Jackie Tonawanda Spars With Muhammad Ali – 1976

Jackie Tonawanda Spars With Muhammad Ali – September 26, 1976

Jackie Tonawanda got the opportunity to work out in the gym and spar with MUHAMMAD ALI at his training camp at the Concord Hotel Kiamesha Lake, N.Y.  TONAWANDA’S remarks about ALI:  “Ali’s hands were faster than ever, I’m glad they weren’t touching me.  His combinations were beautiful–a jet plane would do second to him.”

Other historical information on Jackie Tonawanda:  Copyrighted Story Written by Sue TL Fox

JACKIE TONAWANDA, was first introduced to the sport of boxing by a young friend at the age of nine. TONAWANDA immediately took to the sport. According to reports, for thirteen years, TONAWANDA boxed professionally, although WBAN has NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE A BOXING RECORD that is listed in newspapers on this boxer. When the New York State Athletic Commissioner Edwin Dooley refused to issue her a boxing license, she took it to court and won. TONAWANDA still remembers vividly the day in October of 1974, when she applied for her boxing license. She was told to expect an answer in a month. She never heard from them, and after a few months of not receiving her license, she let her lawyers take over.  THREE BOXERS RECEIVED THEIR LICENSES AT THE SAME TIME.  Tonawanda, along with Cathy “Cat” Davis, and Lady Tyger Trimiar were all responsible for earning the right to box in New York State.  TONAWANDA was the first woman to fight at the Madison Square Garden, when she matched up with a top contender male kickboxer.  She knocked him out in the 2nd round.  She thought that the New York Athletic Commission would finally be convinced that she had a right to get a boxing license. They still did not give in. WBAN has now received information from MANY boxing sources that say that Jackie Tonawanda’s  boxing record is basically a figment of her imagination. WBAN will have to concur with that as it has yet to find ANY documentation to substantiate her outlandish claims of having a 26-0-0 record, 32-0-0 record (depending on what news source). WBAN has her at 0-1-0 at this time in women’s boxing, one documented kickboxing/boxing exhibition match when she boxed a male.

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Lady Tyger Trimiar interviewed by WBAN in the early 2000’s.  We asked Tyger who worked with Tonawanda in the past about the outrageous boxing record that Tonawanda was telling the press, this is what she responded to in that interview:  http://www.wban.com/tyger.htm        

TL Fox: When the commentator on the Laila/Frazier fight said to Jackie Tonawanda that she had a 36-1 (36KO) record, what was  your reaction?

Trimiar: When I heard it I just went “Wow”.    I  wished that the commentator would have asked her who she had fought,  and name some of her opponents. Then she needs to prove that. The only fight I knew of her being in was against Diane Clark, and she lost that fight. Then she did this exhibition thing at Madison  Square Garden with the male kickboxer.