Britain's very own million dollar baby

Aside from the numerous records that will no doubt get smashed at the forthcoming Olympics, something is about to happen that you will have never seen before.  London 2012 will be the first games in which women are allowed to box.  Make no mistake, it’s going to be awesome.  How it’s taken this long is beyond me, but I’m damn sure that were it not for the will of Jane Couch (MBE) we might have had to wait another 4 years for this to happen.

Until 1998 it was illegal for ladies to get involved with the sport.  During the summer of this year, Jane Couch changed the world of boxing in a ground breaking court case against the British Boxing Board of Control.  Prior to this trial, they had refused to grant her with a boxing licence on the grounds that PMS made women too unstable to box.  Yes, before you ask, that’s the same BBBoC that granted Tyson with a licence.  Twice.   

At the time, Couch failed to comprehend the significance of her actions “you see, I just wanted to box.  I didn’t really know what I was achieving.  I didn’t realise the impact that it would all have.”  Her story reads uncannily like the script to Million Dollar Baby – apart from the tragic ending of course.  That would have been most unfortunate.

Since securing her licence, Couch went on to win five world titles and subsequently coach some of the most impressive talent that British boxing has ever known.  A pretty grand achievement for someone who was first refused entry to her local boxing gym in Fleetwood – ‘I vowed never to go back there, because they wouldn’t let me train.’ 

Undeterred by rejection, she found a gym in Wigan and started to master her chosen craft.  ‘I remember the first time I was hit in the gym. Boy, that was hard.  But you get used to it and you become conditioned.  Over time you don’t even feel it.’  I’ll take her word for it.  

Jane’s first fight was against a policewoman at an unlicensed event, where she was spotted by her soon to be life-long coach, Tex.  I’ve met Tex and I can say in all confidence that he makes Clint Eastwood look like a fairy.  The man is nails hard, whilst also being a complete gent with it.  He gave Couch an opportunity which she wholeheartedly embraced.  Hitchhiking from Manchester to Bristol, she made Tex’s gym her base and began her rapid ascent to world domination.

Her style can be summed up in a word.  Relentless.  She deliberately set out to apply as much pressure as quickly as she could, often finding that her unyielding attacks gave her the psychological advantage too. ‘I think that’s why I became so successful.  I just know how fit I was.  I knew that I was fitter than them.  No matter who they were, I just knew.’ Arguably, this made her more of a fighter than a boxer, but hey, if it works it works!

Having inspired so many and paved the way for girls to box in this country, Couch is responsible for the wealth of talent we have today and the reason that we look in such good shape when it comes to this Olympics.  Her ‘ones to watch’ at the games are Natasha Jonas, Nicola Adams and Savannah Marshall – any of whom could take a medal this year and further cement Britain’s place on the global stage of women’s boxing.

Come on girls!