm |title=Round one for women's boxing |date=24 November 1998 |access-date=5 December 2008 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.punkcast.com/4/index.htm |title=12 and 13 February 1998 – Tribunal 1, 100 London Road, Croydon, UK. |access-date=12 February 2010 |last=Bentham |first=John |date=February 1998 |work=#4 |publisher=[[Punkcast]]}}</ref> Claiming [[sexual discrimination]] and supported by the [[Equal Opportunities Commission (United Kingdom)|Equal Opportunities Commission]], Couch managed to have this decision overturned by a [[tribunal]] in March 1998.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/special_report/1998/12/98/review_of_98/newsmakers/236452.stm |title=March: Jane Couch |date=22 December 1998 |access-date=1 December 2008 |work=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.womenboxing.com/biog/interviews/jcouch_1.htm |title=Couch Interview |date=19 September 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200622005234/https://www.womenboxing.com/biog/interviews/jcouch_1.htm |access-date=4 December 2008 |archive-date=22 June 2020}}</ref> However, some criticism followed; the [[British Medical Association]] called this result "a demented extension of equal opportunities".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,,417393,00.html |title=Just give her a ring |date=7 January 2001 |access-date=5 December 2008 |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London}}</ref> The first sanctioned professional boxing match between women in the U.K. was in November 1998 at [[Streatham]] in London, between Couch and Simona Lukic. Couch won.<ref name="auto2"/><ref name="auto4"/>

In 2001, [[Nicola Adams]] became the first woman boxer ever to represent England, which she did in a fight against an Irish boxer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gseagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Nicola-Adams.pdf |title=Nicola Adams: World Championship Silver Medallist |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328124105/http://www.gseagency.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Nicola-Adams.pdf |archive-date=28 March 2012 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> In 2007 she became the first English female boxer to win a medal in a major boxing tournament, taking silver in the [[2007 Women's European Amateur Boxing Championships|European Championships]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/mar/31/one-hundred-hopefuls-nicola-adams |title=One hundred hopefuls for 2012: Nicola Adams |author=Guardian Staff |date=31 March 2011 |website=[[The Guardian]]}}</ref> In 2008 she won a silver medal that was Britain’s first women’s world championship medal in women’s boxing.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportother/9153142.adams-excitement-hitting-fever-pitch/ |title=Adams' excitement hitting fever pitch |work=Bradford Telegraph and Argus}}</ref>

In 2009 [[Natasha Jonas]] became the first female boxer to compete for [[GB Boxing]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/60130503|title=Jonas targets third world title bid|work=BBC Sport |date=26 January 2022 }}</ref>

Women were allowed to competitively box for the first time at the Olympics during the [[Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics#Women|2012 Summer Olympics]] in London, producing the world's first 12 female Olympic medalist boxers.<ref name="auto26"/><ref name="auto23"/><ref name="auto22"/><ref name="auto21"/> Representing [[Great Britain]], [[Nicola Adams]] won the world’s first Olympic women's boxing gold medal.<ref name="2012gold"/> This win also made her the first openly [[LGBT]] person to win an Olympic boxing gold medal.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/whats-on/nicola-adams-strictly-come-dancing-everything-you-need-to-know-as-the-leeds-boxing-champion-takes-to-the-dancefloor-3006732 |title=Everything you need to know as Nicola Adams takes to the Strictly dancefloor |first=Abbey |last=Maclure |date=17 October 2020 |work=[[Yorkshire Evening Post]]}}</ref>

At the 2014 [[Commonwealth Games]], [[Lauren Price]] became the first Welsh woman to win a boxing medal in the Commonwealth Games, winning a bronze.<ref name="auto27">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/commonwealth-games/28616663 |title=Glasgow 2014: Wales' Lauren Price proud after historic bronze |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 August 2014 |accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/boxing/commonwealth-games-2014-womens-boxer-7537827 |title=Commonwealth Games 2014: Women's boxer Lauren Price creates history as Team Wales celebrate record haul in Glasgow |work=WalesOnline |publisher=Media Wales |last=Griffiths |first=Gareth |date=30 July 2014 |accessdate=11 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Boxing medallist's rise to history|work=BBC Sport |location=UK |date=1 January 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/av/wales/28818368 |accessdate=30 June 2019}}</ref>

In 2019 English boxer [[Barbara Buttrick]] became one of the first three women boxers (and the first English woman boxer) elected to the [[International Boxing Hall of Fame]]; 2019 was the first year that women were on the ballot.<ref name="auto19"/><ref name="auto20"/>

In 2021, [[Lauren Price]] became the first Welsh boxer of any gender to win an Olympic gold medal.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.scotsman.com/sport/other-sport/price-becomes-first-welsh-fighter-to-win-olympic-gold-3338182|title=Lauren Price becomes first Welsh fighter to win Olympic gold as she triumphs in middleweight final|date=8 August 2021|website=The Scotsman}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/2021/08/07/tokyo-olympics-2020-live-boxing-final-lauren-price-marathon/|title=Dominant Lauren Price produces accomplished display to win boxing gold - Team GB's 22nd in Tokyo|date=8 August 2021|website=Telegraph}}</ref>

In 2022 two female boxers headlined at a major venue in the United Kingdom for the first time, which occurred at [[the O2 Arena]]. That fight was a title unification bout between [[Claressa Shields]] and [[Savannah Marshall]]. Shields won via unanimous decision with two judges scoring the fight 97–93 and one scoring it 96–94, all in favor of Shields to become the undisputed middleweight world champion.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Claressa Shields beats Savannah Marshall by unanimous decision in undisputed middleweight title fight |url=https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/12720944/shields-reigns-supreme-over-marshall-in-epic-undisputed-clash |access-date=2022-10-16 |website=Sky Sports |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Sensational Shields beats Marshall in epic |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/63273495 |access-date=2022-10-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wbaboxing.com/boxing-news/claressa-shields-and-savannah-marshall-will-face-on-sept-10|title= Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall will face on Sept. 10  |date=July 5, 2022|website=wbaboxing.com|author=Jesús Milano}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2022/09/claressa-shields-boxing-return-rescheduled-for-oct-15-postponement-queen-elizabeth-death|title=Claressa Shields' boxing return rescheduled for Oct. 15 after postponement due to passing of Queen Elizabeth II|date=September 20, 2022|work=[[MMAjunkie.com]]|author=Danny Segura}}</ref> As well, the fight headlined the first all-female boxing card in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.itv.com/news/tyne-tees/2022-10-15/savannah-marshall-loses-grudge-match-against-claressa-shields-in-close-battle|title=Savannah Marshall loses grudge match against Claressa Shields in fierce battle|date=16 October 2022|website=ITV News}}</ref> Later in the year, [[Chantelle Cameron]] defeated [[Jessica McCaskill]] in a match held in [[Abu Dhabi]], making Cameron the undisputed world light-welterweight champion and the United Kingdom's first undisputed female boxing world champion.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/63530088|title=Cameron becomes UK's first undisputed female champion|work=BBC Sport |date=5 November 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/boxing/northampton-star-cameron-makes-history-as-she-becomes-undisputed-world-champion-3907474|title=Northampton star Cameron makes history as she becomes undisputed world champion|date=November 6, 2022|website=www.northamptonchron.co.uk}}</ref>

[[Natasha Jonas]] won the [[British Boxing Board of Control]]’s 2022 British Boxer of the Year award, which made her the first woman to win the British Boxing Board of Control's British Boxer of the Year Award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/12832241/natasha-jonas-becomes-first-woman-to-win-british-fighter-of-the-year-at-british-boxing-board-of-control-awards|title=Natasha Jonas becomes first woman to win British Boxer of the Year at British Boxing Board of Control awards|website=Sky Sports}}</ref>

On 6 May 2023, [[Lauren Price]] won the first British women's title fight in professional boxing history, becoming the first female British [[welterweight]] champion and the first woman to receive a [[Lonsdale Belt]], by defeating Kirstie Bavington by unanimous points victory.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Price beats Bavington in historic British title fight |language=en-GB |work=BBC Sport |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/65514056 |access-date=2023-05-06}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.boxingscene.com/lauren-price-vs-kirstie-bavington-inaugural-womens-british-title-on-6--173845|title=Lauren Price vs. Kirstie Bavington For Inaugural Women's British Title on May 6|first=Random|last=Hits|date=13 April 2023|website=BoxingScene.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.skysports.com/boxing/news/12183/12856242/lauren-price-to-fight-kirstie-bavington-for-inaugural-women-s-british-title|title=Lauren Price to fight Kirstie Bavington for inaugural women's British title|website=Sky Sports}}</ref>

In October 2023, [[Natasha Jonas]] became the first black woman to receive a manager's license from the [[British Boxing Board of Control]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.si.com/fannation/boxing/natasha-jonas-makes-history-as-first-black-woman-boxing-manager#:~:text=Natasha%20Jonas%20has%20made%20history,was%20born%20in%20Liverpool%2C%20England | title=Natasha Jonas Makes History as First UK Black Woman Boxing Manager | date=20 October 2023 }}</ref><ref>https://www.itv.com/news/granada/2023-10-16/natasha-jonas-bcomes-first-black-female-to-obtain-boxing-manager-license</ref>

On 14 March 2024 it was announced that [[Lauren Price]] would challenge [[Jessica McCaskill]] for her [[World Boxing Association|WBA]], [[International Boxing Organization|IBO]], and [[The Ring (magazine)|''Ring'']] female [[welterweight]] World titles on 11 May 2024 in Cardiff, Wales.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Iskenderov |first1=Parviz |title=Jessica McCaskill faces Lauren Price in May in Cardiff, Wales |url=https://www.fightmag.com/jessica-mccaskill-faces-lauren-price-in-may-in-cardiff-wales/ |work=FIGHTMAG |date=14 March 2024}}</ref><ref name="auto28">{{cite news |title=Lauren Price: Olympic champion faces Jessica McCaskill for first pro world title |url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/boxing/68538892 |work=BBC Sport |date=12 March 2024}}</ref> Price won the contest by unanimous technical decision after an accidental clash of heads that took place in the fifth round caused an injury to McCaskill's eye and she was ruled unable to continue at the start of round nine. This win made Price Wales’ first female professional boxing world champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/boxing/articles/cq5nx7pzyywo|title=Dazzling Price wins first world title|date=10 May 2024 |publisher=BBC Sport|access-date=2024-05-11}}</ref><ref name="auto28"/>