The second umpire frowned. “Come on, man. This ain’t a beauty show. No one gives a rat’s arse what you look like. The crowd’s waiting. Either strip or leave.” She returned her attention to center ring. The umpires—and now the referee and the stakeholder and Johnson as well—stared in confusion at her bind. Ruby kept her chin defiantly up while unwinding it. Here goes nothing.

Well-seasoned scrappers Mary Callaghan and Alice Davies were pitted against each after boasts from their fans in local pub, so called respectful admirers, over who was the best and it was decided they should “fight it out” for the prize of 5 shillings. Her heart raced. With each passing second, the pressure doubled. Tripled. She had to decide—and fast. After leaving Khunchai crumbled on the canvas, Emery jumped onto the ropes, pulled her sports bra up, and flashed the audience her bare breasts. Unfortunately, we now live in a world where role models, or influencers, are not necessarily doing things that the older generation, which I class myself as, or parents would want your kids to see or think is acceptable,” Hearn added, noting that he’s loved having his daughters spend time with a professional fighter like Katie Taylor.Reluctant to surrender his gambling habit, Lord Barrymore launched his own club. After his accidental death while on a mission for the Royal Berkshire Militia, his mistress, a big-limbed beauty who fancied fisticuffs herself, seized control of his club. It was either that or return to prostitution to support herself. As she and Nathan entered the ring, the spectators’ eyes clung to her like tar. A few grunts of surprise and speculative whispers reached her ears. Female boxing fell into this category – a bloody novelty act, as opposed to a serious sport. Often, in the records I found, there was no mention of which woman won, although there would be a description of what they had been wearing – or not wearing, as they sometimes fought stripped to the waist. The winner was often irrelevant, except to those with money on the outcome.

The Boxing Baroness had done well over the years, which meant the prizes she awarded were highly coveted. Today, the Gladiator Society was sponsoring a prize of twenty pounds to the winner. Ruby had practically salivated upon learning the amount. If she defeated the Society’s resident champion, the money was hers.On their way to Bethnal Green’s Paradise Row, Nathan turned to Ruby for the third time and asked, “Are you absolutely certain about this plan?” My opinion is, I hate it,” Hearn said of Hemsley flashing the crowd (transcript via MMA Fighting). “I hate it. We’ve worked so hard for women in boxing to be respected for their ability, for their merits, for their hard work. One thing we must understand is that ain’t boxing. That needs to be pushed. All that stuff — Misfits, Kingpyn, all that stuff. It needs to be booted so far away from professional boxing, and we really need to disassociate ourselves with what it is. If you don’t mind spoilers, enjoy this excerpt of Ruby’s boxing adventures from book one in the series, A Tale of Two Thieves: Standing on his crate, Mr. Giles announced the next bout. “Sledgehammer Johnson will now face off against…the Scarlet Menace.” His voice trailed off as he said her stage name, as if his heart wasn’t quite in it. Don’t worry, I’m not.” Ruby had come prepared for this scenario. She extended her hand, whereupon Nathan placed a small purse in it. A gentle shake made the coins within jingle enticingly. “My shirt,” she said, her tone heavy with innuendo, “stays on.” Then she covertly offered him the purse.

You may leave now,” said the first umpire as he pointed to the outside of the ring. “We haven’t got all bloody day.” Very little is known about the female boxers – like many women, their part in history went largely unrecorded. But there’s just enough to give us a tantalising glimpse into that world. Polly Burns was one who caught my eye, because she came from Lancashire like me. She was a circus strongwoman who fought against men and women and became the Female Champion of the World. There’s some admiration for her skills, but these women are really seen as a novelty act, billed as a ‘Lady Boxing Attraction’, very much a sideshow to the serious business of male boxing. It’s a situation that chimes with women in many industries today so it was a great way to explore how that happens and whether things can change.

He sat on a wooden stool with a ledger on his lap that he used to record names and betting information. As Ruby stood before him, he looked past her and up at Nathan, his eyebrows shooting skyward in the process. “My, you’re a tall one. This should prove interesting.” He readied his pen over the ledger. “Name?” His eyes widened. “Are you bloody kidding me? Stripping’s one of the main rules. The shirt comes off or you leave the ring. We run a strict operation here.” He shook his head of shaggy blond hair. “That means no bribes, neither.” Oh, but she did. She hoped he would understand after she had a chance to explain her reasoning. Taking a steadying breath, she removed her shirt. We will now be turning our attention to the Kingpyn Finals, with all of us more determined than ever to hold the greatest night of influencer boxing and showcase the very best of the sport we all love.” His effort then revealed her true problem. She was hesitating because of him. Everyone else was a stranger to her, so their opinions didn’t matter. As far as she was concerned, baring herself was a means to an end, nothing else. If Nathan wasn’t in the picture, would she have bothered to bribe the umpire?