Bouts were staged in the 1720s

(excerpt only ] In London from the 1720s onwards, bouts were staged between women from labouring trades who were questing for money and status. Some of them became well known and their feats are recorded. For example, we read about “The famous boxing woman of Billingsgate,” “The fighting ass-driver from Stoke Newington,” “A female boxing blacksmith,” “The vendor of sprats,” “The market woman,” “The City Championess,” “The Hiberian Heroine”and “Bruising Peg.” The contests were vicious free-for-alls, either topless or in tight-fitting jackets, short petticoats and Holland drawers. They involved punching, feet- and knee-kicking to all parts of the body, mauling, scratching and throwing, and usually resulted in serious injuries. Large crowds and large bets were commonplace, and members of the nobility often donated lucrative purses. (Daly [unknown date]/Written by:  Jennifer Hargreaves /September 2001  Women’s Boxing and Related / Activities: Introducing Images and Meanings – Earlier versions of this article appeared in Body and Society, 3:4 (1997), pages 33-49 and Boxer: An Anthology of Writings on Boxing and Visual Culture, edited by David Chandler, John Gill, Tania Guha, and Gilane Tawadros (London: Institute of International Visual Arts), 1996, 121-131. Reprinted by arrangement with Jennifer Hargreaves. Copyright © Jennifer Hargreaves 1997. All rights reserved.

In 1722, Elizabeth Wilkinson and Hannah (Ann Field) Hyfield advertised they would box in London for 3 guineas; but according to some reports (not all) this match never took place in any event,  they did box (barefisted) in 1728) and Wilkinson  whose last name is now Stokes – won it.  Source/Hit and Miss Newsletter, 1977

London: First-staged women fights. The women would punch, use their feet and knee lifting/kicking to all parts of their opponents body. They also could maul, scratch and throw. This resulted in serious injury for either or both fighters. In other reports, in London in 1722 at the Boarded House, near what is now Oxford Circus, Elizabeth Wilkinson, the Cockney Championess, defeated Martha Jones.

While women’s boxing can loosely trace it beginnings to London in the 1720’s, throughout the ensuing decades, there were various exhibitions and scattered bouts until the 1950’s when several fighters, most notably Barbara Buttrick, JoAnn Hagen (Verhaegen), and Phyllis Kugler staged professional fights. The sport rekindled again in the 1970s thanks to the efforts of several important trailblazers. The 1970’s, in particular, were highlighted by many women’s boxing “firsts” including many states lifting bans for women to box; issuing “first time” boxing licenses, sanctioning boxing matches; and the various commissions approving more than four rounds for women’s bouts.

A Tidbit of Boxing Trivia:  1681 – According to News Shopper they reported that the First Records Boxing Match between two men took place in 1681 in England. The fight happened when the Duke of Albemarle engineered a bout between his butler and his butcher.