Are we looking at the end of ring girls in boxing open house

Are we looking at the end of ring girls in boxing

As formula 1 announce they will no longer be using grid/promo girls at there events and darts have now stopped using promo girls to walk the players in the Birmingham Boxing Column asked the question, will ring girls in boxing be next?

The Column have set up a poll on social media asking this question, the majority of people were very strongly in favour of the ring girls staying with 90 percent voting no they should stay and 10 percent saying yes they should go. When F1's decision was announced on the news they asked boxing promoter Frank Warren weather his company would be following suit. He said “"I am not about to change anything to go along with the latest whim and, if girls holding up a round card really does offend anyone, then just don’t watch it”.

I then went and asked some of the local boxing promoters there views on the matter. Tommy Owens who runs TOPromotions and sponsors the column was the first to get back to me. He informed me “Yes I will continue to use them, Ring girls and boxing go hand in hand their have always been ring girls in professional boxing and for me a show isn’t complete without them. Plus how we going to know what round we are on if we stop using them”.

Dan Mole from Black Country Boxing replied to our question with this, he told the column “We plan to continue as the F1 and Darts are broadcast decision rather than the promoters”.

MTK Birmingham Promotor Will Stokes told the column this “We see men and women as totally equal in sport and the workplace. As we are concerned the ring girls apply for the jobs and enjoy their work so we would never take this away from them. They are always treated with respect as is everybody else working with our promotions, no matter the gender and job role everyone is equal. We will continue to use ring girls”.

I also contacted a few ring girls to get there point of view, Hay Whittaker who has worked on TOP, BcB and MTK shows to name a few had this to say. This stunning young lady said “I have been doing the ring cards for over 5 years, I have never once felt sexualised I wear what I feel comfortable and confident in. I am treated with the upmost respect by all”.

Another ring girl Rachel Payne wrote “it's not boxing without ring girls”.

Cat Orourke the company director of Sophisti'cats glitz & glam promotions had this to say, Cat informed the column “Ring girls have been a tradition in the boxing ring for years, they brings a little bit of glamour to a predominately mans world.

This gives employment to the girls and also confidence, it’s amazing the confidence a young lady can get from walking in that ring knowing all eyes are on her.

My ring girls are dressed very classy they are all different sizes and shapes so it’s not all about the industry of skinny beauty’s I have brought girls into this job role who have no confidence in themselves and they have just blossomed each round they walk. I feel that it’s a crying shame to stop this within the boxing ring... it’s the world gone mad again it angers me”.