Jackie Tonawanda
| Jackie Tonawanda | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jackie Garrett September 4, 1933 Suffolk County, New York, United States |
| Died | June 9, 2009 (aged 75) |
| Other names | Female Ali[1] |
| Nationality | American |
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) |
| Weight | 123 lb (56 kg; 8.8 st) |
| Division | Lightweight |
| Reach | 70.0 in (178 cm) |
| Style | Boxing |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 1 |
| Wins | 1 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| Losses | 0 |
Jackie Tonawanda (September 4, 1933- June 9, 2009), dubbed "the Female Ali" and born Jean Jamison, was a pioneer American female heavyweight boxer in the 1970s and 1980s.[2] Tonawanda was a well-known figure in the sport and was featured in many newspaper articles and magazines.[3]
In 1975, Tonawanda sued the New York State Athletic Commission for denying her a professional boxing license because of her gender.[4] This resulted in the case Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission (1975) at the New York Supreme Court (Tonawanda was also known as Jacqueline Garrett) which was decided in her favor.[5] However, this did not overturn the law in New York against women boxing.[6] But Cathy Davis sued the New York State Athletic Commission in 1977 because she was denied a boxing license because she was a woman, and the case was decided in her favor later that year, with the judge invalidating New York State rule number 205.15, which stated, “No woman may be licensed as a boxer or second or licensed to compete in any wrestling exhibition with men.”[7][8] In his opinion the judge cited the precedent set by Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission (1975), which “found the regulation invalid under the equal protection clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions”. The NYSAC filed an appeal of the ruling, but later dropped it.[5][7]
On June 8, 1975, Tonawanda participated in the interstylistic All Martial Arts Tournament, part of the Aaron Bank's Oriental World of Self Defense show, held in Madison Square Garden, where she fought kickboxer Larry Rodania, knocking him out early in the 2nd round with a left to the jaw.[9][10] She was the first woman to box in Madison Square Garden.[5]
Tonawanda only had one professional female bout, against Diane Clark in a six-round fight in 1979, which she lost.[11]
On June 9, 2009, Tonawanda died of colon cancer at Harlem's Mount Sinai Hospital.[12]
Mixed martial arts record
| 1 match | 1 win | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 1 | 0 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 |  Larry Rodania
|
KO (punch) | All Martial Arts Tournament | June 8, 1975 | 2 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, United States |
References
- ^ Company, Johnson Publishing (10 March 1977). "Jet". Johnson Publishing Company – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "The Women Boxers Who Fought for Their Right to Be Pro - FIGHTLAND".
- ^ "Woman Boxer (23-0) Is Suing for a License, Won't Fight Men; People in Sports". 25 December 1974 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ "Jackie Tonawanda". www.ibhof.com.
- ^ a b c https://cite.case.law/misc-2d/82/524/
- ^ "Lady Ali: How Jackie Tonawanda Changed Women's Boxing". Mental Floss. October 2, 2017.
- ^ a b Smith, Malissa (June 5, 2014). "A History of Women's Boxing". Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 168, 169 – via Google Books.
- ^ "People in Sports". January 22, 1975 – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ All Martial Arts Tournament—Second Edition by Valerie Eads, Black Belt, December 1975, vol. 13, no. 12, p. 64.
- ^ Inc, Active Interest Media (1 December 1975). "Black Belt". Active Interest Media, Inc. – via Google Books.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Women's boxing pioneer fights for a way out of Prince George's homeless shelter".
- ^ "Gallo: Jackie Tonawanda, known as 'Lady Ali' and boxing pioneer, dies at 75".
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