Women's boxing offers amateur and professional opportunities

September 30, 9:56 PMChicago Boxing Fitness ExaminerNoel Rozny

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Aside from what you've seen in Million Dollar Baby, you probably don't know much about  women's boxing. I didn't either. That's why in honor of Women's Health and Fitness Day, I decided to do some investigating to see what options female fighters have in this male-dominated sport.

Women's boxing, not surprisingly, has a tumultuous history that often featured women fighting in to court to win the right to fight in the ring. Today, the good news is that the World Boxing Council recognizes a women's division and hosts women's championship bouts. There are also several boxing organizations, the Women's International Boxing Association, the International Female Boxing Association,  and the Women's International Boxing Federation that are devoted solely to women's boxing. The bad news is that although women can find fight opportunities through these organizations, they're not necessarily accessible to fans live or through broadcasts. (Unless I want to fly to South Korea, I still can't figure out where or how to watch upcoming matches.)

This may all change, however, when women's boxing make its debut at the 2012 Olympics. Until August of this year, the IOC had denied women's boxing entry as an Olympic sport. When they land in London, qualifying female boxers will be able to fight in three different divisions: flyweight, lightweight, and middleweight. More importantly, they'll have unprecedented access to a whole new fan base.

If you're a woman and you're itching to get your first amateur fight, there are options for you as well. Some of the top amateur female fighters in the world fight out of the States, partially because there aren't as many opportunities for professional female fighters yet.  The USA Championship and the Golden Gloves, two of the premier amateur championships in the United States, both recognize women's bouts. The Chicago Golden Gloves 2010 tournament will start in late March, so start training now.