Boxing is one of the oldest sports that are played throughout the world. For many years, boxing matches were only performed by men. However about ten years ago women’s boxing started to appear in the mainstream. One of the most famous women’s boxers that blazed a trail for the women of today was Christy Martin.

Christy Martin helped to bring media attention to a sport that was not getting very much coverage until she broke into the ring. She was signed by infamous boxing promoter Don King in the early 1990s, and she made the most of the opportunities he gave her. She mainly fought as an undercard on the Mike Tyson matches, but she often stole the show. She brought much media attention to women’s boxing when she fought Deirdre Gogarty on Showtime in 1996. During this fight she had her nose broken in the early rounds by Gogarty. However she continued to fight hard and won the fight. I remember this fight very well and I gained much respect for Martin during this fight, because even though she took a beating early, she never gave in and ended up winning the fight by a unanimous decision.

This match was a major turning point in women’s boxing, because the entire mainstream sports media now starting covering her fights. Christy continued to fight and win for about ten more years, until she was confronted with a bout with Laila Ali. Laila Ali is famed boxing legend, Muhammad Ali’s daughter. Ali overmatched Martin and knocked her out in the fourth round. After this match the torch was past from Martin to Ali as the woman to lead women’s boxing into the next generation.

Boxing is primarily considered a sport for men. When most people think of boxing, they do not picture two women dueling it out in a ring. Yet in recent years and throughout history, women have always played a role in this sport, and other areas of competitive fighting. It is interesting to see how it has developed over time, into what we know boxing as today, where women are just below men, in terms of numbers of competitive fighters. Boxing is a great workout for women to get in shape. Boxers need to have strength, speed, endurance, and explosiveness to win fights.

What has not changed that much is the amount of attention it gets in comparison to male boxing. This is primarily because a lot of people do not agree that women should take part in such a risky sport. Women, by nature, are considered the less aggressive of the two sexes and therefore should have no place in boxing. However, boxing is no more riskier than any other sport that has welcomed women. Not to mention the fact that women have been involved in boxing since the eighteenth century.

The reason why we are seeing a rise of female fighters is the great physical benefits it provides. There is nothing better than the workout you will get from a boxing match, not to mention the substantive training you will have to go through. If you are a woman and you are thinking about getting into boxing, then your first step will be to find a trainer. If you do not want to rush into that, then you will be better off to start by taking a couple of classes to see if it is something you would like to get involved in. That way you will learn the basics of the sport in terms of rules and technique.

Boxing is a great way to get rid of unwanted stress. People in general sometimes tend to hold everything in. This is hard on our bodies, so to avoid ulcers and high stress levels, boxing is a great option. Women in larger numbers, are experiencing benefits in this area that men have been taking advantage of for years. Another benefit is that boxing for women can also serve as a great self-defense tool. You will not feel as vulnerable as before when walking alone late at night if you are a skilled pugilist. Who needs mace or a stun gun when you can have the ultimate satisfaction of being able to cold-cock an attacker.

No matter what level of boxing you are at, you will find something that suits your abilities. Boxing is also an excellent activity for toning up the muscles of the rear and the quads, making it an appealing exercise for women who are interested in losing weight and toning their buns and thighs as part of their fitness strategy. Boxing has become one of the fastest growing fitness regimes that is available today. If you are wanting to develop a toned, lean and very strong central core for your body, then this just might be the perfect endeavor for you to achieve that goal.