One of the earliest documented materials that WBAN found was dated February 29, 1916. The article stated, “Helen Hildreth, the Lady Pugilist, was having the best of it in a mixed fight with Johnny Atkinson when Police and Boxing Commissioner Fred Wenck jumped into the RING and ordered the fight stopped “Grupp’s Gym, N.Y.C.” This is not saying that this is when mixed matches all started, but at this time, it is the earliest documented incident of a mixed match.
Sue "TL" Fox, Multi-Hall of Famer, award-winning pioneer boxer rated #1 in the world in 1979, and creator/founder of WBAN™. She was named in the Feb. 2012 Commemorative issue of Ring Magazine as one of the Top-Ten Most Influential female boxers of all time. Since its inception on the Internet 27 plus years ago, WBAN has become the world’s leading authority for resource and information in female boxing. Fox outside the
ring is a professional musician and a retired police officer from Oregon. She also created and founded the International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2014. [In April of 2025, in Las Vegas, Fox will celebrate the 12th year anniversary of the IWBHF, and 27th year of WBAN as of May 18, 2025.]
