Annie Newton was London's first and principal woman

boxer Boxer most commonly refers to: * Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing *Boxer (dog), a breed of dog Boxer or boxers may also refer to: Animal kingdom * Boxer crab * Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans * Boxer snipe ee ...

, claimed during her time to be “the greatest woman boxer in the world."

Boxing career

Newton was the niece of ‘Professor’ Andrew Newton, lightweight boxing champion (1888-1890) and boxing instructor. She was unwell as a child. Following a visit to her uncle's gymnasium he was shocked by her pale appearance and began to train her to improve her health, which she later claimed saved her from an early death. He taught her to punch the bag and later, “for his amusement”, to spar. From the age of 10, she appeared in stage shows and fairground tents sparring with men, raising money for various charities. She reportedly boxed every day for fourteen years. After losing two husbands in the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, she was left to raise her daughter Daisy alone as a widow. In order to financially support her family she gave boxing lessons to men in her uncle's London gymnasium. She was eager to teach women, but found very few were willing to take up the sport. During the 1920s, Professor Andrew Newton formed a Women's Boxing Club in London, of which Annie Newton was the most famous member. In June 1925, she took part in a boxing tournament at the Alcazar, Edmonton. She was in the ring for over half an hour sparring with three men, giving them two rounds each. She could bunch a bag 900 times without missing.

'Women Boxers' Scandal

On Monday 8 February 1926, an exhibition match of six rounds was arranged at the

Hoxton Hoxton is an area in the London Borough of Hackney, England. As a part of Shoreditch, it is often considered to be part of the East End – the historic core of wider East London. It was historically in the county of Middlesex until 1889. I ...

Baths between Newton and Madge Baker. Baker was the other woman boxer in England and a student of

Digger Stanley George 'Digger' Stanley (28 February 1876 – 7 March 1919) was an English boxer who was British and European bantamweight boxing champion. Early life Stanley was a gypsy, and was born in a caravan at Kingston-upon-Thames. He could not read or ...

. The promoter, Harry Abrahams, later stated that it was not billed as a contest but was meant to be a novelty. News of the event caused outrage and protest. Plans were made to summon a 'town's indignation meeting' of local representatives with the aim of preventing the match. The campaign to stop the match was led by the

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

of Hackney, Rev. W. Evans, who wrote to the Daily News ''"I regard this proposed exhibition of women boxers as a gratification of the sensual ideals of a crowd of vulgar men."'' Evans appealed to the Home Secretary Sir William Joynson-Hicks. The Home Secretary replied ''"I should have no power to interfere, mainly, I think, because the Legislature never imagined that such a disgraceful exhibition would have been staged in this country...I hope and trust that the influence of decent public opinion will prevent such an outrage taking place."'' The event was banned by the

Shoreditch Shoreditch is a district in the East End of London in England, and forms the southern part of the London Borough of Hackney. Neighbouring parts of Tower Hamlets are also perceived as part of the area. In the 16th century, Shoreditch was an impor ...

Borough Council. The only vote in favour of the bout going ahead came from a woman member who stated “that if the girls wanted to maul each other, she thought it was perfectly all right”. Attempts were made to hold the match on 14 February at Manor Hall, Hackney. Rev. W. Evans wrote to the management to prevent this event from taking place. On hearing the match was again postponed, Newton stated ''“I'm terribly upset about it. I have been looking forward to the match for a long time and got myself in first-rate condition.”'' She offered to instead meet three male boxers in two-round bouts, but this too was cancelled, and Newton was only allowed to give an exhibition of her skill with the punchball. In a short speech from the ring, Newton expressed her disappointment. Newton, who had been publicly sparring all her life without objection, was surprised by and couldn't understand the public outcry. She countered concerns about women boxing, telling a reporter ''“All this talk about boxing being ‘degrading’ and ‘risky’ and ‘too hard work’ strikes me as very comic. Is it any more degrading, or half as hard work as scrubbing floors? Is it any more risky than working in a munitions factory ��'' The story was reported internationally, sometimes as a source of amusement. Reports suggest the original match went ahead surreptitiously. Despite the scandal, Newton remained defiant ''“In a way, of course, the decision will make no difference, because I shall go on with my sparring partners and enjoy myself no end. I could not give it up for anything in the world.”'' She predicted ''“while I may not see it, or you either, the day will come, like it or not, when the world will see women in the ring.”''

External links

Getty Images. Photo of Annie Newton taking on five men.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newton, Annie 1893 births 1955 deaths English women boxers People from Marylebone Boxers from Greater London