History-First WBAN Belts presented to Three Key Pioneer female boxers! by Sue TL Fox

(OCT 11)  On October 6, 2023,at the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame event, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada, at our pre-celebration day of the “Night of the Stars” event, WBAN presented three mini-WBAN Belts with a case to three prominent pioneer female boxers for the first time in the history of WBAN.

Photo credit  Stephen Blea.  Jamie Johnson (left); Pat Pineda (center) and Dar Buckskin (right)

To the surprise of these three pioneers in the sport, Pat Pineda, Dar Buckskin, and Jamie Johnson, they were certainly taken off guard when I called them up the the podium area  with first stating the following the audience in the ballroom.

Simply stated, “Pioneers will NEVER be forgotten” and that I did not care if a fighter  had one fight or 50 fights, or if they lost every fight, and/or won every fight—-that EVERY female boxer who has stepped in the ring in this sport has played a major part in where the sport is today.”

I then presented the  WBAN mini Belts to these pioneers who NEVER  had the opportunities to fight for world title belts, and/or the WBAN Belt.

Jamie Johnson of the United Kingdom was one of the first female boxers to fight on the history-first all-female card that took place in 1994, with their pioneering champs outside the ring at the time, Jimmy Finn and Barbara Buttrick (Barbara, one of the most famous female pioneer boxers in the sport);

Pat Pineda, is the history-first female boxer who obtained the first boxing license in the state of California, and which inspired many female boxers to enter the sport at that time in 1976.

Dar Buckskin along with her sister Theresa Kibby, are the history-first Native American pioneer boxers (and sisters) to obtain boxing license in the state of California in 1976.  They are also the first Native American sisters who have fought in the state of Nevada in the 1970’s.

WBAN would like to congratulate these three historic pioneer trailblazers—-and they can be proud that we now recognize these three warriors as champions!

More STORIES to come about our inductees, special award recipients and more!!