Father of Womens Boxing: Promoter Bill Dickson –

In October of 1980, Dickson was called the “Father of Women’s Boxing” in the Boxing Illustrated Magazine…..Hyatt Lake Tahoe matchmaker Bill Dickson is at it again.  But unlike Cupid whose work keeps the hotel full of honeymooners, Dickson’s matchmaking brings together athletes bent on pummeling each other.

In boxing, that is the nature of the game and Dickson has been providing it in a big-time way at Incline for the past 10 years.  When Saturday’s first of 32 rounds of scheduled boxing gets underway, it will mark the end of an 18-month boxing drought at Incline.  The last card presented at the Hyatt was in May of 1984.

Since 1976, the Hyatt has been offering cards with highly-regarded club fighters and a sampling of world class prospects on a more or less regular basis.  In addition, during the late seventies and early eighties, the Hyatt was regarded as the UNOFFICIAL NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS FOR WOMEN’S BOXING.

Dickson and the Hyatt received national attention when “Boxing Illustrated” featured a story on WOMEN’S BOXING IN AMERICA in October, 1980.  In the article, Dickson was dubbed the “FATHER OF WOMEN’S BOXING IN AMERICA.

During the Women’s heyday in the ring, the Hyatt was the country’s number one arena for women’s boxing.  PIONEERS such as “Squeaky” Bayardo, Julie “Machine Gun” Mullen, LaVonne “Snow White”   Ludian, and Toni Lear Rodriguez,  shuffled and jabbed across the Hyatt canvas.

While women have faded from the boxing scene, Dickson says he still receives phone calls on the subject.  By Robert Johnston, Staff Writer-North Lake Tahoe Bonanza (Excerpt) 10/23/85

Bill Dickson has contributed a lot of old women boxing records that have uncovered many past events in the sport.  Those documents will be shared on WBAN through a period of time.  A Special thanks to Bill and his wife Jane that have been so helpful in putting together some of the history of women’s boxing in the 70’s and 80’s.

Latest update on Bill Dickson.  Bill passed away on September 5, 2001

Note:  Bill Dickson was one of Sue Fox’s promoters when she boxed in the late 1970’s.