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

What is it about?

The article examines and analyzes the introduction of nineteenth century female boxers, some of whom were also vaudeville stars, as a transgression into the previously male sphere of sport.

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Why is it important?

The introduction of female boxers can be viewed as a part of the early feminist movement in which women challenged male hegemony and the established gender order. Women who challenged men in and out of the ring defied the notion of the "weaker sex."