Women Boxers: Actresses to Athletes – The Role of Vaudeville in Early Women’s Boxing in the USA

Introduction In recent decades, women’s boxing has become increasingly popular as a fitness exercise or as a competition. Boxing had previously been presumed to be a masculine activity; but women’s boxing has a long history. This examination intends to ascertain the early development of women’s boxing and its affinity with vaudeville, and identify some of the participants and analyse their motivations.