One Olympic sport I won’t be watching - women’s boxing

T.C. says:

08:14am | 14/08/09

I have to agree with you.

If they were going to make any womens sport into an Olympic event that we’d take seriously it should have been Mud Wrestling.

AFR says:

08:37am | 14/08/09

How about Foxy Boxing?

RT says:

08:44am | 14/08/09

You have to be either against all boxing or for it (or unconcerned, I guess). It doesn’t matter who is belting the tripe out of each other, just the fact that anyone is getting paid to do what they’d be arrested for doing out of the ring, while others pay to watch it.

Tim says:

08:53am | 14/08/09

How dare you say men and women are different Tory.
You will be burned at the stake for this heresy.

warb says:

09:00am | 14/08/09

I heard about this announcement overnight and thought id head to thepunch for some views.. and am quite surprised by the narrow mindlessness of this article, also the fact that an image from an non Olympic version of the sport is used.. . the sport is not about bashing the crap out of someone, its much more then that.

I did hear Julie on the radio this morning, and could hear the excitement in her voice, also the views of her coach where valid.

G says:

09:20am | 14/08/09

Taking in to consideration your article regarding Hillary Clinton.

Your saying that women can’t take the hits (physically or politically) in the big league huh?

You can’t pick and choose what you like from feminism, it’s meant to be equal…  women have the right to do whatever they like that a man can do.

Nathan says:

09:25am | 14/08/09

I will start by saying that gender means nothing in my assessment of the situation I think boxing is a stupid event that could not be passed as a sport. Based on this assertion it should not be at the Olympics, period.

wolf says:

09:32am | 14/08/09

I’m not a fan of boxing Tors but the truth is you’ll probably see the same thing or worse in and around western suburbs nightclubs every weekend.
At least this way someone is around to stop the fight when it gets out of hand.

Peter says:

09:41am | 14/08/09

Male or female, if the best thing you have to offer this world is the ability to take punches to the face whilst dancing around a ring, then you can do whatever you like with your time, but i’ll pay no attention to you at all.

andrew says:

09:53am | 14/08/09

i personally never got into boxing and related sports (ie MMA etc).  however i do respect the right of women to do this.  but i wont be watching.  perhaps the AIS should be going out to the local pubs for recruiting some of the drunk bogan girls for the 2012 boxing team.

Diana says:

09:57am | 14/08/09

I am a female boxer. I must say i am shocked at the narrow mindlessness that I am reading this morning.
We are athletes that train to be the best at our chosen sport. I will freely admit that we can get hurt and take that chance each time we step into the ring.
For those that object to women’s boxing - i feel that you must instead object to all forms of boxing.
Also, nice choice of photo….

Jake Zanoni says:

10:03am | 14/08/09

No Tory, taking the same ideological position on everything isn’t laziness, it’s philosophical consistency.  Not taking the same position on everything is simply hypocrisy.  It is the underlying basis of your reason for picking a decision that count, and if you have no consistent basis, you are doing no better than playing emotional coin toss.

If you believe in freedom, you believe in freedom.  Either you think that individuals own their bodies and have the right of self determination, tor you don’t.

If you are a feminist you are a feminist.  If you believe that women should be open to the same opportunities and have the same rights under the law as men, then that is every single right and every single law.

There are plenty of things I don’t like in this world, but I’m not the kind of arrogant jerk that thinks my preferences should be enforced on the world.  I accept that you don’t like boxing and thus the concept of female boxing getting ahead in the world isn’t exactly thrilling.  But it is the underlying fundamental that is important.  Non boxing fans and boxing fans can still get behind the underlying principle of freedom and equality.

The women consent to the activity, the fact that it was banned in NSW was a disgrace.  Feminism isn’t about fighting for the right of women to do the things you like Tory, it’s about fighting for the right of women to have the freedom to choose for themselves.

Or you can go off with the fascists in the AMA who want to ban everything.

Personally, I think this is a great day.

DM says:

10:04am | 14/08/09

I’m sorry but… what?

Should the female trap shooters should put down their guns? Should the male gymnasts hang up their leotards? Or is sexism so entrenched in the sporting arena it’s unlikely to ever be removed? So much so that when women are, for lack of a better pun, given a fighting chance, people such as yourselves feel it necessary to, in one short article, reduce to ambitions and dreams of a select group of female athletes to little more than “a shame”, prefacing the article with the fact you’re not a fan of the men’s sport either. What exactly are you trying to say?

I’m all for free speech, but sometimes it’s better to keep one’s opinions to themselves.

DM says:

10:06am | 14/08/09

...and what’s ironic is that I don’t even enjoy watching boxing either.

Equality says:

10:08am | 14/08/09

Boxing and MMA fighters are athletes. Athletes can be female. What is the issue here. Both are trained and want to step into the ring or cage. Andrew, I bet you wouldn’t call Gina Carano a bogun if you knew who she was.

David says:

10:11am | 14/08/09

Boxing is a skill and a sport. The competitors are trained athletes whether they are male or female. It’s about time women who have gifts in this area are put up on the world stage where they should be.

Tory, you remind me of a parent that won’t accept their child’s chosen career path. Who are you to say what women should or should not do with their life? I was under the assumption that women, like men can be individuals and pursue whatever they choose. Maybe you can tell these female boxers the error of their ways and tell them to take up rhythmic gymnastics instead because boxing just isn’t feminine.

It takes tenacity, strength and heart to be a committed boxer. Jump out of the dark ages and take your John Citizen views to a less educated crowd.

David

Lynn says:

10:16am | 14/08/09

Many years ago I represented Australia in two full contact martial arts world championships.  I am female and retired when I got married.  Despite the prevailing belief on this post it isn’t just thugs who get into this type of sport.  My overriding goal was to see how I would react in a situation when someone was actually trying to hurt me, whether I would freeze despite my training or whether I would be able to protect myself.  You can’t find out about this just in training as your training partners are also your friends and try their best not to damage you.  I had a protected upbringing and had never been in an angry confrontation let alone a fight in my life.  I was terrified doing it but it made me stronger and more confident.  I recommend every woman should learn to defend themselves.  That being said I feel sick everytime I see a fight and refuse to watch a male or female boxing match.  That however is my choice and I would not be so arrogant as to put my prejudices on someone else.  I had enough of people in the martial arts arena thinking I was wasting my time with training purely on the basis that I was a woman.  You can’t pick and choose when it comes to equality, you take the good with the bad.  You want Hillary Clinton you also have to have a female boxer because the second you start limiting anyone based on gender you put that limit on everyone.

Chris says:

10:19am | 14/08/09

Extreme narrowmindedness indeed.  There is a hell of a lot more to boxing than being able to take punches to the head.  If you don’t do it or are a fan of it then you wouldn’t understand.  To the casual observer, yes that is what it looks like and if that is as much as you want to understand then so be it.

Re the feminism: This weekend a womens Mixed Martial Arts fight is the headline fight at Strikeforce in the USA.  They also now fight 5 rounds in title fights just like the guys.  These girls train just as hard at their sport as guys so I don’t see why they shouldn’t able to compete and gain the same accolades. 

As well as that, if anyone saw Super Boxer a few weeks back with the main fight being Hopoate vs Mirovic, it was said that the best fight of the night was the only female fight of the night and I would agree.  It was the best display of boxing all night by two evenly matched skilled fighters.  I say go for it girls! 

P.S Also, great choice of photo.  Maybe something like this http://i.cdn.turner.com/si/2008/sioncampus/12/11/fighting-irish/laura-szejka-p1.jpg would have been more appropriate seeing as how they wear head gear in Olympic Boxing.

Brett says:

10:21am | 14/08/09

It is true that women are not as physically strong as men and cant take the same damage. But they are not being hit by men either. Wouldn’t this mean that in the end it all works out even between men and women in the boxing arena. So a woman can’t take a hit a man can take but she is receiving a hit from a woman which wont be as hard any way ?

VX says:

10:21am | 14/08/09

Wow, what a load of crap, firstly: “Some of the world’s biggest sporting legends have been boxers, but somehow I don’t think there will ever be a female Muhammed Ali.”, ever heard of Leila Ali? his daughter? maybe you should look up Anne Wolfe then tell me women shouldn’t be boxing.  “Women’s bodies are not as muscular and there’s good evidence to suggest that their bodies are less protected than a man’s,”, well lucky they are fighting other (usually very muscular) women.  I am female and I train in MMA (which is a lot more brutal than boxing, the conservatives will probably have a fit when it becomes more mainsteam) and plan to fight professionally. Women in any sport have a hard time without people trying to ban them from doing the sport they love and dedicate themselves too, just because some weak people don’t like violence, even when its between two concenting and well trained people. If you dont like it, don’t watch it.

Justin says:

10:22am | 14/08/09

Interesting title of the article. I’d like to know how much Olympic Boxing you’ve watched in the past and I’d also like to know exactly how many amateur boxing tournaments you have attended? My guess would be very little to none. The objective in amateur boxing is to not render your opponent unconscious, as you’d suggest. It is to land more punches to the scoring zone of the opponent - like Fencing. There are very strict controls to ensure the safety of the fighters - for example, if it is clear that one boxer is of a higher standard that the opponent then the bout is immediately halted. The nature of scoring makes punching wildly an absolutely ineffective strategy. Injuries are very rare in amateur boxing and there has never been a death. Knockouts - where a fighter is rendered unconscious is also extremely rare. My recommendation would be to attend an amateur boxing tournament before passing judgement on the appropriateness of women competing.

GetReal says:

10:23am | 14/08/09

Wow.. feminism strikes back in these comments. It’s just doing wonders. I’ve noticed you can’t really say or do much without offending somebody, particularly feminists. Yes, men are out there to rule the world and ensure you’re kept in your place. I mean seriously?? Do you honestly believe that? Majority of women I know would think it was totally ridiculous to call “women in boxing” some leap forward for equality. These boxers are hardly women anyway. Sorry, I probably just offended the feminists with that comment too. What?? What’s that you say? Men and Women are different? They are naturally suited to different sports? What a ridiculous thing to think says the feminist movement.

Alexei says:

10:26am | 14/08/09

We all have free choice of what we can and want to do. If you don’t want to watch women’s boxing, then don’t.

JC says:

10:26am | 14/08/09

The thing that got me about your article was:
“but I don’t reckon Stephanie Rice’s day involves punching her training partner in the head repeatedly, in an attempt to get her to fall down.”

This shows you really know nothing about boxing or how they train. It’s actually a very technical sport. Women should be able to participate if they want.

R.E.L. says:

10:28am | 14/08/09

Nothing more unappealing than women behaving like the most unsofisticated of men.

Mikaila says:

10:33am | 14/08/09

I am a competitive kickboxer and instructor. The self confidence and fitness that a sport like this can provide to both men and women is hard to find anywhere else. I have seen many young women grow from shy and embarressed girls into strong and confident young women due to the respect and hard work it takes to excel at a sport like this.

I feel much safer competing one-on-one, against an opponent who is the same weight and gender as me, with a referee in the ring whose sole function is to protect my openent and myself.

I hold my head high every time I enter the ring and leave it - win or lose. There are few with the courage, skills or tenancity to compete in any combat sport and those who are deserve a better representation than this article gives.

The profile of fighters - men or women - needs a boost.

DM says:

10:36am | 14/08/09

GetReal - You’re right, normally, men and women are physically suited to different sports. But the Olympics isn’t about “normally”, it’s about people who spend their lives training to achieve something. This isn’t a victory for feminism, this is a victory for common sense, for the ability to get onto the world stage and compete at what you have trained your whole life for.

R.E.L. - I didn’t realise the Olympics was a fashion parade.

Pete says:

10:52am | 14/08/09

The headline event at Stirkeforce’s next Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) show is Gina Carano vs. Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos… and it’s rightfully been billed as one of the biggest events of the year. Women should have every right to pursue any career they wish - boxing and MMA included. I can’t wait to see the top two women in the sport go at it in front of what will be their biggest ever crowd.

marce says:

11:17am | 14/08/09

It seems to me your arguments are not so much against women boxing as against boxing. For example, replace ‘Stephanie Rice’ with a male swimmer and your point is equally valid.

R.E.L. says:

11:22am | 14/08/09

DM: who mentioned fashion?
I should clarify that i’m all in favour of women learning self defence techniques and playing sport, but they should do so in women only gyms.
That way the men who are turned on by these sites and make women uncomfortable are kept away and men who are turned off don’t have to endure it.
The same goes for big sweaty men in gyms and women watching…

Thomas says:

11:30am | 14/08/09

I don’t have an issue with women boxing, but I do have an issue with yet another “subjective” sport being considered for the Olympics.  What we have here is a sport that requires an “opinion” from a judge to generate a score for an athlete & is very open to bias & cheating.  Forget the argument of women vs men & look more at the actual sport’s inclusion….

Although I wouldn’t switch off Olympic Jelly Wrestling….....

Pete says:

11:33am | 14/08/09

Fans that truly appreciate boxing and MMA couldn’t care less what the combatants look like - male or female. They appreciate the skill and dedication of amazingly talented athletes.

Speaking of… it’s spelt “unsophisticated”.

Sick of sports says:

11:41am | 14/08/09

Great that now means that the AIS will want even more of a budget increase to now train this new group of heros, as in Australia anyone how plays sports is a hero.

This will just mean less money for our education, health and civil services.

Bring in a user pays system for the AIS!!! But what about those with ability but no funding??? Our Unis operated like this if you have the brains but not the means, too bad you miss out so why should sports be any different?

Shinsengumi says:

12:31pm | 14/08/09

I’m going to shock and outrage with this statement.  Gender should be abolished from any martial art.  Both sexes should be able to take on each other.

Reason?  I have a kickboxer friend I train with.  She kicks the bejeezus out of me, and she’s a measly 3kg heavier.  Another female friend of mine from the UK has been banned from sparring at all rings in Sydney, because she’s a title-holding champion kickboxer back there, and loves a good scrap.  She loves fighting the boys especially, and often ends up hurting them because they can’t handle losing and push themselves.  She has no equal among the women, the only place she can find a challenge is the men.

So we insult her talents by forbidding her from fighting the other sex?

It’s a hypocritical farce to segregate competitions to each gender.  As long as someone fits within a weight category, and they are willing, why should they not be able to compete with another meatbag of same weight?  It’s their body, their sacred free will, and their choice.

There are exceptional women everywhere, and creating a separate competition for women because of the unspoken premise they’re ‘inferior to men’ is insulting to all women with talent.  There’s a 54yr old female motorcyclist who does track days at Eastern Creek.  She hits low-mid 1:40s (very, VERY fast) and outrides all but a very select few.  Should she be only permitted to race against other women?  No.  There are no other women in her league!

All sports should be open to either gender.  We have women in the Police Force, the Armed Service, as CEO’s, Chancellor of the EU, and any other sphere where men are present; why still the hypocrisy in sport?

mike j says:

12:37pm | 14/08/09

The problem is not women’s boxing. If women want to punch each other in the head, let them (but woe be to any man who does, of course). Personally, I think it’s a stupid thing to do, but as a sport it’s one of the purest there is. It’s like running. It’s a fundamental physically activity that predates our species.
The problem is including it in the Olympics like it’s mainstream, purely for the sake of equality.

Matt Worthington says:

01:03pm | 14/08/09

This is a great leap for the primative female animal to want to be a boxer.. Male boxing is primative also. I guess we all evolve at different rates than others haha..

If we ever have conscription again for fighting a war, women better step up.
While im at it make the physical entry requirements for the millitary equal..

Oh and more women to be garbo’s, truck drivers and labourers!!
Where is the equality here??? Come on you femanists pick your game up!!

Scott says:

01:08pm | 14/08/09

You’re a hypocrite. You want equal rights but you don’t want equal rights in this particular sport because it does suit you? What about the women who train hard and have a passion for the sport? I guess you think its fare just to shutdown there dreams of winning gold for there country because you have never taken the time to understand the sport. You’re not after equality just a reason to justify your personal opinions.

Jacob Smith says:

01:10pm | 14/08/09

After the thorough slamming you’ve already copped, i doubt any further comment is necessary, but maybe you should haul your 50s era attitude back in the kitchen and cook us lads up a bunch of cakes? It seems thats where you feel women belong…. Sexism is sexism, no matter how you try to disguise it in rhetoric.

Bin, Brisbane says:

01:14pm | 14/08/09

Hehe, I can’t think of anything I’d rather NOT watch than women who feel that they’ve got something to prove by beating someone else around the head.  Come to that, I don’t like watching the men do it either, but hey, if they wanna do it ...

X says:

01:17pm | 14/08/09

Our world is violent enough as it is.
Do we REALLY need to encourage this barbaric sport for both men and women?

ANDIKA says:

01:21pm | 14/08/09

Storm in a tea cup Tory.
Nothing wrong with women boxing, especially at the Olympics where both opponents are wearing headgear and the majority of fights are stopped by the official anyway. Women’s Olympic boxing is would be no rougher than women’s hockey or football.

Gripe says:

01:33pm | 14/08/09

It’s absolutely ridiculous. Women are much better at jelly wrestling.

dean says:

01:40pm | 14/08/09

how pissweak. let them box if they want. women can be as big and dumb as men. probably be the only womens sport Id watch actually.

Jess says:

01:46pm | 14/08/09

I don’t think woman should be swimming in the olympics either. They get big traps, lats and arms and it is so unfeminine. And the chlorine does irrepairable damage to hair. They should stick to aerobics and lifting small, pink dumbells. I personally think that spending all day swimming up and down a pool is a bird-brained thing to do, and doesn’t require much skill. Thus it should be left for men, as they have less hair and it is ok if their muscles get big.

PG says:

01:47pm | 14/08/09

Um does that mean men will be able to take up Sychroinised Swimming in the olympics?

Ned says:

01:50pm | 14/08/09

When I rule the world (and, believe me, it’s not far off) I will ban men’s boxing and confine women to mud AND jelly wrestling - for their own good, of course. In the meantime though, I really like to watch men engaging in the sweet science.

In case you were wondering, I will also ban from the Olympics tennis, golf and bloody synchronised swimming! In fact, anything that requires subjective judging or where the participants make a truckload of cash elsewhere, will go (I am prepared to make an exception for diving providing the synchronised stuff goes).

Razor says:

01:58pm | 14/08/09

If you examine the Olympic sports you will find that many are gender biased.  Athletics - Males do Decathlon, Females do Pentathlon, Gymnastics - Only females to Rhythmic Gymnastics, Males and females compete different apparatus in Artistic Gymnastics, swimming - Only females compete Synchronised Swimming, Males do 1,500m - Females only 800m, Tennis - Males play five sets, Females only 3 etc etc etc and most sports are seperated by gender.

Tory Maquire is typical of most Feminists - they want to be treated equally but not the same.  They want the same rights and responsibiltiies as Males but don’t want to compete directly.  They want to be able to take maternity leave and to work part-time and still be considered for career progression, promotion and pay against males working full-time.

Typical females - make up your bloody minds what you want.

Gripe says:

02:00pm | 14/08/09

Jess, I see you are a connoisseur of the satirical comment. Small, pink dumbbells = priceless.

warb says:

02:10pm | 14/08/09

@Jess ... haha, nice one..

Jeefunk says:

02:13pm | 14/08/09

As an ex-boxer, I love these debates. Let’s get these athletes out of the ring into formula one cars, football arenas and dirt bike races where we can guarantee their safety eh? Anyone who has ever boxed competitively knows that while it looks like a slaughterhouse, it’s more like a game of chess. Just like ‘football smarts’, certain athletes can master skills and strategies within a code. Should they be denied - regardless of gender - to excel in a sport that seems custom-built for their skill set? In some cases it might be a choice between being a nobody or being a legend.

lauren says:

02:15pm | 14/08/09

warb and diana, could you please tell me what “narrow mindlessness” is??

hmmm…. well I think I now know why you SUPPORT people boxing the crap out of each other…..

LOL… =D

stephen says:

02:46pm | 14/08/09

Women’s boxing’s like women’s cricket : stand-up mud-wrestling.

LM says:

03:32pm | 14/08/09

I agree with you Tors and have to admit that Razor makes a point - not about you personally but about the way that Olympic sports are segregated…it highlights the point that men have more physical strength than women. Not specifically but in general it’s not up to me and I don’t like it but it’s the truth - it’s science/biology -whatever. We can give birth and they’re stronger so they will always win on that point. We aren’t going to gachieve equality if we keep rolling out the sports card -  we should probably try and just avoid that point all together and focus on what we are equal in i.e intellect etc.

Until we compete head to head with men and can actually win then let’s focus on the sports. Plus will the day that women compete directly against men in boxing be a good day or a bad day for feminism? If they can punch us in a ring then I guess they should be able to punch us around in real life right?

See this is where it gets confusing. I don’t want to be a traitor to my sex but it’s just these points that confuse me but seriously girls if you want to make boxing an olympic sport - sure go ahead but don’t try and convince me it’s triumph for feminism because it’s not.

Aleks says:

03:54pm | 14/08/09

Man > Women

Steve B says:

04:26pm | 14/08/09

Were you as disgusted when Lauren Burns won her Tai Kwon Do gold medal Ms Maguire? Perhaps you could point out the article where you told us of your outrage that women were allowed to compete in Olympic Judo as I missed that one. How about the story telling us how disgusting it is that women are being disrespected by not being allowed to compete on the gymnastic rings, how it perpetuates the myth that women are the weaker sex by not allowing men to compete in synchronised swimming or floor routines using ribbons or balls or hoops? No? Perhaps equality wasn’t what you were looking for after all.

glorified says:

04:39pm | 14/08/09

I can not for the life of me take side with this sport for women,All the tom boy stuff has gone right over the top,our great and grt,grt,grt,grt,grt,grandmothers all did what had to be done, keeping their femininity while they did so,Their men were astounded they managed to do so much,Throughout all time women have outdone men hands down,Men worldwide have downtrodden women to worsening degrees from the beginning of time,Things need to change only in the area of how we women are treated and looked apon by men.Boxing isn’t a women sport even if we can do it if needs be, defence fighting is good for women .Tomboy girls need to flower ,soften and become women.All this acdc stuff is so laughable,

Kate says:

05:18pm | 14/08/09

Hey glorified, where did you buy your high horse from?

RobJ says:

07:07pm | 14/08/09

There’s no way that picture is of an amateur boxing event, the type they have at the Olympics. I was listening to an amateur female Australian boxer claiming that the benefits gained from the sport and training far outweigh the risks. I tend to believe her. Amateur and professional boxing are very different.

Chase Stevens says:

10:22pm | 14/08/09

Feminism is about giving women the choice to do what they want.
I think restrictions regarding what people can and can’t do based on sex (or any superficial thing) are stupid. Why shouldn’t women be able to compete in all the sports that men can? For that matter why shouldn’t men be able to compete in all the sports women can?

Dan says:

10:51pm | 14/08/09

LM, women will never be able to box against men, and nor should they. However that is not what this is about. This is about women boxing against women and there is no reason why women shouldn’t be allowed to do that. Feminism is about equality of choice and access, and this is about that. Hence, I think it is a triumph of feminism.

You don’t like boxing, fine, but is a woman wants to box (against other women), who are you to tell her that she shouldn’t?

Cate says:

06:14am | 15/08/09

Would rather watch rabbits mate.

MJ says:

10:54am | 15/08/09

Which other sports that women happen to participate in offend your delicate sensibilities?  Rugby?  Tae Kwon Do?

Perhaps you should have conducted further research before displaying your hypocrisy and ignorance.

TC says:

11:37am | 15/08/09

Boxing is for wimps. I’m waiting for when they approve human hunts as an olympic sport. Women get the guns, men do the running.

davido says:

12:39pm | 15/08/09

Im against it on the basis that the sheer lack of numbers of women boxing mean it cannot be considered a global sport.

Ash says:

10:23pm | 13/09/09

There is a lot of misunderstanding about the principles of professional boxing.  As a martial artist myself, I know that boxing is principally based on scoring points by throwing accurate punches in the correct positions.  Yes, it is dangerous, but ‘breaking noses’ isn’t the aim.  I think it is ridiculous that people are jumping to conclusions about the nature of the sport. I fully respect and support female boxers, as I do female martial artists of all types.

Nicole says:

05:54am | 13/11/09

This is completely retarded. If boxing is too intense for you, don’t watch it. There’s no reason talented women boxers shouldn’t be able to compete along with men in the Olympics. Especially not just because some weirdo who writes blogs on the internet has something against violence. Violence is completely natural and if you don’t care for it you must be deeply suppressed. I guess some people are just too sheltered or too bitter to understand though. If you had any kind of passion other than for critiquing a sport you know nothing about, maybe you’d realize boxing is more than just trying to inflict pain on another person.

Sally says:

09:50pm | 19/11/09

just to let you know, that photo professional boxing—a completely different sport to amateur, which is practiced at the Olympics

Nathan H says:

03:07pm | 28/11/09

I agree with a large proportion of this article. This presents a problem for me however. I believe in democracy and with that I should accept that people have equal oppertunities across the board and so free minded women should be allowed to fight. But I won’t pretend to like it. As the great British fighter Ricky Hatton said when he was asked, I too am uncomfortable seeing women punched in the face, even if it is voluntary and another woman doing it. As you correctly say, male pugilism is deeply entrenched into the sporting world and I won’t deny being a follower of male boxing. I can’t see female boxing ever becoming as popular and I don’t think it should. Female bodies are not built for fighting, male bodies are more adapted for that. The fact is men and women are different and I wish feminists would acknowledge it. As a general issue though, I disagree that boxing is primitive. Yes it is a violent sport, but it is not just a braindead brawl. Boxers require control, discipline, stamina and manuevering skill. And few sports can match the level of excitement of two willing fighters facing each other in the ring.

Louise says:

08:05am | 01/02/10

what a terrible picture for you to use to represent your article. It’s amazing when you read comments that there are so many pig headed people out there. Maybe you should have mentioned that with every sport there are dangers or the fact that your more likely to get injuried in other sports then you are in aba boxing! its controlled, skilled and not about knocking eachother out, but scoring points, like fencing. If you people want to ban boxing lets ban Judo too. I got more injuried taking part in judo then i ever have taking part in boxing. In fact i’ve given up Judo, not just because its an aba rule now but because I was getting less injuried in boxing.
People shouldn’t comment on things they do not understand,  take part in and have any interest. As for people comparing boxing to a pub brawl, well you obviously have a fun filled life observing them as they must be pretty skilled for you to compare them to any competing aba boxer. Lets see you move and train hard like we do…..

Rhiannon says:

02:13pm | 04/03/10

Understand this.  Boxing is all about dicipline and self defence.  When entering the gym a boxer must shake the hands of all trainers. They must respect everyone.  My friend i do not think you understand the moral of the sport.  In my gym if anyone is using their technique on the street they are immediately removed from the club. 
Boxing is technique, it teaches all boxers to think about all strategies.  The thoughts running through a boxers mind is not “i must hurt them.” “i must beat them to a pulp.” “i hate them.” this is not a sport of hate.  But developing the reflexes.  The thoughts are “I must get around them.” “I need to defend myself.” 
You must have a deeper understanding of the sport.  And not to mention the womens rights.  We have every right to play as men.  If you do not like the sport.  Then dont play it.  But think before you offend all who have a passion for it.

Chris says:

11:35am | 10/04/11

To say as a woman yourself that you object to women pursuing a predominantly male-ruled sport is almost like you are wishing for women worldwide to be held back as far as choices and oppurtunities go. Boxing in the olympics is far different than the professional boxers depicted in your article. ALL competitors are required to wear protective gear, including headgear and fights are based on scoring points in “zones”, not by knockouts, any other type of stoppage, or “inflicting physical damage; much different to professional boxing.
Just because it doesn’t appear feminine to you for women to box doesn’t mean that that is a legitimate reason to bash what is a different sport to the more brutal match-ups of professional prize-fighting. Give them a fair go.

caprica the series says:

07:41am | 15/04/11

An interesting discussion is worth comment. I think that you should write more on this topic, it might not be a taboo subject but generally people are not enough to speak on such topics. To the next. Cheers

http://www.watchcaprica.net/category/caprica/season-1

Shirley says:

02:42am | 10/05/11

This is your best post yet!

http://http://regcleanervista.com/recommends/registrywinner.php

Gary says:

09:30am | 16/05/11

This might become your grestest read ever. Gary

http://ti-da.net

franziska says:

02:40pm | 20/05/11

This is your best writing yet!

http://www.cineman.ch/fr/seances/Lausanne/