Tiger Tales: So What did Don King do for Women’s Boxing in the 70s and 80s

SO WHAT DID DON KING DO FOR WOMEN’S BOXING IN THE 70’S AND 80’S

“Yes, there was women’s boxing in Don King’s life before Christy Martin. . . I uncovered some interesting boxing trivia about this infamous boxing promoter!” by Sue TL Fox – Check out this article on King that is dated March 1980, in the WBB Glove Magazine.  

MARCH 1980 Issue:  DON KING ADDRESSED WOMEN’S BOXING IN THE FIRST WOMEN’S BOXING MAGAZINE THAT WAS EVER PUBLISHED! IT WAS CALLED THE WBB, THAT WAS LATER RENAMED ” WBB GLOVE”. CHECK OUT HIS EDITORIAL ABOUT THE SPORT!

 Is a woman’s place in the boxing ring? By Don King, WBB magazine, March 1980

WOMEN’S BOXING is something that was unacceptable in the past. It’s not new, it’s been going on a long time, but I think that it’s becoming more acceptable.

Today’s hue and cry is equality, equality of the sexes, and whatever a woman wants to do I think that’s her personal decision.

I think it’s the decision of the fans to go see what they want to go see, and the ones that don’t like it they shouldn’t go see it, they shouldn’t be a part of the encouragement.

Truthfully, being a member of a minority it would be very difficult for me to go against any minority trying to do anything they support and advocate, so whatever the women want to do I think it’s a personal decision and I certainly do support the women.

AS FOR PROMOTING women’s boxing, I certainly would consider it,. I’ve been approached on several occasions to look at the women. In fact, I have a women’s program that they brought me on videotape that I viewed and there certainly is one of those matches in there, on of those girls who was just an exciting prizefighter. Really, I’ve seen a lot of them and a lot of them are just doing things in a quasi-feminine style, but this girl was just throwing hooks and jabs and moving back, stepping in and throwing uppercuts, hey, she could fight and I got the film of it.

I was really excited about this girl, and I just may put her in there in between bouts someday. I think it would really be something super because then you would not view that as in a feminine situation, where they’re delicate and dainty and they can’t help themselves. When you see this young lady, she can perform.

I’ve never been opposed to women’s boxing. I’ve always been for human rights, equal rights. Don King