(JAN 11, 2024) Boxing in
Spokane has a long history that many people don't know about.
Women's boxing in Spokane has an even bigger history.
Women's boxing in general wasn't a huge sport until Christy
Martin stole the show from Mike Tyson on his title winning night
and people took notice of the women division.
Christy Salters Martin had some super fun nights in the ring.
[photo credits: Chris Farina (left) Mary Ann Owen (right).
.
At the same time, Spokane had its handful of great female boxing
Champions.
Para Paraley Draine
won the first professional world title for
Spokane as a boxer.
Sarah Schmedding (Hunter) became World #1. She beat three major
world champions! Two in her first two pro fights!
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Layla McCarter is easily top 5, best lb-4-lb ever in female
boxing and a multiple division world champion.
From Jenny (Price) Pat Jen Hutchings getting 2nd at Nationals in
1999 and Jillian Shah placing 5th in 2015 U.S. Championships, to
Abbi Reck winning multiple national titles as a youth amateur
boxer, I'm sad to say, women's boxing in Spokane doesn't get the
credit it deserves.
There were two women who drove in three days a week to train
with Layla McCarter from Wallace, Idaho (a 1 1/2hr drive).
Annette Neville won Nationals in 1999 and Jamie Taylor
got 3rd.
Not "from" Spokane, but fought "for" Spokane, so they deserve a
shout out too. (Haha).
In MMA, Rick Little has a UFC Women’s Champion! Pulled off what
some call the "biggest upset in combative sports history!" in
Julianna Nicole Peña beating Amanda Nunez!
Rick even had UFC Legend Miesha Tate come train with him for
some fights up here in Spokane!
On a funnier side note---the actress Hilary Swank won an Academy
Award for playing a boxer (Million Dollar Baby), and Swank lived
in Spokane for some odd years!
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Hell, we even had the first EVER women's boxing Olympic Trials
in Spokane. Queen Underwood of Seattle was the first American to
make it to the Olympics in Women's boxing and earned that
accomplishment right here in Spokane. [photo-Queen Underwood.
Photo credits Sue Fox]
Something in the Spokane water for women in the fight world!
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Sue TL Fox, “this is a great piece of history of women’s boxing
and more that occurred throughout the years in Spokane,
Washington. As Chauncy noted that in Spokane, a history-first
took place in February 2012, with 24 top amateur female boxers,
to compete to be able to be in the Olympics for the first time
that took place in London. Also, would like to mention, one of the top
current female boxers--- eight-time world champion “Amazing” Layla McCarter was
honored and awarded on October 6, 2023, by the
International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame in Las Vegas, Nevada,
for now fighting 25 years in the sport!"
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WEBSITES
www.womensboxing.org
www.womenboxingrecords.com
www.wban2012.com
www.wbanmember.com
www.floridaboxing.com
www.iwbhf.com
www.wban.tv
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