Jackie Tonawanda, dubbed “the Female Ali,” was born Jackie Garrett in New York on September 4, 1933. While she gained recognition as a pioneer female heavyweight boxer during the 1970s and 1980s, her career was largely defined by fabricated fight records. She frequently misled reporters to secure press coverage, a reality that overshadowed the legitimate, grueling bouts fought by her peers during that era.
However, the undefeated records she claimed in the media, which fluctuated between 23-0 and 36-0 depending on the article, lacked any verifiable opponents. When pressed by one of our writers, Tonawanda eventually admitted those bouts were “underground,” unsanctioned fights. Years of research and interviews with fellow pioneer female boxers who knew her confirmed that Tonawanda only ever competed in one sanctioned professional bout, which she lost to Diane Clark. Her official professional record stands at 0-1-0 (0 KOs).
Even decades later, her inflated statistics persisted in the media. On June 8, 2001, during the pay-per-view broadcast of the Laila Ali vs. Jacqui Frazier bout at the Turning Stone Casino, Tonawanda made a brief televised appearance. A commentator introduced her as the pioneer of women’s boxing and stated her record was 36-1 with 36 knockouts. Tonawanda nodded in agreement on air, though she later clarified to reporters that those victories took place in unsanctioned underground matches.
Following an October 16 press conference at the Women’s Sports Foundation, sports writer Carol Ann Weber attempted to interview Tonawanda after she began boasting about her status as “the female Ali.” However, Tonawanda abruptly shut down the inquiry, claiming a pending book deal prohibited her from sharing details, prompting Weber to walk away.
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Update: This story tells it ALL on the 0-1-0 Jackie Tonawanda that fabricated everything about her fights with others. Great read. Published on February 15, 2022 – Jackie Tonawanda aka Female Ali Didn’t Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee…Or Win Single Fight – by Randy Gordon Link to story
She is inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in New York in 2022—-an embarrassment to the sport when this took place. At this HOF they list her fight history 31-0 on some plaque..when in fact she never won a pro fight according to our research for many, many years. Read Randy Gordon’s editorial on this fighter.
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