Is There Room For Black Female Boxers In Big-Time Boxing? - Should There Be

The debate outside the ring is often as heated as the fights inside the ring

LAILA Ali trains six clays a week. On those days, she runs about four miles and goes to the gym. There, she hits the speed bag, practices her footwork, and laces up her boxing gloves to pound the heavy bag and then do a few rounds of sparring.

The sweat is the same. And so is the blood. Professional boxing knows no gender and doesn't discriminate once you step through the ropes.

Showcasing supremely conditioned, trash-talking athletes with swift punches and fancy footwork, the sport is finding new warriors in African-American women. And some of these athletes--from the upstarts like Ali to the contenders and champions--are finding a measure of success in the ring.

But there's also controversy, sparked by boxing purists and spectators who believe that women should not participate in such a violent sport. And those feelings have prompted often heated debate about whether there is or whether there should be room for Black women in big-time boxing. The arguments against women's boxing range from safety issues to social issues. Some critics say that women's bodies aren't built for boxing while others just don't want to see women get hit. In some countries there are laws against women's boxing.

On the other side, there is strong support for women in boxing, with many fans believing that participants should have the opportunity to win the big purse, even if they carry a purse. "I wasn't too crazy about [women's boxing] myself," says New Jersey boxing promoter Diane Fischer, owner of Dee Lee Promotions. "But I went out and I watched the girls. They train just as hard as the men. Those girls were fighting. They were good."

In the midst of all the fuss, Ali, who trains at L.A. Boxing in Los Angeles, is learning the ropes. Since October, she has stepped into the ring with three opponents, all with a similar lack of experience, and she won each bout by knockout. She'd like to have the security and time anonymity would allow, but that's impossible. She's an Ali, and she's a boxer.

Although her name brought her instant recognition as the daughter of former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali, the 21-year-old knows she's just getting started. The buzz about the 5-foot-10-inch, 168-pound fighter can be distracting. Some fans attend her fights to catch a glimpse of her famous father. And yes, some are waiting to see if she'll fall on her face. Still others are hoping to ignite old rivalries. Jacqui Frazier Lyde, the 38-year-old lawyer-daughter of famed boxer Joe Frazier, who was Muhammad Ali's fiercest rival, has even challenged the younger Ali to a fight. So far, Ali's camp has declined.

"If I could, I would have loved to not have been Laila Ali. I would have loved to have been a person who is not Muhammad Ali's daughter, and start boxing and get my experience. And then, once I feel comfortable and get experience, come out and have people watch me," says Ali, who's been training for about 17 months. "People started being in my face from the beginning of my career, when I didn't know anything yet, and they started trying to judge me. Really, it's just too soon."

When it comes to shunning the spotlight, Ali is in the minority. Other Black female boxers like (Downtown) Leona Brown and Tiffany (Lady Logan) would give anything for the opportunity to turn down a televised fight and bask in the unparalleled media attention. The best they can hope for at this point is local success and some acclaim in boxing's inner circle--where fans follow their favorite fighters on the Internet or in boxing magazines or on the occasional televised undercard of a major fight.

That's why these women have been training--and waiting--for their shot at the big time. But even if you do have the skills, with no name or gimmick to thrust you to the head of the class, boxing insiders say it's difficult to get the exposure needed for the big-money, multimillion-dollar purses prevalent in big-time men's boxing. Women's boxing is so young (recognized by USA Boxing in 1993), experts say that it's difficult to know who's going to break out of the pack and turn it into a mega-sport. The public interest is there, says Fischer, who's had a hard time breaking into what she calls the "old boys' club." The money, the endorsements, the credibility and fairness are not.

"It's the same thing I've been getting as a promoter," says Fischer. "And I've been fighting it for three years."

Undoubtedly, women's boxing has grown, says Rick Kulis, a boxing promoter and co-founder of the Torrance, Calif.-based International Female Boxers Association (IFBA). And much of that growth has taken place over the past two years. In 1996, about 130 women were registered as amateur boxers. Today, Kulis says, there are more than 1,200 women who are boxing for USA Boxing and Golden Gloves, the amateur proving grounds. Frank Globuschultz, president and CEO of the International Women's Boxing Federation, based in Huntington, N.Y., estimates that about 30 percent of the women boxers coming up today are African-American.