Phyliss Kugler featured in “Night and Day ” Mag – 1958

About Kugler – a report by Sue Fox in 2002:

“Matchmaker Johnnie Nate stands outside the Armory last Thursday night and tries to figure out why he was denied the rental of the building. Nate had scheduled a nine-bout amateur fight card for the building, but authorities in Indianapolis later cancelled him out. Nate believes it is because he  had two lady boxers on the show”   Written in 1957…

Phyllis Kugler, a  boxer in the 1950’s, who had over 50 fights that included exhibitions,  with only one loss is one of the most prominent women boxers in the past,  and played a significant part in the world of women’s boxing.

In the South Bend Tribute, dated 1957, it says, “Phil Kugler’s name didn’t stir any controversy in the Tribune’s amateur boxing results.  Kugler seemed like just another  young boxer who fared well at The Arena over on North Hill Street during the early 1950’s. But all that changed when a reporter ambled over to watch the fights one night and found out that Phil was short for Phyllis.”

Phyllis told WBAN that it was not all that unnatural for her to take up the sport as her father was an amateur boxer, and her brothers also boxed. She was acclimated to going to a boxing gym, and felt that she would also like to box when her brothers were boxing.  With the help of a boxing trainer/manager, Johnny Nate, Kugler turned  pro.  Kugler managed to earn world women’s titles in three weight classes.

Kugler said that she has never looked at boxing as something that a woman should not do.  She admitted that she was somewhat of a “tomboy” when she was growing up.   Kugler said that when she first started boxing, that her mother had a problem with it— especially after she broke her
nose several times.  Kugler said that people in her area did not always understand her love of being a boxer….

Because it was more of an oddity at the time, Nate her trainer, told Kugler to wear dresses out of the ring and to keep her hair long.  Kugler always  maintained a femininity outside of the ring—which was totally opposite of her inside the ring!

Kugler said that she would even go as far as to promote some of her bouts by wearing a pair of  high heels, dressed in a short skirt, and put on a blindfold and do a 15-minute routine on a speed bag!  Kugler would do some of these “speedbag exhibitions” at car shows, openings, and other
events to promote her boxing.  Kugler had made several television appearances that included, i.e.,  “The Steve Allen Show,” “What’s My Line” and “I’ve Got a Secret.”  When Kugler and JoAnn Hagen were going to appear on What’s my Line, the Tribune wrote the following:  In July of 1957, Kugler was chosen by the Faternal Order of  Police as “woman boxer and Beauty Queen of the year.”  They sent a letter  to her trainer, where she was invited to attend the All-Star Boxing Show to received this award.