Wolfe to fight Sanctioned Bout against a Male? – 2005

By Sue TL Fox- February 23, 2005

(FEB 23) Today in the Las Vegas Sun there was an announcement that the Mississippi Athletic Commission, has approved of world champion Ann “Brown Sugar” Wolfe to  fight a male boxer.  There were indicators that this may be a “history first” in the United States, and that it will be a “real” fight.

In October 1999, the State of Washington approved Margaret McGregor to fight Loi Chow in a four round bout in what was sold to the public as a  “real” fight.  McGregor-Chow fought under the women’s rules. (two minute rounds.)  It was billed as a  “FIRST-EVER”.

After the fight took place, and McGregor had defeated Chow with a unanimous decision, the fight was reduced to an “exhibition.”

As an “exhibition” the fight was simply added to the many male-female bouts that have occurred in history of women’s boxing.   Now, if Wolfe fights a male, will this fight go by the “Women’s Boxing rules.”?  Or will they fight under the “men’s boxing rules” ?  What ranking system does one use for these carnival matches?

Updated News/interview by Anthony Cotton of The Denver Post on this issue and Wolfe’s comment about Ali- published on February 28, 2005

Boxers box, and Ann Wolfe is a boxer who wants to ply her trade. In the absence of what she considers quality female opponents, this summer the 34-year-old from  Texas will enter the ring against a male fighter in a bout that already  has been sanctioned by the state of Mississippi. Recently, the  plain-spoken, oft-profane Wolfe took a break from a workout in her gym  in Austin and pulled no punches in discussing her work.

Interview sidenotes by Ann’s Interview- she talks about fighting a male and Laila Ali turning down a fight with her:    “I’m going to fight a
boxer, a boxer with my skills. And for a lot of people who don.t know boxing, let me tell you something, there are amateurs who I couldn.t
beat and pros who I can. I.ve never sparred with a girl in my life. This  is not a sideshow or a joke to me, and anybody who thinks it.s a joke
should see me fight. I.ve done hundreds and hundreds of rounds with male  opponents who have to fight me. There.s not a woman on the face of the
earth who hits harder than I do.”

On LAILA ALI:  “Laila Ali will not fight! So what am I supposed to do? They offered Laila Ali $500,000; I was going to get $100,000. She still didn’t fight.”

Updated news on this issue published on August 27, 2005

On December 2, 2005 Ann Wolfe will enter the ring against Bo Skipper in the first ever sanctioned inter-gender bout in professional boxing history.Wolfe 22-1 (15 KO’s), having no other direction to go with her career due to Laila Ali’s failure to make the fight, will step out of the realms of female prize fighting and attempt to do battle with a man.  “This isn’t about Bo Skipper. This is about me fighting an opponent of equal skill level to myself. I have never said I can beat all the men out there,” stated Wolfe at the press conference in Biloxi, MS on August 22nd.

Updated news on this issue was published on September 5, 2005 – Chicago Tribune

Chairman John Lewis knew his Mississippi Athletic Commission would face criticism for sanctioning a bout between a man and a woman, so he took matters into his own hands.  Or, more correctly, his own fists.  Lewis, 34, a former boxer in Toughman competition, decided to evaluate Ann Wolfe’s skills by meeting her in the ring. He fought four rounds and that convinced him that he and his two fellow commissioners should allow Wolfe, 34, to face Bo Skipper, 35, a journeyman boxer with an 11-3-2 record.