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Downloaded from
YTS.MX
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I had a long,
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00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,000
Official YIFY movies site:
YTS.MX
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00:00:08,240 --> 00:00:09,880
very fast left jab.
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00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,960
Not so fast these days.
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00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,880
Throw the left hand,
and then come-
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00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:17,880
because they're looking at this one,
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00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:20,720
and then I would hit them
with this one.
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00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:23,240
They said
I had dynamite in both hands.
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00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,000
(CROWD CHEERS)
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00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:27,520
It never occurred to me
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00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,760
that I was doing something
so outrageous.
13
00:00:30,800 --> 00:00:31,800
(SIREN WAILS)
14
00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:44,160
We were challenging the norm,
and that was frightening people.
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00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:47,720
MAN: A woman is not made
to be a fighter.
16
00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:49,800
It should not be tolerated.
17
00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,440
Nobody in the whole United States
wanted women in the ring, period.
18
00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:56,560
ALI: Fighters are made
to the punched.
19
00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,720
Women ain't made to be
hit in the breast.
20
00:00:58,760 --> 00:01:03,840
It was unbelievable. They had
rules to stop women from boxing.
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00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:06,520
A woman could never be a boxer,
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00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:09,760
just by the fact that a woman's role
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00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,520
is of being a subordinate.
LYDIA: What the fuck, man?
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00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:15,560
I'm gonna kick some ass, you know,
I wanna fuck somebody up.
25
00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:17,000
Bam, bam, bam!
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00:01:18,320 --> 00:01:20,520
All the rage, the hate,
the (ROARS)
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00:01:20,560 --> 00:01:24,120
you guys are not gonna stop me.
This is something I want.
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00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,560
But nobody ever told the story.
29
00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:29,960
The history of women's boxing
is an amazing story,
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00:01:30,920 --> 00:01:34,039
but it has been totally erased.
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00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:38,000
After I left the sport,
I went on the Internet, thinking,
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00:01:38,039 --> 00:01:40,800
"Well, there's gotta be a lot
of things about the pioneer
33
00:01:40,840 --> 00:01:45,400
female boxers," and to my dismay,
there's virtually nothing.
34
00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:46,840
We disappeared.
35
00:01:48,160 --> 00:01:50,280
There was Cat Davis,
36
00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,000
Lavonne Ludian, Pat Pineda,
37
00:01:53,039 --> 00:01:56,440
Lady Tyger.
Women are wonderful and great.
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00:01:56,480 --> 00:01:58,640
Lady Tyger, champion of the world.
39
00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,000
Where are these fighters now?
What happened to them?
40
00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:10,400
And why have they been
erased from history?
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00:02:27,280 --> 00:02:28,760
(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)
42
00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,360
CAT: Well,
it all started with fencing.
43
00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,400
When I saw the '72 Olympics,
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00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:44,840
I got so inspired.
45
00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,520
I decided to be a fencer.
46
00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:51,680
I wanted to be up there
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00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,360
winning an Olympic medal
because I was the best.
48
00:02:56,640 --> 00:03:00,280
So, I signed up to a fencing club
at Louisiana University.
49
00:03:01,720 --> 00:03:04,240
I turned out to be very gifted
at it.
50
00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:09,200
My trainer, he said,
"You need to move to New York
51
00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,960
to study with Csaba Elthes."
52
00:03:12,000 --> 00:03:14,640
He was the best coach in the world
at the time.
53
00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,160
But I knew my mom wouldn't approve.
54
00:03:20,320 --> 00:03:23,280
My dad died before I was born,
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00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:26,560
so I was raised by my mom, and...
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00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:28,960
when my mother and I interacted,
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00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:31,800
it was a lot about
the old south stuff.
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00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:34,600
She wanted me to stay a little doll.
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00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:37,920
I just couldn't do the girl thing.
60
00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,079
I just wasn't-
I wasn't cut out for it.
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00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,240
My fencing was a big disappointment
to her, I think.
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00:03:46,640 --> 00:03:48,320
But I thought, you know, "Fuck it."
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00:03:48,360 --> 00:03:51,680
I packed up, headed to New York
on a bus,
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00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,200
with 100 bucks in my pocket.
I was pumped.
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00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:03,920
I was very excited to meet Csaba.
66
00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:08,000
I was gonna meet the pope.
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00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,160
Csaba came in, and I asked him
if he would teach me sabre.
68
00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:19,560
And he said to me,
in a very stern voice,
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00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:21,240
"Young lady,
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00:04:21,280 --> 00:04:25,200
I don't teach women
or cripples sabre."
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00:04:26,280 --> 00:04:30,400
And he actually hit me across my leg
with his weapon,
72
00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,520
and drew blood.
73
00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:38,120
Sliced me up. I was heart-broken.
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00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:42,040
It was just because I was a woman.
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00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,960
(WOMEN CHANTING)
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00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,480
Well, by 1972,
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00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,720
the women's movement had made
some progress in the courts.
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00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,000
We will make real the promise
of equality for all.
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00:04:57,040 --> 00:04:58,040
(CHEERING)
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00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:03,360
But in the real world, we were still
treated as second-class citizens.
81
00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:06,720
Don't get me wrong,
I'm totally in favour of women.
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00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,720
I mean, I think every man
should own one.(AUDIENCE LAUGHS)
83
00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:12,440
There have been 73 astronauts
in our space programme,
84
00:05:12,480 --> 00:05:14,280
but never any woman.
85
00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:16,520
A real woman don't wanna
be equal to a man,
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00:05:16,560 --> 00:05:18,680
a real man don't want no woman
being his equal.
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00:05:18,720 --> 00:05:21,400
And if she don't like it,
put her out, find another one.
88
00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,560
I went back to my apartment,
89
00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:27,800
I only had a few dollars left,
90
00:05:27,840 --> 00:05:31,480
but I said to myself,
"I am not going back home.
91
00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:33,480
I have to make it work here."
92
00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,080
So, I got some newspapers
93
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,640
and I started looking for a job,
94
00:05:38,680 --> 00:05:42,600
and I was going through and circling
the ones I was interested in,
95
00:05:42,640 --> 00:05:45,320
and then I came upon this one
that says,
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00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:47,840
'Wanted: woman boxers'.
97
00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,200
It sounded like assembly line,
boxing up things.
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00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,000
I said, "Ah, that sounds
like something I can do."
99
00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,600
This guy answered the phone.
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00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,040
MAN: We need somebody real bad.
101
00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,240
His name was Sal.
You're not a fighter, are you?
102
00:06:03,280 --> 00:06:08,520
It turned out it wasn't boxing
goods, it was the sport of boxing.
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00:06:08,560 --> 00:06:10,880
I never heard of women boxing.
104
00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,600
I was a little bit taken aback,
105
00:06:13,640 --> 00:06:16,000
you know, this naive southern girl.
106
00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,200
He was a larger-than-life
Italian-American boxing trainer.
107
00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:22,160
So, we arranged to meet.
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00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:24,480
When I first saw you
walking out the door,
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00:06:24,520 --> 00:06:26,840
that I thought you were gonna be
some kind of an animal.
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00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,320
She opens the door, here comes
this good-looking blonde,
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00:06:29,360 --> 00:06:31,800
and I say, "Oh hell, man,
this is our girl."(LAUGHTER)
112
00:06:31,840 --> 00:06:34,400
I thought he was really dumb,
because he just sat there
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00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:36,720
with his mouth open and
he wouldn't say anything.
114
00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,920
And I started to say, "Did I-
Did I say something wrong?"
115
00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,400
Finally he shut his mouth, says,
"Get in. We're going back
to the gym."
116
00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:45,960
The first thing he wanted me
to do was hit the bag.
117
00:06:49,400 --> 00:06:50,960
It felt pretty good.
118
00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:56,800
I mean, it works just like fencing.
119
00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,640
To be a good fencer, you have
to have the head of a chess player,
120
00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,240
the arms of an orangutan,
121
00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:07,440
and the footwork of a ballet artist.
122
00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,440
So, I had the arms of an orangutan.
123
00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:12,760
(LAUGHS)
124
00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:18,720
Sal said he was gonna make
woman's boxing the next big thing.
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00:07:18,760 --> 00:07:22,080
He got the idea form a woman
named Lady Tyger,
126
00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:24,360
after seeing her in the gym
and training.
127
00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,120
I was born in New York, Harlem.
128
00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:46,000
Growing up in the projects
wasn't all bad.
129
00:07:49,159 --> 00:07:52,480
We played jump rope,
we played double Dutch.
130
00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:56,160
Used to get into little
street fights, little scraps.
131
00:07:57,160 --> 00:07:59,320
When I fought, I would scratch,
132
00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,440
and they called it tiger marks,
133
00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:03,400
so I got the name "Tiger".
134
00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:09,680
My father was an alcoholic.
135
00:08:11,280 --> 00:08:13,400
He sometimes would get drunk
136
00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,080
and he would lie down in the lobby
of the building.
137
00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:20,920
People would actually rob him
of the money for our rent,
138
00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:26,039
food, and everything,
and it was all gone.
139
00:08:26,960 --> 00:08:31,480
I loved my father, but that made it
a little difficult for me.
140
00:08:33,039 --> 00:08:35,360
One day, I came home and I saw
141
00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,720
my father watching Muhammad Ali.
142
00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:41,440
He was going through the motions,
143
00:08:41,480 --> 00:08:43,640
as if he was in the ring.
144
00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:48,040
I looked at my father
and his enthusiasm,
145
00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:50,000
and I felt that energy myself.
146
00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:57,840
We would actually shadowbox
together in the apartment.
147
00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,240
I said, "You know what?
148
00:09:01,280 --> 00:09:04,280
I think this is something
that I wanna do."
149
00:09:08,160 --> 00:09:12,280
And when I told my father
that I was interested in boxing,
150
00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,840
he didn't say,
"Oh no, that's not for girls."
151
00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:18,240
No, he didn't have
that attitude at all.
152
00:09:19,640 --> 00:09:23,000
So, I went looking
for somewhere to train.
153
00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:24,960
I went from gym to gym,
154
00:09:25,000 --> 00:09:29,240
but they would laugh at me and say,
"This is not a sport for women."
155
00:09:29,280 --> 00:09:31,440
No-one would take me in.
156
00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:37,440
Women's boxing
in the early '70s was...
157
00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:40,680
It really was more or less
non-existent.
158
00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:42,480
When I started reading
boxing magazines,
159
00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:46,600
along with the Charles Atlas ads
to get bigger muscles,
160
00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:49,640
were ads for apartment boxing,
161
00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:52,360
and they were selling
these eight-millimetre films
162
00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:56,040
of women boxing,
sometimes topless,
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00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,360
and that was the extent
of women boxing
164
00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:01,720
in the '60s and early '70s.
165
00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,600
I was determined to be a boxer,
166
00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:09,920
so I made business cards.
167
00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,800
On the card it said
I was the first female boxer.
168
00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:17,520
Eventually, a trainer accepted me,
169
00:10:17,560 --> 00:10:19,840
and he brought me into his gym.
170
00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:28,880
It was old-fashioned.
171
00:10:31,040 --> 00:10:34,160
They initiated me
with beating me up.
172
00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:38,640
Busted lip, a black eye,
173
00:10:38,680 --> 00:10:39,800
bloody nose.
174
00:10:42,200 --> 00:10:44,440
They were like trophies to me.
175
00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,000
The first time I saw
Lady Tyger in the gym, I thought,
176
00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:52,440
"That's odd, I hope she has
her own dressing room."
177
00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:55,160
There was no bathroom for women.
178
00:10:55,200 --> 00:10:58,280
They had to tell
the fellas to get out.
179
00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:00,800
I started to take a shower there.
180
00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,280
Then I noticed that they had
a peephole.
181
00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:06,120
Oh my goodness.
182
00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,240
But I kept coming back.
183
00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:13,520
I started getting better and better.
184
00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,120
I eventually earned their respect.
185
00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,680
But one day,
someone at the gym told me,
186
00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,520
"The State Athletic Commission
has a rule.
187
00:11:27,600 --> 00:11:30,760
No woman can be
licenced as a boxer."
188
00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:34,120
So, legally I can't box.
189
00:11:36,160 --> 00:11:39,520
I said, "What?"
I said, "What are you talking about?
190
00:11:39,560 --> 00:11:42,440
And what the hell is
a boxing commission?"
191
00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:46,640
100- no. 189...
192
00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,480
188 lbs. 188 lbs.
193
00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,760
The purpose of a boxing commission
is to supervise the sport.
194
00:11:56,800 --> 00:12:00,040
A boxer has to be licenced
by the State Athletic Commission.
195
00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:03,280
The manager has to be licenced.
Even the announcer.
196
00:12:03,320 --> 00:12:06,440
ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen,
I have an announcement here.
197
00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,880
A boxing licence
represents everything,
198
00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:12,040
because without a licence,
you can't box professionally.
199
00:12:12,080 --> 00:12:16,120
You wouldn't get paid,
so you can't make money.
200
00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:17,160
In those days,
201
00:12:17,200 --> 00:12:20,800
the most powerful boxing commission
was New York State.
202
00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,640
It was home
to Madison Square Garden,
203
00:12:22,680 --> 00:12:24,600
the most famous arena in the world.
204
00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:28,200
It had more famous boxers
than any other state,
205
00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:31,120
so it was logical that
the headquarters for boxing
206
00:12:31,160 --> 00:12:33,400
should be New York City.
207
00:12:33,440 --> 00:12:37,440
Because New York was the leader,
other states followed.
208
00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:39,480
They copied their book.
209
00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:41,200
It was almost word for word.
210
00:12:41,240 --> 00:12:45,240
Pennsylvania, Illinois, California.
211
00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,680
They all thought that women
did not belong in a boxing ring.
212
00:12:49,720 --> 00:12:51,120
It's as simple as that.
213
00:13:04,320 --> 00:13:07,480
PAT: Prospects for women
back then was, like,
214
00:13:07,520 --> 00:13:09,360
kitchen,
215
00:13:09,400 --> 00:13:11,080
pregnant,
216
00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:14,040
raising the babies,
217
00:13:15,560 --> 00:13:16,920
cooking.
218
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,720
I was 16 when I got married
and I got pregnant,
219
00:13:21,760 --> 00:13:24,680
and I was 17
when I had a second kid.
220
00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:26,440
I was caged.
221
00:13:26,480 --> 00:13:28,640
There was no freedom.
222
00:13:28,680 --> 00:13:30,480
When I was 18,
223
00:13:30,520 --> 00:13:32,560
I thought I was gonna have
a nervous breakdown.
224
00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,720
I really wanted to commit suicide,
to be honest with you.
225
00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:42,480
My best friend and my cousin
came and they said,
226
00:13:42,520 --> 00:13:45,760
"We're taking you to the gym.
Let's get you out of the house."
227
00:13:48,480 --> 00:13:50,840
So, we went
to the San Pedro Locker Club.
228
00:13:50,880 --> 00:13:54,480
I didn't have any money,
so they snuck me in.
229
00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:56,840
My best friend, she said,
"Yeah, come on downstairs,
230
00:13:56,880 --> 00:13:58,640
they got a boxing ring down there."
231
00:13:58,680 --> 00:14:01,120
I said, "Wow, really?
Let's go check it out."
232
00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:04,560
So, I started hitting the bag.
233
00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,320
I could feel, like, all the madness,
234
00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:12,800
the chaos...
235
00:14:12,840 --> 00:14:15,200
(GRUNTS)
236
00:14:15,240 --> 00:14:16,760
..the evil thoughts,
237
00:14:16,800 --> 00:14:18,680
they all came out of my hands.
238
00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,320
(GRUNTS)
239
00:14:21,280 --> 00:14:25,160
So many years of pain that
I didn't realise was gonna come out.
240
00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,920
My childhood, even though
everything was wonderful,
241
00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,240
bad things happen to little kids,
242
00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:37,440
and it did.
243
00:14:39,320 --> 00:14:42,600
I think I was four, the latest five.
244
00:14:43,720 --> 00:14:46,520
Oh yeah, oh yeah,
somebody in the family.
245
00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:48,120
Oh yeah.
246
00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:51,920
And everybody hid it.
It was a dirty little secret.
Dirty little lies.
247
00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:55,960
"Oh, you can't be
telling the truth."
248
00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:59,480
I'm a little girl.
You don't make this shit up.
249
00:15:00,480 --> 00:15:02,280
When I met that heavy bag,
250
00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,280
that became my best friend by far.
251
00:15:05,320 --> 00:15:08,920
Hitting something, hitting somebody,
was an outlet.
252
00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:10,680
I liked that part.
253
00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:16,680
And lo and behold, here comes
this big woman down the stairs.
254
00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,160
I thought, "Shit, man,
that bitch is gonna turn round
255
00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:26,080
and start telling me shit,"
cos I hadn't paid.
256
00:15:27,160 --> 00:15:30,880
But she'd seen us box,
and she liked what she'd seen.
257
00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:35,000
She said she wanted to be
the first female boxing manager,
258
00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:39,040
and wanted me
to be a pro female boxer.
259
00:15:40,840 --> 00:15:44,280
That was the first time
I met Dee Knuckles,
260
00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,520
the manager
of San Pedro Locker Club.
261
00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:51,920
Dee also told me that it was against
the law to box in California.
262
00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:58,320
"And you want me to do this?"
263
00:15:59,640 --> 00:16:03,320
She said, "You'll go ahead and
start boxing, and I'll start doing
264
00:16:03,360 --> 00:16:06,920
what I need to do to find out
where we're gonna go from here."
265
00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,760
I didn't have nothing else going on
266
00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,120
in my life, so I said,
"Fuck it, why not?"
267
00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:19,360
New York State
wasn't letting us box,
268
00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:22,480
but I thought that I could change
their minds,
269
00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:25,160
so I decided to put on
an exhibition
270
00:16:25,200 --> 00:16:28,800
to show what real female boxers
could do.
271
00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,400
An exhibition is just
a sparring match,
272
00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,280
and you don't need al licence.
273
00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,600
It should never be mistaken
for a real fight.
274
00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:41,760
I needed an opponent, and I
immediately thought of Killer Diane.
275
00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:45,760
I met her when I was a teenager.
276
00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,680
You know what? I really
don't wanna talk about that.
277
00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:01,960
No, let me stop.
That was just a joke.
278
00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:08,560
Lady Tyger, she called me
Killer Diane, and it stuck.
279
00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:13,200
I had several fights under my belt,
280
00:17:13,240 --> 00:17:15,839
but they were all street fighting.
281
00:17:17,680 --> 00:17:21,960
Eventually, I found a venue
that might accept us.
282
00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:24,520
I was so, so happy.
283
00:17:24,560 --> 00:17:29,720
Tyger and I were the first to try
to put on an exhibition like that.
284
00:17:29,760 --> 00:17:33,800
It was on an all-male card,
and we were the only females.
285
00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:37,280
We were on the under-undercard,
OK?
286
00:17:37,320 --> 00:17:40,360
That was like- We were just,
kind of, pencilled in.
287
00:17:46,280 --> 00:17:48,800
So, I get to the venue.
(BELL DINGS)
288
00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:50,560
My father's with me.
289
00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:55,000
Next thing I know, I was told
that we would have to wait
290
00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:58,880
until all the men fight
before we fight.
291
00:18:00,120 --> 00:18:01,720
Oh my goodness.
292
00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,720
So, it's eight o'clock,
then nine o'clock.
293
00:18:09,840 --> 00:18:11,840
I thought it would never happen.
294
00:18:11,880 --> 00:18:15,080
But I see the people coming in
more and more,
295
00:18:15,120 --> 00:18:18,360
and they're hyped, because
they wanted to see female boxers.
296
00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,440
"Oh, woman boxers?
Oh, I got to see this."
297
00:18:23,400 --> 00:18:28,160
And about 12 o'clock,
they allowed women to go on.
298
00:18:42,360 --> 00:18:44,560
We put on a good exhibition.
299
00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:48,600
I realised that
I had a dynamite hook.
300
00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:51,760
You know, I was a legitimate hooker.
301
00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:01,200
But, out of the blue, a man says,
302
00:19:01,240 --> 00:19:03,680
"Those women should be shot."
303
00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:09,240
They considered female boxers
fourth-class citizens.
304
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,080
They... degraded you.
305
00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:13,880
My father went berserk.
306
00:19:15,360 --> 00:19:17,120
Started to fight the guy.
307
00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:21,520
And it became a disaster.
308
00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,840
It was distracting.
I couldn't concentrate.
309
00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,160
It made me feel very angry.
310
00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:32,560
They had not taken it serious.
311
00:19:32,600 --> 00:19:37,480
That's when I realised that
women need to get a boxing licence.
312
00:19:38,720 --> 00:19:41,480
The licence would make us
legitimate.
313
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,920
So, I decided to go
to the State Athletic Commission,
314
00:19:49,960 --> 00:19:52,680
to apply for a boxing licence.
315
00:19:54,520 --> 00:19:57,880
New York was a mecca of boxing.
316
00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:02,720
That was where it was so important
to be licenced in that state.
317
00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,560
I saw another female boxer
318
00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:08,720
called Jackie Tonawanda.
319
00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:11,720
She was applying for a licence also.
320
00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:14,360
It was a relief.
321
00:20:14,400 --> 00:20:18,040
"I have someone else
that's interesting in boxing."
322
00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:23,280
Me and Tyger, you see,
we'd like to get the licence.
323
00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:26,240
I'd like to very much fight
at Madison Square Garden.
324
00:20:27,200 --> 00:20:32,960
I had an interest in getting me
and my family out of the ghetto,
325
00:20:33,000 --> 00:20:37,760
and I thought that boxing
would be the vehicle for that.
326
00:20:37,800 --> 00:20:41,120
So, I wish
I was there at that meeting.
327
00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:44,080
Would they accept it?
328
00:20:44,120 --> 00:20:46,400
Would they give me a licence?
329
00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:49,160
I don't know what they thought.
330
00:20:57,080 --> 00:21:00,560
I had been coming along well
with the training,
331
00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,000
and I felt confident that
I could box very well.
332
00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:09,320
Sal was very anxious for me
to get in the ring.
333
00:21:10,360 --> 00:21:13,600
Come here. You're doing the same
thing you did the other night.
334
00:21:13,640 --> 00:21:16,120
Your head is way up. Get the
shoulder into it, man.
335
00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:17,160
That's how you-
336
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:20,120
So, the next thing,
he's organising an exhibition.
337
00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:22,960
I guess it's time to get in
and find out what I can do.
338
00:21:28,360 --> 00:21:31,760
If you're knocked down and the bell
rings, the count continues.
339
00:21:31,800 --> 00:21:33,920
You have to get up.
Cannot be saved by the bell.
340
00:21:33,960 --> 00:21:36,720
You can't be saved by the bell,
except for the last round.
341
00:21:36,760 --> 00:21:40,440
I get in the dressing room,
and that's when I started thinking,
342
00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:45,080
"I'm an educated woman, and I'm
gonna go try to beat somebody up?"
343
00:21:45,120 --> 00:21:48,880
I was having a complete
existential meltdown by that time.
344
00:21:49,760 --> 00:21:51,120
(LAUGHS)
345
00:21:53,200 --> 00:21:55,200
So, it's time to go fight.
346
00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,320
We get in the ring.
We started boxing, boom, boom, boom.
347
00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:02,840
She came up with a hard right
and hit me in the nose,
348
00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:04,360
and it hurt!
349
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,800
So, we went back
to the dressing room,
350
00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:10,960
and I had a talk to myself,
in the mirror,
351
00:22:11,000 --> 00:22:14,240
blood running down my lips,
and I said,
352
00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:19,480
"This is never gonna happen again,
or you're gonna get out of this."
353
00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:22,840
We went back to the gym.
354
00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:29,160
Sal said, "If you keep that arm in
their face, you'll never get hit."
355
00:22:29,200 --> 00:22:31,360
Plus, she can't even see
where she's going.
356
00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,440
And you throw your left hook
to her face.
357
00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:36,120
Sal was gonna make sure
I didn't get hit,
358
00:22:36,160 --> 00:22:40,600
because he wanted to sell this face.
Come on, get the elbow down, OK?
359
00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:41,960
He made me a deal.
360
00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,920
He was gonna be the promotor,
361
00:22:45,960 --> 00:22:48,400
I was gonna be the product.
362
00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:51,640
"Sell me, baby. Make me some money."
363
00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:08,040
(TYPEWRITER KEYS CLANKING)
364
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,000
Well, I'm looking at the notes
of the Athletic Commission.
365
00:23:13,040 --> 00:23:16,440
You have two women who apply.
They call practically every day.
366
00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:18,720
Well, they were persistent.
(LAUGHS)
367
00:23:20,600 --> 00:23:24,880
"The women have had no experience,
and they are in different weights.
368
00:23:24,920 --> 00:23:28,680
Who are they going to fight?
You can't have them fight with men."
369
00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:32,200
And I see Frank Morris is
the commissioner, said this.
370
00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:36,000
I had a lot of respect for Frank
Morris. He's old-school boxing.
371
00:23:36,040 --> 00:23:39,640
"I don't think women should be
referees, judges, or boxers.
372
00:23:39,680 --> 00:23:40,800
Boxing is for men."
373
00:23:41,960 --> 00:23:43,280
Oh, boy.
374
00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,080
The doctors on the commission
are not in favour of it.
375
00:23:46,120 --> 00:23:50,280
"The impact of a blow
could hurt the women physically."
376
00:23:50,320 --> 00:23:53,440
Oh, well I gotta take
a deep breath on that one.
377
00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:55,880
(DEEP BREATH)
378
00:23:57,560 --> 00:23:59,800
That's...
379
00:23:59,840 --> 00:24:01,240
OK, this is what they said.
380
00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,760
"If you get hit in the stomach,
you won't be able to have children."
381
00:24:05,800 --> 00:24:08,680
Oh, please. Give me a break.
382
00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:11,920
They were turned down.
383
00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,440
I couldn't believe
what I was hearing.
384
00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:19,760
You know, I want this opportunity,
I wanna fight.
385
00:24:22,520 --> 00:24:26,240
Then, in September 1975,
386
00:24:26,280 --> 00:24:28,240
everything changed.
387
00:24:28,280 --> 00:24:29,280
(CROWD SHOUTING)
388
00:24:31,360 --> 00:24:33,960
The first professional fight
between women was sanctioned
389
00:24:34,000 --> 00:24:35,400
by the State Boxing Commission,
390
00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:37,640
after pressure from women's
rights groups.
391
00:24:37,680 --> 00:24:40,600
Caroline Svendsen says she learned
her trade settling fights
392
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:42,080
when she was a bartender.
393
00:24:43,120 --> 00:24:47,600
I was like, "Women boxing?
Are you kidding me?" (LAUGHS)
394
00:24:47,640 --> 00:24:51,840
It was the first women to ever
fight in the state of Nevada.
395
00:24:51,880 --> 00:24:54,040
This was a serious thing.
396
00:24:54,080 --> 00:24:56,280
I was so happy, you know,
397
00:24:56,320 --> 00:24:58,800
I was thinking that
this is a step forward.
398
00:24:59,840 --> 00:25:02,720
I was training, and Dee comes.
399
00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:05,800
She says, "I want you to hear this,"
400
00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:08,880
because this woman in Nevada
had been licenced.
401
00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,320
"Oh shit, I'm not alone.
Thank you, Jesus."
402
00:25:12,360 --> 00:25:15,640
Nobody's beat my record,
nobody's knocked me out.
403
00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,680
INTERVIEWER: How many fights?
I've had one. (LAUGHS)
404
00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:23,720
But Nevada has always been
an anything goes kind of place.
405
00:25:23,760 --> 00:25:24,960
Everything's legal.
406
00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:29,640
Because we couldn't get licenced
in the state of New York,
407
00:25:29,680 --> 00:25:33,600
what we needed was a real big state,
like California.
408
00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:35,360
So, Dee and I agreed,
409
00:25:35,400 --> 00:25:38,960
the gameplan is to go to Nevada,
410
00:25:41,880 --> 00:25:43,720
to get a licence.
411
00:25:43,760 --> 00:25:45,680
Come back to California.
412
00:25:47,680 --> 00:25:51,520
Once you go pro,
you can't go amateur no more.
413
00:25:51,560 --> 00:25:54,720
So, then I would say,
"I want my licence in California."
414
00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:58,480
So, they had to let me
get my licence.
415
00:26:02,680 --> 00:26:06,480
Dee Knuckles found an opponent
for me, and her name was Kim Maybee.
416
00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:09,200
I was happy, I was excited.
417
00:26:10,200 --> 00:26:13,840
But the public,
they don't want woman boxing.
418
00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,680
Women boxing?
419
00:26:15,720 --> 00:26:20,400
Ah, it's like a comedy thing.
I mean, it's very embarrassing.
420
00:26:20,440 --> 00:26:24,080
Women ain't made to be hit
in the breast or the face like that.
421
00:26:25,120 --> 00:26:26,880
Their body's not made to be punched.
422
00:26:29,320 --> 00:26:31,440
A woman could never be a good boxer.
423
00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:36,320
How could any woman who, just by
her daily existence, waits on men,
424
00:26:36,360 --> 00:26:39,480
how could they possibly go in
the ring and start throwing punches?
425
00:26:44,320 --> 00:26:47,440
Women think that they can really be
doing the things that men can do.
426
00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:48,600
I don't really think so.
427
00:26:53,600 --> 00:26:55,560
I don't think
it's a sport for women,
428
00:26:55,600 --> 00:26:58,400
cos they're not physically
constituted to be boxers.
429
00:26:58,440 --> 00:26:59,840
It's just not a sport for 'em.
430
00:27:02,200 --> 00:27:05,960
The morning the day before
the fight, I get a call from Dee.
431
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:08,640
She said that the gym...
432
00:27:08,680 --> 00:27:10,560
had been burned.
433
00:27:14,800 --> 00:27:16,760
They didn't burn the whole gym.
434
00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:19,120
It was the area
where my stuff was at.
435
00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,280
And the policemen had to come.
436
00:27:22,920 --> 00:27:25,960
Dee told them,
"She's had a lot of death threats."
437
00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,480
And I was like,
"What death threats?"
438
00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,440
"They wanna hurt you, Pat."
439
00:27:32,360 --> 00:27:35,120
She hands me the letters.
440
00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:41,200
They're predominantly males
being vicious and mean.
441
00:27:41,240 --> 00:27:43,120
Things they would like to do.
442
00:27:43,160 --> 00:27:46,000
And who sends all these letters,
threatening?
443
00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,480
Who wants to hurt me and my children
when I didn't do anything to nobody?
444
00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:51,600
All I wanted to do was box.
445
00:27:51,640 --> 00:27:55,320
For crying out loud, what the fuck?
Can somebody give me a break?
446
00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,520
Dee kept the letters from me,
because she thought that
447
00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:03,400
if I had any inclination
of this stuff, I would stop boxing.
448
00:28:04,880 --> 00:28:08,280
But, you know what, all the rage,
the hate, the (ROARS)
449
00:28:08,320 --> 00:28:09,960
you guys are not gonna stop me.
450
00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,280
You can't. You can't.
This is something I want.
451
00:28:12,320 --> 00:28:13,640
I'm ready for it.
452
00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:30,000
REPORTER: For the first time
in California boxing history,
453
00:28:30,040 --> 00:28:32,200
two women squared off in the ring
tonight.
454
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:33,600
(CROWD JEERING)
455
00:28:33,640 --> 00:28:35,360
There was 10,000 people there.
456
00:28:36,440 --> 00:28:38,560
The had the police escort me
into the ring,
457
00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,560
because they were afraid that
somebody was gonna shoot me.
458
00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,680
You get in the ring
and you got the crowd...
459
00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:50,560
(CROWD JEERING AND BOOING)
460
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:53,200
..that doesn't like
what you're doing,
461
00:28:53,240 --> 00:28:55,400
so you really heard that hate.
462
00:28:55,440 --> 00:28:56,920
(BOOING)
463
00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:03,160
You actually really heard it
from more of the women.
464
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:04,960
You know, "These fucking broads.
465
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,320
Check them out,
they think they can fucking fight,
466
00:29:07,360 --> 00:29:10,400
and they're nothing
but a bunch of little bitches."
467
00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,000
I'm only 20 years old.
468
00:29:16,960 --> 00:29:18,440
Scared shitless.
469
00:29:19,560 --> 00:29:23,000
And if things weren't already
complicated enough,
470
00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:25,160
I was carrying a secret
that nobody knew.
471
00:29:29,280 --> 00:29:31,920
I got a routine physical
from my physician,
472
00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:34,760
who gave me
a clean bill of health.
473
00:29:37,280 --> 00:29:40,320
But indicated that I was pregnant.
474
00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:45,520
And then he said,
"So, you can't box."
475
00:29:47,360 --> 00:29:51,360
I don't want the baby to get hurt,
but, at the same time,
476
00:29:51,400 --> 00:29:55,480
I know that I have to do this.
It was about becoming somebody.
477
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:01,920
So, I said, "You have to change
this. I wanna fight."
478
00:30:01,960 --> 00:30:04,760
Poor guy, he didn't know
whether to trust me or not.
479
00:30:06,640 --> 00:30:09,200
But he said, "OK."
480
00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,920
I told Dee that I was pregnant.
481
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,480
Dee was like,
"So, are you gonna fight?"
482
00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:19,120
I said, "Well, hell yeah,
I'm gonna fight."
483
00:30:19,160 --> 00:30:20,360
Showtime.
484
00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:23,440
(CROWD BOOS)
485
00:30:25,240 --> 00:30:28,200
There's Kim Maybee. Oh, my god.
486
00:30:28,240 --> 00:30:30,280
I was 5'4", she was 6'1".
487
00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:32,320
I'm, like, little,
looking up at her like,
488
00:30:32,360 --> 00:30:34,400
"Oh shit, I'm gonna get killed."
489
00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:39,440
It's a mismatch,
but I wasn't gonna let it stop me.
490
00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:46,280
Then, all of a sudden,
I started hearing the different,
491
00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:50,200
you know, the changing of the minds,
the tone in their voices, you know.
492
00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:52,760
(CROWD CHEERS)
493
00:30:53,520 --> 00:30:55,520
Like, "Wow, I think
they enjoyed it."
494
00:30:57,880 --> 00:31:00,360
But, all of a sudden,
she went for my stomach.
495
00:31:00,400 --> 00:31:03,960
The reality kicked in, the baby,
and it was like, "Oh shit."
496
00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,640
So, then I start covering up more.
497
00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:08,200
She clocked me.
498
00:31:10,720 --> 00:31:12,680
And it was like, "Whoa."
499
00:31:17,360 --> 00:31:21,560
And then the referee's in front of
me like going like this, "Pat, Pat."
500
00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:24,480
The fight was over.
501
00:31:25,600 --> 00:31:29,080
She ended up winning,
but I didn't care, because I did it,
502
00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:30,200
and I was ecstatic.
503
00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:35,960
I accomplished what I wanted.
Which was?
504
00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:40,080
Which was being the first female
licenced in California,
505
00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:42,680
and the first fight in California.
506
00:31:42,720 --> 00:31:44,480
And I became
507
00:31:44,520 --> 00:31:48,160
California's first pro female boxer.
508
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:56,600
And the baby that I had nine months
later was...
509
00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:59,200
healthy as can be.
510
00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:01,200
Tonight's fight
did make boxing history.
511
00:32:01,240 --> 00:32:05,200
Fighter and audience agree, there is
a place for women in the ring.
512
00:32:09,640 --> 00:32:13,400
Once Pat Pineda was licenced
in the state of California,
513
00:32:13,440 --> 00:32:15,400
it was like a domino effect.
514
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:18,680
Other states started
issuing licences.
515
00:32:20,200 --> 00:32:23,600
Oregon, Washington, Utah,
516
00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,280
Connecticut, and the list goes on.
517
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,200
REPORTER: How much does she weigh,
commissioner?
518
00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:33,880
(MEN LAUGH)
519
00:32:33,920 --> 00:32:36,920
130 lbs. Fine, very good.
520
00:32:39,160 --> 00:32:41,320
Sharon Oldbury
at the beauty parlour.
521
00:32:41,360 --> 00:32:43,600
At the same time,
21-year-old Zenda Foster
522
00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:47,280
was finishing her day at work.
That night, the two women met.
523
00:32:48,520 --> 00:32:51,840
The first professional fight
between women in Washington.
524
00:32:55,400 --> 00:32:58,360
Women are beautiful and great.
(BELL DINGS)
525
00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:07,960
I left New York and I did a tour,
526
00:33:11,080 --> 00:33:15,120
and I was the first to fight in
Canada, Pennsylvania,
527
00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:16,240
Connecticut.
528
00:33:17,680 --> 00:33:21,120
We're gonna see a film clip
of the first female boxing match
529
00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,320
in the history of Connecticut.
Really?
530
00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:25,920
Observers say there was
no question the fighters
531
00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:27,720
were of professional calibre.
532
00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,280
They said, you know,
they thought that I was crazy.
533
00:33:30,320 --> 00:33:31,720
A woman wanting to box?
534
00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:33,520
I showed them my sincerity,
535
00:33:33,560 --> 00:33:35,760
and they saw what I could do.
536
00:33:41,320 --> 00:33:43,360
There were other women
in smaller states
537
00:33:43,400 --> 00:33:46,240
that were getting licences to fight,
538
00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:50,920
so Sal and I decided to just go down
and apply for a licence
539
00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:52,680
in New York.
540
00:33:52,720 --> 00:33:56,040
We marched down
to the commissioner's office,
541
00:33:56,080 --> 00:33:58,880
filled out an application,
542
00:33:58,920 --> 00:34:02,560
and I gave it to the New York
Athletic Commissioner at the time,
543
00:34:02,600 --> 00:34:05,679
and he looked me straight
in the eye
544
00:34:05,719 --> 00:34:08,960
and he tore it up in front of me
545
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:10,679
and put it in the trashcan.
546
00:34:12,159 --> 00:34:13,920
What a "fuck you" moment.
547
00:34:13,960 --> 00:34:17,120
So you don't think they should grant
women their licence in New York?
548
00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:18,760
Definitely not. Not as fighters.
549
00:34:18,800 --> 00:34:22,440
They wanna do it as wrestlers,
which is an exhibition, that's fine.
550
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,719
But as fighters,
where they can actually get hurt,
551
00:34:24,760 --> 00:34:26,159
I'm very much against it.
552
00:34:28,280 --> 00:34:30,920
Without New York on board,
553
00:34:30,960 --> 00:34:33,400
the sport wasn't going to go
anywhere.
554
00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:39,159
Women needed to be able
to have a licence in that state.
555
00:34:40,840 --> 00:34:43,280
I wanted to be
the first to fight in New York,
556
00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,600
but I wouldn't have that
opportunity without a licence.
557
00:34:46,639 --> 00:34:49,960
And then I got a call from a lady
by the name of Dee Knuckles,
558
00:34:50,000 --> 00:34:53,800
who said that she would manage me
in California.
559
00:34:54,720 --> 00:34:57,600
My family was very sceptical
about it.
560
00:34:57,640 --> 00:35:00,760
They were saying,
"You don't know this lady.
561
00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:03,680
How do you know it's not a set-up?"
562
00:35:03,720 --> 00:35:06,800
But I took a chance.
I took a gamble.
563
00:35:06,840 --> 00:35:09,680
I left and went to California.
564
00:35:17,680 --> 00:35:22,160
Dee Knuckles had a gym
and I met Pat Pineda there.
565
00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,200
When I first met Tyger, I thought,
"This bitch is crazy,"
566
00:35:27,240 --> 00:35:30,040
but I liked her, because I knew
her heart was in the right place
567
00:35:30,080 --> 00:35:31,760
and she was the real deal.
568
00:35:33,720 --> 00:35:38,480
Dee Knuckles wanted California to be
the centre of boxing for women.
569
00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,800
I was at the after-school programme
for troubled kids,
570
00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:47,280
and Dee Knuckles came in and said,
571
00:35:47,320 --> 00:35:50,920
"Are you girls interested
in doing any fighting?"
572
00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:52,560
"Sure, I am."
573
00:35:52,600 --> 00:35:55,840
Lydia, she was the leader
of a gang at 15.
574
00:35:55,880 --> 00:35:57,880
She actually had a killer instinct.
575
00:35:57,920 --> 00:36:01,240
Bottom line.
I had the power.
576
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:02,560
Bam!
577
00:36:04,000 --> 00:36:06,160
Boxing, it sparked something in me.
578
00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,560
It felt good to punch
somebody legally, like,
579
00:36:09,600 --> 00:36:11,520
you're not gonna go to jail.
580
00:36:11,560 --> 00:36:13,160
You'd have to right to do it.
581
00:36:14,640 --> 00:36:18,400
The women are just
kind of popping up everywhere.
582
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:20,840
There was Diane Syverson,
583
00:36:20,880 --> 00:36:23,640
Princess Redstar,
and Lavonne Ludian.
584
00:36:24,520 --> 00:36:26,080
The grandmother.
585
00:36:26,120 --> 00:36:28,240
They asked my name and I thought,
586
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,640
"Oh boy,
will I be able to pass an EEG?"
587
00:36:31,680 --> 00:36:34,560
Or EKG. Which is the one
that checks the heart?
588
00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:36,560
But anyway, I passed it.
589
00:36:36,600 --> 00:36:38,920
I just told 'em I was 29,
590
00:36:38,960 --> 00:36:41,720
but I had to be closer to 40.
591
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,920
They didn't guess that
I was an old lady. (LAUGHS)
592
00:36:45,960 --> 00:36:47,480
And then there was me.
593
00:36:47,520 --> 00:36:49,880
I wanted to be a police officer,
594
00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:54,080
but they said
I was one half-inch too short.
595
00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:58,360
I used to do exercises every day
trying to get up to that height.
596
00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:02,880
But, instead,
I got into women's boxing.
597
00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:05,960
I wanted to be part of history.
598
00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:09,720
We had the same goal in life:
599
00:37:09,760 --> 00:37:13,040
to be taken seriously
as professional fighters
600
00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:14,640
or professional athletes.
601
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:18,640
We saw the importance
that we needed federations
602
00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:21,240
that would rank the women,
just like the males.
603
00:37:21,280 --> 00:37:26,600
So, on the West Coast, they set up
the WBB, the Women's Boxing Board.
604
00:37:26,640 --> 00:37:29,880
And Lady Tyger was
ranked on the top.
605
00:37:29,920 --> 00:37:32,880
There was nobody
that could compete with her.
606
00:37:32,920 --> 00:37:35,840
ANNOUNCER: Lady Tyger Trimiar!
607
00:37:37,920 --> 00:37:39,400
Blows kisses to the audience,
608
00:37:39,440 --> 00:37:41,720
and shows that
she's definitely a showman.
609
00:37:45,200 --> 00:37:47,160
I sparred with her
quite a few times.
610
00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:51,440
She was hard to hit.
She's a pro, and she's special.
611
00:37:51,480 --> 00:37:54,440
It's because she always kept
her head down.
612
00:37:54,480 --> 00:37:56,720
She had strategy about her.
613
00:37:59,160 --> 00:38:00,760
I'm not one to brag,
614
00:38:00,800 --> 00:38:03,720
but I have to admit
that I was pretty good.
615
00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,120
Then I heard about a fighter
on the East Coast.
616
00:38:09,680 --> 00:38:13,480
ANNOUNCER: I see Cat Davis
making her way into the ring.
617
00:38:13,520 --> 00:38:15,160
(APPLAUSE)
618
00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:20,640
In the East Coast, Sal had
set up another federation,
619
00:38:20,680 --> 00:38:23,480
the WBF,
or the Women's Boxing Federation.
620
00:38:25,480 --> 00:38:27,960
CAT DAVIES: Sal and I decided
to go around the country,
621
00:38:28,000 --> 00:38:30,680
to these other states,
outside New York.
622
00:38:33,680 --> 00:38:36,560
ANNOUNCER: Cathy "Cat" Davis!
623
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:40,800
I was winning all my fights.
(BELL DINGS)
624
00:38:46,280 --> 00:38:49,840
The winner, by knockout,
Cathy "Cat" Davis!
625
00:38:52,840 --> 00:38:56,840
So, on the East Coast, with the WBF,
we had Cat at the top.
626
00:38:59,360 --> 00:39:03,720
On the West Coast, with the
WBB, Tyger was ranked at the top.
627
00:39:05,440 --> 00:39:10,280
There was a rivalry there, and
Tyger, she wanted to beat her ass.
628
00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,160
I really, really
wanted to fight Cat Davis,
629
00:39:13,200 --> 00:39:15,440
because she was in my weight class.
630
00:39:15,480 --> 00:39:17,480
But I never heard from her
631
00:39:17,520 --> 00:39:20,480
or any of those people
that was working with her.
632
00:39:21,440 --> 00:39:23,920
Sal was involved with all
the business of it.
633
00:39:23,960 --> 00:39:26,720
He found out who I was gonna fight.
634
00:39:26,760 --> 00:39:29,400
So, I don't know exactly
what was going on there.
635
00:39:30,680 --> 00:39:32,960
But we were focused on New York.
636
00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,200
Without the New York
Athletic Commission on board,
637
00:39:36,240 --> 00:39:38,600
women's boxing was going
nowhere fast.
638
00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:42,520
I had to get that New York licence.
639
00:39:46,680 --> 00:39:50,160
So, we decided to do this
protest exhibition.
640
00:39:50,200 --> 00:39:52,080
We'd get a lot of publicity.
641
00:39:55,960 --> 00:39:58,400
The athletic commission was livid.
642
00:39:58,440 --> 00:40:00,840
(SIREN WAILS)
643
00:40:10,640 --> 00:40:13,920
WOMAN: I think she should do what
she wants. She has her rights.
644
00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:15,440
What difference does it make?
645
00:40:15,480 --> 00:40:18,200
If she wants to fight,
she should be able to fight.
646
00:40:23,280 --> 00:40:25,520
They don't have any
jurisdiction over us,
647
00:40:25,560 --> 00:40:27,040
because we don't have a licence.
648
00:40:27,080 --> 00:40:29,200
So, I don't think
they can do anything but lock us up
649
00:40:29,240 --> 00:40:32,080
for a misdemeanour, maybe
disturbing the peace or something.
650
00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:37,880
So, they couldn't arrest HIM,
because he's a guy,
651
00:40:37,920 --> 00:40:40,000
and it's perfect legal for him.
652
00:40:40,040 --> 00:40:43,520
But for me, they would have
to arrest me for being a woman.
653
00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:45,000
Which was silly.
654
00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:47,360
Why did the commission call
the police the other day
655
00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:50,800
and stop the exhibition?
Well, simply because it's not legal.
656
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,040
It's not legal for a woman to box.
657
00:40:59,200 --> 00:41:03,920
In California, I was really
struggling to make a living.
658
00:41:03,960 --> 00:41:08,720
It's a wonder I wasn't
on the boulevard with a tin cup.
659
00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,520
We couldn't make
as much money as men.
660
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:16,680
I realised that we needed
a big boxing promoter
661
00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:18,600
to get the sport going.
662
00:41:22,560 --> 00:41:26,000
REPORTER: What does a boxing
promoter do? He hustles and sells.
663
00:41:26,040 --> 00:41:28,480
He convinces the boxers to fight,
the money men
664
00:41:28,520 --> 00:41:31,680
and television executives to invest,
and the public to watch.
665
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:34,960
In the mid-'70s,
there were two major promoters,
666
00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,440
and that was Don King...
667
00:41:36,480 --> 00:41:38,560
Today I'm standing
in the glory of the lord,
668
00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:41,160
again being blessed by him
who sits high and looks low.
669
00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:42,520
..and Bob Arum.
670
00:41:42,560 --> 00:41:45,920
My name is Bob Arum,
I'm the attorney for Muhammad Ali.
671
00:41:45,960 --> 00:41:48,880
Both promoters
operated from New York,
672
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:52,120
and basically
they monopolised the sport.
673
00:41:52,160 --> 00:41:54,240
We've taken on all
the big institutions,
674
00:41:54,280 --> 00:41:57,880
such as Madison Square Garden, and
all the major ones across the world.
675
00:41:57,920 --> 00:42:00,840
Boxing is closer to showbusiness
than it is
676
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:03,160
to any other professional sport.
677
00:42:03,200 --> 00:42:06,880
If the fighter is good and he has
charisma, you've got a goldmine.
678
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:09,400
They have to pay me
8 million that night.
679
00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:13,320
What they pay him is their business,
but they have to pay me 8.
680
00:42:13,360 --> 00:42:16,920
We had to think about how women
should market themselves.
681
00:42:16,960 --> 00:42:21,360
We realised how important
setting our image was.
682
00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,000
Boxing was a man's sport.
683
00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:27,680
It is aggressive. It's not pretty.
684
00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:31,520
But in the media,
women were expected to, like,
685
00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:34,200
just be prim and proper.
686
00:42:34,240 --> 00:42:36,760
So, I made sure everywhere
I showed up,
687
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:39,080
I got make-up on,
hair done, everything.
688
00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:42,680
Or the men would've felt threatened.
689
00:42:44,600 --> 00:42:47,680
You have to ask yourself,
what are you willing to compromise
690
00:42:47,720 --> 00:42:50,200
to get where you wanna go?
691
00:42:50,240 --> 00:42:53,800
Dee Knuckles, she tried
to make me like a showgirl,
692
00:42:53,840 --> 00:42:57,920
and someone tried to pick me up
because he thought I was a hooker.
693
00:42:57,960 --> 00:42:59,920
I didn't understand it,
694
00:43:01,840 --> 00:43:04,080
because I didn't really
know what a hooker was.
695
00:43:04,120 --> 00:43:07,280
I was innocent. (LAUGHS)
You know?
696
00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,000
One fighter that didn't compromise
with anything?
697
00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:15,720
Tyger.
698
00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:17,400
Definitely Tyger.
699
00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,840
No, I didn't shave
my head for boxing,
700
00:43:25,880 --> 00:43:28,880
but now it's considered a trademark.
701
00:43:28,920 --> 00:43:31,120
I like to be unique.
I like to be different.
702
00:43:31,160 --> 00:43:33,560
That's one of the reasons
I have the shaved head.
703
00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:39,800
People might think
that it was a masculine move,
704
00:43:39,840 --> 00:43:42,520
but you don't have
to have hair to be a woman.
705
00:43:43,960 --> 00:43:48,120
For me, it was important
to be an individual.
706
00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:52,880
She was ahead of her time,
707
00:43:54,200 --> 00:43:57,320
where we were all tunnel-visioned.
708
00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:03,720
There was never any doubt in my mind
who was gonna be the poster girl.
709
00:44:03,760 --> 00:44:08,640
She's a 23-year-old, 5'10, 135-lbs
blonde named Cathy "Cat" Davis.
710
00:44:08,680 --> 00:44:10,720
And, of course,
the logical question is,
711
00:44:10,760 --> 00:44:13,720
what's a girl like you
doing in a sport like boxing?
712
00:44:13,760 --> 00:44:19,120
She was a beautiful-looking blonde.
Really easy on the eye.
713
00:44:19,160 --> 00:44:22,760
She was in the magazines,
newspapers.
714
00:44:24,000 --> 00:44:27,880
I was the first woman
on the cover of Ring Magazine.
715
00:44:27,920 --> 00:44:30,200
It created such a controversy,
716
00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:34,960
and the people who still didn't want
us to have a licence were incensed.
717
00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:38,480
When I saw Cat Davis on the cover
of Ring Magazine,
718
00:44:38,520 --> 00:44:41,120
I thought, "OK...
719
00:44:41,160 --> 00:44:43,360
how low can Ring Magazine go?"
720
00:44:44,760 --> 00:44:48,760
Cat Davis set the benchmark
for how other women should
721
00:44:48,800 --> 00:44:50,760
market themselves in the sport.
722
00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:55,680
Sal wanted me to be more feminine,
and he said he didn't want
723
00:44:55,720 --> 00:44:59,000
to be associated with feminists,
724
00:44:59,040 --> 00:45:02,240
with those kind of women, he said,
725
00:45:02,280 --> 00:45:07,000
so that it would be more acceptable
726
00:45:07,040 --> 00:45:09,120
to a wider range of people.
727
00:45:09,160 --> 00:45:10,600
How many men have you hit?
728
00:45:10,640 --> 00:45:12,520
Never hit a man in my life.
You're kidding!
729
00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:14,960
No. I'm not a fighter
outside of the ring.
730
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,920
Outside the ring you're a...
I'm a pussycat.
731
00:45:18,960 --> 00:45:20,960
Sal moved us into an apartment,
732
00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,880
and we lived together,
just the two of us.
733
00:45:25,720 --> 00:45:30,480
The arrangement was
we were still manager and boxer.
734
00:45:34,720 --> 00:45:40,720
But he was trying to create
a... relationship
735
00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:42,280
other than just boxing.
736
00:45:45,000 --> 00:45:48,720
He actually put the rumours out
that we were engaged
737
00:45:48,760 --> 00:45:50,560
and going to get married.
738
00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:53,960
But it was a lie.
739
00:45:55,520 --> 00:45:57,360
And I would debunk that.
740
00:45:57,400 --> 00:45:59,440
I would say,
"No, we're not engaged."
741
00:46:00,760 --> 00:46:06,000
But after a while,
everybody took it as the truth.
742
00:46:23,360 --> 00:46:26,960
Well, there's always a lot
of the boxing trainers
743
00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:31,160
that wanna have sex with you,
and if you didn't go with them,
744
00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:34,920
they would say that you were gay,
you know.
745
00:46:34,960 --> 00:46:37,280
Dating was a little difficult.
746
00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:41,560
One day a guy was walking me home
747
00:46:41,600 --> 00:46:45,480
and then a lady in the building said
"Tyger, when is your next fight?"
748
00:46:45,520 --> 00:46:47,400
and he said,
"Fight? Oh you're a boxer"
749
00:46:47,440 --> 00:46:49,920
and I never saw him again.
(LAUGHTER)
750
00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:57,640
I really wanted to be married
and have maybe two or three kids.
751
00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:00,560
But boxing was my priority.
752
00:47:00,600 --> 00:47:03,120
You know, and I had to do it
while I was young.
753
00:47:03,160 --> 00:47:06,400
That was the sacrifice
that I made to box.
754
00:47:06,440 --> 00:47:09,560
Women should be able to participate
in all walks of life.
755
00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,640
This is America and everything
should be open to everybody.
756
00:47:12,680 --> 00:47:15,520
Tyger was a one-woman
campaigning machine.
757
00:47:15,560 --> 00:47:21,600
She was like nonstop 24/7, out
for any female that wanted to box.
758
00:47:21,640 --> 00:47:25,120
Most of my fight
was outside of the ring.
759
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:26,840
Going on hunger strike.
760
00:47:29,680 --> 00:47:32,280
Picketing, commission meetings,
761
00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:35,200
I wrote letters, petitions,
762
00:47:35,240 --> 00:47:39,680
all of these things to promote
female fighters.
763
00:47:39,720 --> 00:47:42,200
Lady Tyger did everything
764
00:47:42,240 --> 00:47:44,760
to change the minds
about women's boxing.
765
00:47:47,400 --> 00:47:50,840
I had my doubts
about women boxing, but hey,
766
00:47:50,880 --> 00:47:52,760
it looks sensational to me.
767
00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:55,000
I mean,
if they got the guts to do it
768
00:47:55,040 --> 00:47:57,680
and the determination,
I think they should try.
769
00:48:01,680 --> 00:48:06,120
Every time Don King
came to California,
770
00:48:06,160 --> 00:48:11,160
I would be right there to ask him
to promote women's boxing.
771
00:48:11,200 --> 00:48:14,160
Eventually he said that he would.
772
00:48:14,200 --> 00:48:17,240
Don King, he said he promises
to use women boxers, so I want
773
00:48:17,280 --> 00:48:21,000
everybody to put pressure on him
because he made that promise to.
774
00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:24,120
MAN: Alright!
775
00:48:29,320 --> 00:48:31,640
Suddenly I'm hearing from Don King,
776
00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:34,120
Bob Arum, big promoters,
777
00:48:34,160 --> 00:48:36,520
and they wanna put me
in Madison Square Garden,
778
00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:40,520
the biggest venue in town
which was a big deal.
779
00:48:42,080 --> 00:48:45,040
I would be making
hundreds of thousands of dollars.
780
00:48:46,520 --> 00:48:49,120
Time for a party baby! (LAUGHS)
781
00:48:57,120 --> 00:48:58,960
That's a good question.
782
00:49:03,120 --> 00:49:06,400
Finally we were on the verge
of getting legitimacy.
783
00:49:06,440 --> 00:49:08,000
But the one caveat
784
00:49:08,040 --> 00:49:10,480
was we had to have
a licence in New York,
785
00:49:10,520 --> 00:49:12,040
which we hadn't gotten yet.
786
00:49:13,120 --> 00:49:15,120
We needed help with the fight.
787
00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:21,000
I graduated in 1974
788
00:49:21,040 --> 00:49:24,080
and the first time I went to court
789
00:49:24,120 --> 00:49:27,560
the judge looked at me and said,
"When's the lawyer coming here?"
790
00:49:27,600 --> 00:49:29,720
and I said "Judge, I AM the lawyer."
791
00:49:30,720 --> 00:49:33,280
I met Cat and Sal
792
00:49:33,320 --> 00:49:34,960
and they told me
793
00:49:35,000 --> 00:49:39,400
women were prohibited from getting
a licence to box in New York
794
00:49:39,440 --> 00:49:42,000
and I said,
"Well that doesn't sound right."
795
00:49:43,240 --> 00:49:46,320
The New York State Athletic
Commission said that
796
00:49:46,360 --> 00:49:51,480
women's boxing would possibly
be too pornography,
797
00:49:51,520 --> 00:49:56,320
seeing two women box is,
you know, everybody's fantasy.
798
00:49:58,000 --> 00:50:01,240
"This could cause irreparable
harm to the image of the sport
799
00:50:01,280 --> 00:50:04,480
and ultimately add to the
financial detriment of those
800
00:50:04,520 --> 00:50:09,120
whose livelihoods depend
upon this activity." Meaning men.
801
00:50:09,160 --> 00:50:12,720
I felt the denial
of licences to women
802
00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:16,120
was a violation of the
14th Amendment of Constitution
803
00:50:16,160 --> 00:50:20,280
which prohibits discrimination
on the basis of being a woman.
804
00:50:21,560 --> 00:50:23,000
They can sue.
805
00:50:23,040 --> 00:50:25,680
REPORTER: The attractive blond
boxer served papers on the
806
00:50:25,720 --> 00:50:27,680
New York State Athletic Commission
today
807
00:50:27,720 --> 00:50:29,520
requiring the Commission
to show cause
808
00:50:29,560 --> 00:50:33,080
why she's being refused a licence
to box in this state.
809
00:50:33,840 --> 00:50:35,760
Beautiful, alright.
810
00:50:35,800 --> 00:50:39,840
Now, you're gonna step in under
and bring the uppercut up, right.
811
00:50:39,880 --> 00:50:43,960
Maybe we were moving toward
getting a boxing licence,
812
00:50:44,000 --> 00:50:48,280
but behind the scenes it was-
it was getting more tense.
813
00:50:49,680 --> 00:50:50,760
Alright, get ready.
814
00:50:52,000 --> 00:50:54,600
Work. Go ahead now.
815
00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:57,480
That's it.
Sal was putting more pressure on me
816
00:50:57,520 --> 00:51:00,600
to be his wife.
He was very insistent.
817
00:51:01,560 --> 00:51:05,160
Now he would kiss me and hold me,
818
00:51:05,200 --> 00:51:08,400
I realised how controlled I felt.
819
00:51:15,840 --> 00:51:17,800
I needed an escape from that.
820
00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:20,920
So I enrolled in university.
821
00:51:25,040 --> 00:51:28,400
I was teaching women's studies,
822
00:51:28,440 --> 00:51:30,160
I walked into class,
823
00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:33,680
and there, halfway back,
824
00:51:33,720 --> 00:51:36,880
was this really striking woman.
825
00:51:36,920 --> 00:51:39,800
I was immediately curious about her.
826
00:51:41,360 --> 00:51:44,440
I had a woman's studies professor,
827
00:51:44,480 --> 00:51:46,960
she would talk about
different things in her life
828
00:51:47,000 --> 00:51:51,760
that she was doing;
rock climbing and- and travelling,
829
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:55,120
and I started noticing
I was envious of her.
830
00:51:55,160 --> 00:51:58,480
Her freedom was very alluring to me.
831
00:52:00,480 --> 00:52:02,840
I didn't know women boxed.
832
00:52:02,880 --> 00:52:05,600
She told me about the relationship
833
00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:08,640
between manager and athlete.
834
00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:11,520
This sounds like pimp
and prostitute.
835
00:52:11,560 --> 00:52:15,400
No wonder this woman is
uncomfortable.
836
00:52:15,440 --> 00:52:18,840
You know, every month we would
get together and do something.
837
00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:22,800
And, one afternoon,
838
00:52:22,840 --> 00:52:25,240
we were hanging out...
839
00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:27,720
and she leaned over and kissed me.
840
00:52:30,440 --> 00:52:32,720
It changed my whole life.
841
00:52:34,600 --> 00:52:38,560
I knew I had been denying something.
842
00:52:39,440 --> 00:52:42,360
Only half of me...
843
00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:43,800
living.
844
00:52:52,240 --> 00:52:56,360
Being gay was a horrible thing.
845
00:52:56,400 --> 00:53:00,040
It was...
846
00:53:01,400 --> 00:53:04,320
I- It's hard to explain,
847
00:53:04,360 --> 00:53:08,880
the gravity of what happened to you
848
00:53:08,920 --> 00:53:11,400
if you came out as being gay.
849
00:53:11,440 --> 00:53:16,160
It's so senseless.
You love a person,
850
00:53:16,200 --> 00:53:20,040
and you have to pay for it
in such a dire way.
851
00:53:23,040 --> 00:53:25,920
A gay is not a creation of God.
852
00:53:25,960 --> 00:53:27,840
There is hope
for the homosexuals that,
853
00:53:27,880 --> 00:53:31,400
if they're willing to turn from sin
854
00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:34,680
they can be ex-homosexuals, the same
as there can be an ex-murderer,
855
00:53:34,720 --> 00:53:36,680
an ex-thief or ex-anybody.
856
00:53:36,720 --> 00:53:41,160
A lot of people,
male and female, are homophobic.
857
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:44,560
And people think, "Oh,
are they this or are they that?"
858
00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:48,040
Instead of, we're just women
that are interested in boxing.
859
00:53:54,760 --> 00:53:58,640
Beverley and I, we couldn't see
each other very often,
860
00:53:58,680 --> 00:54:00,760
so we started exchanging letters.
861
00:54:00,800 --> 00:54:04,120
One day Sal found a love letter
that she had sent me.
862
00:54:08,360 --> 00:54:10,040
And he- he blew up.
863
00:54:12,080 --> 00:54:15,800
Sal said it was gonna tear
women's boxing apart.
864
00:54:18,480 --> 00:54:23,320
We were doing something that upset
the roles we have in society.
865
00:54:25,960 --> 00:54:28,680
If we were exposed as gay,
866
00:54:28,720 --> 00:54:32,360
it would confirm
all of the nay-sayers
867
00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:34,520
that it was just a gay thing.
868
00:54:37,160 --> 00:54:40,200
Sal gave her an ultimatum;
869
00:54:41,280 --> 00:54:42,720
him or me.
870
00:54:42,760 --> 00:54:45,680
Foolish move on his part,
871
00:54:45,720 --> 00:54:49,800
cos it's pretty clear to me
what she's gonna choose here.
872
00:54:56,640 --> 00:54:58,600
It was the best thing for the sport,
873
00:55:00,600 --> 00:55:02,480
for me to be straight.
874
00:55:04,520 --> 00:55:07,360
So I decided
875
00:55:07,400 --> 00:55:08,960
to break it off.
876
00:55:16,920 --> 00:55:19,680
It felt like a huge disappointment.
877
00:55:21,520 --> 00:55:24,080
Dare I say, almost betrayal.
878
00:55:33,480 --> 00:55:36,400
It was such a sacrifice.
879
00:55:36,440 --> 00:55:41,720
But I had to make it to get
the licence and change history.
880
00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:51,600
I was 27 and three years out of law
school, with very little experience,
881
00:55:51,640 --> 00:55:54,120
suing New York state,
882
00:55:54,160 --> 00:55:56,360
you know,
a division of New York state.
883
00:55:56,400 --> 00:55:58,440
What the hell was I thinking?
884
00:56:00,160 --> 00:56:04,320
Then, I discovered Cat's licence
was denied
885
00:56:04,360 --> 00:56:08,080
on the recommendation
of the Medical Advisory Board.
886
00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:13,440
But I subsequently learned
that the Medical Advisory Board
887
00:56:13,480 --> 00:56:15,000
had never met.
888
00:56:15,040 --> 00:56:17,240
Gotcha. (LAUGHS)
889
00:56:17,280 --> 00:56:18,760
How stupid are you?
890
00:56:18,800 --> 00:56:21,440
If you're gonna do something,
at least do it right
891
00:56:21,480 --> 00:56:23,560
so you don't get caught. (LAUGHS)
892
00:56:25,920 --> 00:56:32,200
Then, I received a call,
and they told me that the court
893
00:56:32,240 --> 00:56:36,720
agreed that prohibiting women
from being licenced to box
894
00:56:36,760 --> 00:56:41,200
in New York state was
unconstitutional and discriminatory
895
00:56:41,240 --> 00:56:44,720
and that I could call Cat and say,
896
00:56:44,760 --> 00:56:46,360
"You're getting a licence."
897
00:56:46,400 --> 00:56:49,680
And it just- it was wonderful.
Wow, yes!
898
00:56:49,720 --> 00:56:52,520
A recent State Supreme Court
decision allowing women
899
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:54,320
the right to fight professionally.
900
00:56:56,960 --> 00:57:02,000
Things were really rolling
so I flew out to New York.
901
00:57:10,640 --> 00:57:13,240
The day finally comes.
902
00:57:13,280 --> 00:57:16,960
And I go right down
to the State Athletic Commission.
903
00:57:21,280 --> 00:57:23,520
Can't believe
we finally got this form.
904
00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:27,160
Fingerprints, pictures,
and they're gonna accept it all.
905
00:57:31,640 --> 00:57:37,320
They're gonna give out the boxing
licence to Jackie Tonawanda,
906
00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:39,680
Cat Davis and myself.
907
00:57:40,440 --> 00:57:42,600
We have three women
with us today
908
00:57:42,640 --> 00:57:44,720
who are among the first to apply
909
00:57:44,760 --> 00:57:47,160
for licences within this state.
910
00:57:47,200 --> 00:57:48,800
They gave us our licence,
911
00:57:48,840 --> 00:57:52,280
the little piece of paper
that we had fought so hard for.
912
00:57:53,920 --> 00:57:55,400
And we got it.
913
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:05,240
Oh my god, it was a big thing.
914
00:58:05,280 --> 00:58:07,240
The money was gonna come,
915
00:58:07,280 --> 00:58:09,120
everything was gonna come with it.
916
00:58:09,160 --> 00:58:11,880
The New York licence wasn't
just a piece of paper,
917
00:58:11,920 --> 00:58:14,480
it was a symbol of achievement.
918
00:58:17,240 --> 00:58:20,040
New York was the final piece
of the puzzle.
919
00:58:21,600 --> 00:58:23,280
This was a massive deal.
920
00:58:43,440 --> 00:58:47,680
After waiting all that time
I should've been happy.
921
00:58:49,360 --> 00:58:51,680
But what they did was
922
00:58:51,720 --> 00:58:55,880
they handed Cat Davis
the licence first,
923
00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:58,400
even though Jackie and I
924
00:58:58,440 --> 00:59:02,040
were the first to apply.
925
00:59:02,080 --> 00:59:06,120
You know. Everybody knew getting
the licence first means a lot.
926
00:59:07,240 --> 00:59:11,080
Lady Tyger wasn't happy,
and she was grumbling a bit,
927
00:59:11,120 --> 00:59:16,200
because she and Jackie had been
trying for a licence before me.
928
00:59:16,240 --> 00:59:20,680
And they were a bit annoyed that
the cracker got the licence first.
929
00:59:22,120 --> 00:59:24,520
I felt hurt for Tyger.
930
00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:28,840
It's like they shouldn't have
done it that way to her.
931
00:59:30,040 --> 00:59:33,360
Cat was white, the great white hope.
932
00:59:33,400 --> 00:59:35,440
And in boxing that was a big thing.
933
00:59:36,720 --> 00:59:39,560
Although all three of them
got the licence,
934
00:59:39,600 --> 00:59:42,320
it was clear that it was
all about one of 'em.
935
00:59:42,360 --> 00:59:43,560
(APPLAUSE)
936
00:59:43,600 --> 00:59:46,840
Our guest's name is Cat Davis.
937
00:59:46,880 --> 00:59:48,440
(APPLAUSE)
938
00:59:48,480 --> 00:59:51,240
Cat Davis was on this TV show.
939
00:59:51,280 --> 00:59:54,360
When are you gonna fight in Madison
Square Garden and could you fill it?
940
00:59:54,400 --> 00:59:57,360
Yes, definitely I could.
And that TV show.
941
00:59:57,400 --> 01:00:01,200
The financial independence
I have now is-
942
01:00:01,240 --> 01:00:03,720
is mainly through boxing,
from boxing.
943
01:00:04,720 --> 01:00:06,880
And good management.
And good management,
944
01:00:06,920 --> 01:00:09,960
and good publicity, and what else
did you tell me to say?
945
01:00:11,040 --> 01:00:13,200
So now that we've got the licence,
946
01:00:13,240 --> 01:00:16,720
the deal at Madison Square Garden
was gonna come through.
947
01:00:16,760 --> 01:00:20,200
I got an offer of $150,000.
948
01:00:25,360 --> 01:00:30,560
I'm a native New Yorker and I wanted
to fight at Madison Square Garden.
949
01:00:30,600 --> 01:00:33,600
And I wanted to fight Cat Davis.
950
01:00:33,640 --> 01:00:35,600
But that didn't happen.
951
01:00:37,240 --> 01:00:40,680
I never- never had an opportunity
to fight in New York.
952
01:00:45,120 --> 01:00:47,960
I got my licence,
953
01:00:48,000 --> 01:00:50,240
and I was never able to use it.
954
01:00:54,560 --> 01:00:58,280
I had no other choice
but to go back to California.
955
01:01:07,080 --> 01:01:10,520
I was in really bad shape
financially.
956
01:01:10,560 --> 01:01:15,520
And a friend of mine told me
about another way of making money.
957
01:01:16,760 --> 01:01:18,760
Apartment boxing.
958
01:01:18,800 --> 01:01:20,240
Oh, my goodness.
959
01:01:21,920 --> 01:01:23,160
Shit.
960
01:01:31,920 --> 01:01:35,640
It was women that
would box businessmen
961
01:01:36,680 --> 01:01:39,040
who got off on it sexually.
962
01:01:39,080 --> 01:01:41,680
That's what they wanted
to spend their money on,
963
01:01:41,720 --> 01:01:44,240
was getting their ass kicked,
they loved it.
964
01:01:44,280 --> 01:01:47,080
You don't get naked,
you don't take off your clothes,
965
01:01:47,120 --> 01:01:48,280
nothing like that.
966
01:01:52,640 --> 01:01:57,480
But some people might call it
a form of prostitution.
967
01:02:00,080 --> 01:02:03,720
It meant that I was able
to pay my rent and pay my bills
968
01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:06,880
so that I could continue
with my career.
969
01:02:10,240 --> 01:02:14,000
But, with women's boxing,
you don't know what to expect.
970
01:02:24,200 --> 01:02:27,200
A couple of weeks
after Lady Tyger and Cat Davis
971
01:02:27,240 --> 01:02:29,720
got their boxing licences,
972
01:02:29,760 --> 01:02:32,960
an article came out
in The Village Voice;
973
01:02:35,000 --> 01:02:37,120
it dropped a bomb in the sport.
974
01:02:38,200 --> 01:02:40,600
"Cat Davies is a kinky
media phenomenon,
975
01:02:40,640 --> 01:02:43,520
a product of the
Great American Hype Machine.
976
01:02:43,560 --> 01:02:47,120
Cat is a lady boxer who is white,
blonde and pretty."
977
01:02:47,160 --> 01:02:50,520
"White, pretty
and not what she appears to be.
978
01:02:50,560 --> 01:02:54,760
Her manager, Sal Algieri,
is a tank artist
979
01:02:54,800 --> 01:02:57,320
and accused of fight fixing."
980
01:03:04,520 --> 01:03:05,840
(SIGHS)
981
01:03:07,600 --> 01:03:11,560
Sal and Cat were known
for being a little underhanded,
982
01:03:12,840 --> 01:03:17,440
I'm sorry, I- I shouldn't say
bad things about people
983
01:03:17,480 --> 01:03:18,960
but...
984
01:03:19,000 --> 01:03:23,240
when they offered a fight to me,
I told 'em that I was out of shape,
985
01:03:23,280 --> 01:03:26,000
that I hadn't been working out
986
01:03:26,040 --> 01:03:30,040
so I told 'em I don't think
I should do it, they said,
987
01:03:30,080 --> 01:03:35,360
"Oh don't worry about it,
it's just an exhibition".
988
01:03:35,400 --> 01:03:38,080
I got in the ring with Cat Davis,
989
01:03:38,120 --> 01:03:43,400
and, boy, I'm telling you,
she came on like gang busters.
990
01:03:43,440 --> 01:03:45,320
(INDISTINCT COMMENTARY)
991
01:03:50,280 --> 01:03:53,200
My trainer says,
"They're serious about this fight,
992
01:03:53,240 --> 01:03:54,760
they're gonna beat you up".
993
01:04:00,920 --> 01:04:07,960
My trainer, he saw how defeated
I felt over the whole scenario,
994
01:04:08,000 --> 01:04:11,400
it caused me to quit
and that made me sad.
995
01:04:13,080 --> 01:04:15,920
Sal Algieri and Cat Davis,
996
01:04:15,960 --> 01:04:19,840
they just were not good
for the boxing picture.
997
01:04:22,440 --> 01:04:25,960
It was really shocking
when this article came out.
998
01:04:28,600 --> 01:04:33,440
I don't know if she knew
or had any kind of idea
999
01:04:33,480 --> 01:04:36,400
that Sal was fixing her fights.
1000
01:04:38,320 --> 01:04:39,920
I don't know.
1001
01:04:46,680 --> 01:04:49,760
I really can't remember...
1002
01:04:52,000 --> 01:04:57,080
any fights that look like
they were fake.
1003
01:05:03,560 --> 01:05:04,560
(BELL DINGS)
1004
01:05:05,440 --> 01:05:09,680
COMMENTATOR: Cat Davis, who in 16
fights has won 15 by knockouts...
1005
01:05:11,320 --> 01:05:14,320
When somebody hits the ground
with a thud,
1006
01:05:14,360 --> 01:05:16,360
that's a real knockout.
1007
01:05:16,400 --> 01:05:19,360
Nobody could say I was a fake.
1008
01:05:26,400 --> 01:05:28,400
Maybe she knew and was in on it
1009
01:05:29,880 --> 01:05:32,560
or maybe she had no idea,
1010
01:05:32,600 --> 01:05:35,240
and truly believed
she was a great fighter.
1011
01:05:44,520 --> 01:05:48,240
REPORTER: I'm standing on the
business end of a punching bag...
(LAUGHS)
1012
01:05:48,280 --> 01:05:50,640
with Women's Lightweight Boxing
Champion of the World,
1013
01:05:50,680 --> 01:05:53,800
so certified
by The Women's Boxing Federation.
1014
01:05:54,840 --> 01:05:57,680
Have you ever been hurt,
knocked out?No.
1015
01:05:57,720 --> 01:06:00,440
What happens when you do?
I don't think that'll ever happen.
1016
01:06:00,480 --> 01:06:02,240
When do you defend your title next?
1017
01:06:02,280 --> 01:06:05,440
Well, my next fight is a non-title
fight in Atlanta, Georgia.
1018
01:06:08,360 --> 01:06:11,160
Ernestine was like my daughter,
1019
01:06:11,200 --> 01:06:12,880
she was such a sweetheart
1020
01:06:12,920 --> 01:06:16,000
and she'd come down to the gym
and sit there and watch the guys
1021
01:06:16,040 --> 01:06:18,720
and I started teaching her
how to box a little bit,
1022
01:06:18,760 --> 01:06:21,560
she just wanted to stay in it
and wanted to be a boxer.
1023
01:06:21,600 --> 01:06:25,680
So I took her to Georgia,
and she met Cat Davis.
1024
01:06:25,720 --> 01:06:28,760
I heard that Sal
talked with Ernestine's manager
1025
01:06:28,800 --> 01:06:32,680
before the fight and said,
"Your girl got to lose,
1026
01:06:34,560 --> 01:06:38,840
she has got to lose because
a black girl has no market value".
1027
01:06:40,120 --> 01:06:43,400
I thought that was just,
that was just mean but it's-
1028
01:06:43,440 --> 01:06:47,120
it's reality here. It's reality.
1029
01:06:51,320 --> 01:06:54,600
Sal Algieri's under the impression
that Ernestine Jones
1030
01:06:54,640 --> 01:06:56,320
was gonna get beat up,
1031
01:06:57,360 --> 01:07:01,240
but they didn't know that
Ernestine wasn't coming out there
1032
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:02,440
to play around.
1033
01:07:02,480 --> 01:07:04,520
(CHEERING) (SHUTTER CLICKS)
1034
01:07:08,240 --> 01:07:10,680
We start boxing,
everything is going alright,
1035
01:07:11,800 --> 01:07:14,360
and I kept that left jab out.
1036
01:07:14,400 --> 01:07:18,440
Everybody was all around, they were
waiting for Cathy to lower the boom.
1037
01:07:18,480 --> 01:07:21,680
The jab is something that everybody
think that nobody can get away from.
1038
01:07:21,720 --> 01:07:24,800
Ernestine threw a right hand
over the top of it,
1039
01:07:24,840 --> 01:07:29,560
and she just stifled up like a board
and fell down, flat out,
1040
01:07:29,600 --> 01:07:31,840
just lay there
like a canoe or something,
1041
01:07:31,880 --> 01:07:33,600
it looked like she was
gonna float away.
1042
01:07:33,640 --> 01:07:35,360
I thought it was over with.
1043
01:07:35,400 --> 01:07:38,200
It was the first time
I got knocked out.
1044
01:07:38,240 --> 01:07:42,080
The referee's counting,
I went to the corner,
1045
01:07:42,120 --> 01:07:45,440
and I told Sal,
"I can't feel my feet".
1046
01:07:47,120 --> 01:07:51,400
They stood Cathy up and Ernestine
threw the same smart punch
1047
01:07:53,480 --> 01:07:56,280
and Cathy, she was laid out,
1048
01:07:57,200 --> 01:07:58,760
looked dead.
1049
01:08:00,000 --> 01:08:04,000
Algieri came up there and told me
to get out the ring,
1050
01:08:04,040 --> 01:08:07,720
I don't know what for,
but she hurt bad,
1051
01:08:07,760 --> 01:08:10,800
and they put the ammonium nitrate
underneath her nose,
1052
01:08:11,760 --> 01:08:13,840
that wakes people up
if they get knocked out.
1053
01:08:15,640 --> 01:08:18,200
I must've been in
and out of consciousness.
1054
01:08:18,240 --> 01:08:19,560
(RINGING)
1055
01:08:21,439 --> 01:08:23,560
They started the fight back up
1056
01:08:23,600 --> 01:08:26,720
and this time Cathy
didn't even throw a punch.
1057
01:08:30,479 --> 01:08:32,439
She's laying there a third time,
I said,
1058
01:08:32,479 --> 01:08:34,040
"That's it, the fight's over."
1059
01:08:34,080 --> 01:08:36,399
I said, "This girl is gonna have
brain damage,
1060
01:08:36,439 --> 01:08:39,359
you can't knock a person out
three times in one night".
1061
01:08:42,960 --> 01:08:44,520
Yeah, she was out cold.
1062
01:08:46,000 --> 01:08:48,439
They carried her out,
took her to a hospital.
1063
01:08:49,520 --> 01:08:51,800
Ernestine had a purpose,
1064
01:08:51,840 --> 01:08:53,960
and it wasn't to make the money,
1065
01:08:54,000 --> 01:08:57,760
it was knock the air out
of Sal Algieri's dream
1066
01:08:59,240 --> 01:09:00,680
and that's what happened.
1067
01:09:02,000 --> 01:09:04,760
But Sal called it a no contest,
1068
01:09:07,680 --> 01:09:09,479
there was nothing we could do.
1069
01:09:14,000 --> 01:09:16,200
Well, I kind of struggle with memory
1070
01:09:16,240 --> 01:09:18,720
because my brain
isn't quite together,
1071
01:09:18,760 --> 01:09:21,800
I had a stroke seven years ago
1072
01:09:21,840 --> 01:09:26,080
but I'm not stupid,
I can still carry on. (CHUCKLES)
1073
01:09:26,120 --> 01:09:29,680
it's just that I can't...
you know, there are blank spaces.
1074
01:09:31,279 --> 01:09:36,279
The article on this fight
was devastating for Cat
1075
01:09:36,319 --> 01:09:40,359
and for the sport of women's boxing.
1076
01:09:40,399 --> 01:09:45,720
This boxer was supposed to be the
great white hope of women's boxing,
1077
01:09:47,080 --> 01:09:52,920
but... you know, all the...
the potential deals dried up.
1078
01:09:54,880 --> 01:09:58,920
The corruption didn't just end
there, it was also in California.
1079
01:10:00,920 --> 01:10:05,280
In the boxing world there were those
that took it really seriously
1080
01:10:05,320 --> 01:10:09,560
and there was those that just did it
for the money, you know?
1081
01:10:09,600 --> 01:10:12,920
Dee Knuckles scheduled for me
the fight with Cora Webber,
1082
01:10:12,960 --> 01:10:16,320
I had to be on my Ps and Qs
with her ass because
1083
01:10:16,360 --> 01:10:18,720
that white girl was tough,
believe me.
1084
01:10:18,760 --> 01:10:21,040
But before the fight
Dee Knuckles says,
1085
01:10:21,080 --> 01:10:23,320
"You don't have to do
anything but drop."
1086
01:10:24,840 --> 01:10:27,320
I didn't even understand
what the word drop meant
1087
01:10:27,360 --> 01:10:30,920
until I finally realised that means
for me to hit the canvas.
1088
01:10:32,640 --> 01:10:35,640
You know, and Dee Knuckles
is sitting there, she goes,
1089
01:10:35,680 --> 01:10:38,440
"It's just, all you gotta do
is just drop, Lydia,
1090
01:10:38,480 --> 01:10:40,760
we'll pay you a little extra."
1091
01:10:45,160 --> 01:10:48,040
Cora Webber!(CHEERING)
1092
01:10:51,160 --> 01:10:53,760
Very hard for me to understand
why would they do something
1093
01:10:53,800 --> 01:10:57,440
like that to me when I put all my
heart and soul into what I'm doing?
1094
01:10:57,480 --> 01:11:00,200
You know, they wanted
to build up a white girl.
1095
01:11:02,880 --> 01:11:07,040
I don't think Cora Webber,
I don't think she knew,
1096
01:11:07,080 --> 01:11:09,920
but Dee Knuckles,
I was pissed off at that bitch.
1097
01:11:09,960 --> 01:11:12,280
Pfft. I said, "I'm not dropping".
1098
01:11:19,640 --> 01:11:22,680
And boy, did I fuckin' go nuts.
1099
01:11:32,400 --> 01:11:34,120
I'm not dropping, I'm not dropping.
1100
01:11:37,920 --> 01:11:38,920
(BELL DINGS)
1101
01:11:40,880 --> 01:11:42,400
And we had a draw.
1102
01:11:42,440 --> 01:11:44,320
A draw! (APPLAUSE)
1103
01:11:47,200 --> 01:11:50,800
I didn't know the business
was so crooked like that, pfft,
1104
01:11:50,840 --> 01:11:54,560
it's not gonna get anywhere
because if women are doing that
1105
01:11:54,600 --> 01:11:57,520
let it be and I'm out,
you know I'm out of it so...
1106
01:12:02,000 --> 01:12:05,960
At my first fight, I thought
maybe I could trust Dee,
1107
01:12:07,440 --> 01:12:11,240
but I later found out that she had
bet against me at the fight.
1108
01:12:15,000 --> 01:12:18,680
She did, bitch, she did,
she bet against me
1109
01:12:20,360 --> 01:12:22,640
cos she knew I was pregnant,
1110
01:12:22,680 --> 01:12:25,240
and she knew that
I wasn't gonna win
1111
01:12:25,280 --> 01:12:29,480
and she did get a new car
and so it, it pissed me off so bad
1112
01:12:29,520 --> 01:12:33,120
when I turned around and I just
said, "You know what? Fuck you Dee".
1113
01:12:33,160 --> 01:12:35,320
After that I was done.
1114
01:12:35,360 --> 01:12:37,400
If Dee was here today,
1115
01:12:37,440 --> 01:12:39,840
shit, I'd call her on everything,
I said,
1116
01:12:39,880 --> 01:12:43,160
"You know you fucked up, you know
you screwed us all."
1117
01:12:44,320 --> 01:12:46,440
But I would also tell her thank you
1118
01:12:46,480 --> 01:12:48,440
because I wouldn't be Pat Pineda,
1119
01:12:48,480 --> 01:12:50,960
California's first
pro female fighter,
1120
01:12:51,000 --> 01:12:53,160
if it wasn't for Dee Knuckles.
1121
01:13:04,600 --> 01:13:09,520
We were trying to build up the sport
and the phony fights and all,
1122
01:13:09,560 --> 01:13:14,120
all, all the things
was letting us down,
1123
01:13:14,160 --> 01:13:16,120
but I couldn't let that bother me.
1124
01:13:17,560 --> 01:13:22,640
Then someone put on
an all-female fight card,
1125
01:13:25,000 --> 01:13:27,600
that's the first time
that happened anywhere.
1126
01:13:29,320 --> 01:13:31,680
All females fighting.
1127
01:13:35,480 --> 01:13:37,920
I was honoured to be amongst
1128
01:13:37,960 --> 01:13:41,840
female boxing greats,
and making history.
1129
01:13:49,240 --> 01:13:52,440
And I was crowned World Champion.
1130
01:13:57,880 --> 01:14:01,880
But I don't even have
a trophy to prove it.
1131
01:14:03,720 --> 01:14:06,760
Once you work hard enough to get
to the top of your profession,
1132
01:14:06,800 --> 01:14:10,160
the top of your sport, that you win
a certain kind of respect, Tyger won
1133
01:14:10,200 --> 01:14:13,960
the World Lightweight Championship
for women, how much did you make?
1134
01:14:14,000 --> 01:14:16,280
Err, about $1,500,
1135
01:14:16,320 --> 01:14:19,160
you see it's so embarrassing
that I, I really don't like to,
1136
01:14:19,200 --> 01:14:22,120
you know, mention it when Hadler's
making 3 million
1137
01:14:22,160 --> 01:14:25,160
and it's just a shame that
Miss Piggy gets more publicity
1138
01:14:25,200 --> 01:14:27,480
than we do, you know? Really.
(AUDIENCE LAUGH)
1139
01:14:27,520 --> 01:14:29,040
(APPLAUSE)
We'll be right back.
1140
01:14:29,080 --> 01:14:32,200
And around this time
I'm getting a little older,
1141
01:14:32,240 --> 01:14:36,000
I would like to have a nice husband.
(CHUCKLES)
1142
01:14:37,640 --> 01:14:39,640
So there was a guy
1143
01:14:41,040 --> 01:14:44,960
that would come to the gym,
he'd keep himself in shape
1144
01:14:45,000 --> 01:14:49,280
and he was part of a motorcycle gang
called The Chosen Few.
1145
01:14:51,160 --> 01:14:54,600
they wore leather and
they kind of were rough necks,
1146
01:14:54,640 --> 01:14:56,840
but I enjoyed them.
1147
01:14:56,880 --> 01:15:01,240
I rode on the back of the bike, and
it was a, it was a whole lot of fun.
1148
01:15:02,360 --> 01:15:04,680
It was really a cool relationship.
1149
01:15:06,000 --> 01:15:08,280
One day we drove to Las Vegas.
1150
01:15:09,560 --> 01:15:11,200
(ENGINE REVS)
1151
01:15:16,480 --> 01:15:20,000
In Vegas they have
a lot of chapels there,
1152
01:15:21,480 --> 01:15:24,800
this marriage chapel,
that marriage chapel,
1153
01:15:24,840 --> 01:15:27,080
and we got married just like that.
1154
01:15:31,240 --> 01:15:34,280
Sal wanted me to continue to box
1155
01:15:34,320 --> 01:15:37,680
but I was denying this part of me
that had been...
1156
01:15:39,600 --> 01:15:41,880
repressed for so many years
1157
01:15:43,360 --> 01:15:46,640
and I had to,
1158
01:15:46,680 --> 01:15:50,600
had to start living an authentic
life or I was just gonna,
1159
01:15:50,640 --> 01:15:53,560
I was done with living,
1160
01:15:54,800 --> 01:15:59,120
it was, it was my, it was my time.
1161
01:15:59,160 --> 01:16:01,280
So I packed up at night
1162
01:16:01,320 --> 01:16:05,320
so Sal wouldn't know anything
about it and headed west.
1163
01:16:13,200 --> 01:16:17,480
I drove three nights to get
across country to California
1164
01:16:23,520 --> 01:16:27,080
and I met Beverly
on my birthday
1165
01:16:28,120 --> 01:16:29,360
in Yosemite.
1166
01:16:31,240 --> 01:16:34,240
Oh, it was such an incredible
feeling of freedom.
1167
01:16:39,560 --> 01:16:41,480
Finally I could be me.
1168
01:16:54,880 --> 01:16:58,440
After I got married, it got
a little bit more complicated,
1169
01:16:59,440 --> 01:17:02,040
he thought that he owned me,
1170
01:17:02,080 --> 01:17:05,200
it became a disaster,
he started being abusive.
1171
01:17:07,480 --> 01:17:09,920
One day I was at my apartment,
1172
01:17:10,920 --> 01:17:14,920
I got out of the shower,
had a bath robe on,
1173
01:17:14,960 --> 01:17:16,920
and he said, "You're coming with me"
1174
01:17:16,960 --> 01:17:19,400
and I said, "No, I'm not going"
1175
01:17:19,440 --> 01:17:22,320
and he was pulling me,
and he had a pistol,
1176
01:17:23,560 --> 01:17:27,680
he hit me in the stomach
and everywhere,
1177
01:17:27,720 --> 01:17:29,120
it was pretty bad.
1178
01:17:29,880 --> 01:17:32,240
(ANNOUNCER TALKS INDISTINCTLY)
1179
01:17:36,440 --> 01:17:39,960
Everybody expects Tyger
to be a Tyger,
1180
01:17:41,360 --> 01:17:43,080
you know...
1181
01:17:44,440 --> 01:17:47,720
being strong in most situations,
1182
01:17:47,760 --> 01:17:52,680
it's very difficult to- to uphold
that, you know that type of thing.
1183
01:17:58,280 --> 01:18:02,760
So I went to the hospital, they
said, "You know, you're pregnant,
1184
01:18:02,800 --> 01:18:06,760
you know, you're- you're pregnant"
and I was like, "Wow".
1185
01:18:10,840 --> 01:18:14,440
If I had stayed there in California,
1186
01:18:14,480 --> 01:18:19,560
I knew I would've either killed him
1187
01:18:19,600 --> 01:18:21,960
or he would've killed me,
1188
01:18:22,000 --> 01:18:26,400
it was, it was no, nothing else,
no ands, ifs or buts
1189
01:18:26,440 --> 01:18:28,640
so I had to get out.
1190
01:18:37,360 --> 01:18:42,520
I decided to leave California
permanently
1191
01:18:42,560 --> 01:18:46,120
which also meant
that was the end of my boxing career
1192
01:18:48,200 --> 01:18:51,440
and I had to start a life
all over with my son.
1193
01:18:59,680 --> 01:19:04,280
I thought that through boxing
I would be able to buy a house
1194
01:19:04,320 --> 01:19:08,760
for my family and get out of the
ghetto,
1195
01:19:08,800 --> 01:19:12,000
but it didn't work for me.
1196
01:19:13,000 --> 01:19:16,840
I'm ready to leave, let me put
everything in place for you.Mm-mm.
1197
01:19:16,880 --> 01:19:19,200
Let me put this. A-ha. Oh yeah.
1198
01:19:20,680 --> 01:19:22,000
Get out this.
1199
01:19:23,320 --> 01:19:24,800
(UNCLEAR)
1200
01:19:24,840 --> 01:19:26,200
My eyedrops.
1201
01:19:26,240 --> 01:19:29,480
I put the eyedrops on the afternoon,
remember?
1202
01:19:29,520 --> 01:19:30,920
Don't worry for this.
1203
01:19:32,000 --> 01:19:37,200
Yeah. OK. So (KISSES).OK.
1204
01:19:37,240 --> 01:19:39,720
OK, thank you so much, Carmen!
1205
01:19:39,760 --> 01:19:41,920
See you tomorrow, Big Mama.
OK.
1206
01:19:45,120 --> 01:19:46,360
Goodnight.
1207
01:19:48,000 --> 01:19:49,920
Have a good night!
Goodnight.
1208
01:19:49,960 --> 01:19:51,400
I'm gonna lock the door.
1209
01:19:53,640 --> 01:19:54,640
(DOOR CLOSES)
1210
01:20:32,640 --> 01:20:33,840
Cat!
1211
01:20:35,520 --> 01:20:37,960
How you doing, Cat?
Is this the Tyger?
1212
01:20:38,000 --> 01:20:39,600
Yes!
Oh my god!
1213
01:20:39,640 --> 01:20:41,880
(LAUGHS)
Here! Give me a hug.
1214
01:20:41,920 --> 01:20:44,160
I want a hug! I want a hug.Oh!
1215
01:20:44,200 --> 01:20:46,560
Oh you're in a wheelchair too?
I'm in a chair.
1216
01:20:46,600 --> 01:20:49,240
Oh gosh I, I walk like I should be.
1217
01:20:49,280 --> 01:20:52,560
Mwah.How are you, sweetheart?
Oh how are you, how are you?
1218
01:20:52,600 --> 01:20:54,640
We looking pretty good
for old girls!
1219
01:20:54,680 --> 01:20:56,840
Oh my god, we are old, aren't we?
Yeah, yeah.
1220
01:20:56,880 --> 01:20:58,640
I want you to have a seat.
1221
01:20:58,680 --> 01:21:00,400
Wow.
1222
01:21:02,600 --> 01:21:03,600
Oh...
1223
01:21:04,920 --> 01:21:06,840
When you think about those days,
1224
01:21:06,880 --> 01:21:10,120
I still can't believe how badly
we were hated and how much
1225
01:21:10,160 --> 01:21:13,760
we were- how badly we were treated.
Oh. Yeah, yeah.
1226
01:21:13,800 --> 01:21:15,880
It's so mixed up in my mind.
Mm-mm.
1227
01:21:15,920 --> 01:21:19,800
What happened.
Yeah, so, why did Sal, you know,
1228
01:21:19,840 --> 01:21:22,920
did you know that Sal was doing
all this crooked stuff?
1229
01:21:22,960 --> 01:21:25,280
No clue.Wow.
I, I was-
1230
01:21:25,320 --> 01:21:28,640
You were innocent in all this?
I was just this golden girl.
1231
01:21:28,680 --> 01:21:29,880
Right, right.
1232
01:21:29,920 --> 01:21:34,480
And I think that was the whole
pitch that he put forward
1233
01:21:34,520 --> 01:21:37,840
and I just, I didn't like it
because it was a lie.
1234
01:21:37,880 --> 01:21:39,000
Exactly.
1235
01:21:39,040 --> 01:21:41,920
And he wasn't a bad man.
1236
01:21:41,960 --> 01:21:46,160
He was just a hustler
so that was what he was.
1237
01:21:46,200 --> 01:21:47,920
Was he your boyfriend or what?
No-
1238
01:21:47,960 --> 01:21:50,000
But he was-
He wanted to be my boyfriend.
1239
01:21:50,040 --> 01:21:52,240
And he wanted to be married-
Get out of here!
1240
01:21:52,280 --> 01:21:55,760
Yeah! (LAUGHS) But also,
I was trying to figure out
1241
01:21:55,800 --> 01:21:59,120
who I was sexually,
I ended up being gay.
1242
01:21:59,160 --> 01:22:00,320
Wow.
1243
01:22:00,360 --> 01:22:03,840
But that was a big turmoil for me,
yeah, I was...
1244
01:22:03,880 --> 01:22:06,320
Yeah, it must've been hard being gay
1245
01:22:06,360 --> 01:22:10,040
and not being able to express
that part of your life.
1246
01:22:10,080 --> 01:22:13,760
Well, it was but at that point I
wasn't even admitting it to myself.
1247
01:22:13,800 --> 01:22:16,040
Wow, but let me ask you something,
1248
01:22:16,080 --> 01:22:19,440
I wanna know, OK, when,
when we were all licenced
1249
01:22:19,480 --> 01:22:21,840
you were given your licence first.
Mm-mm.
1250
01:22:21,880 --> 01:22:24,360
Did you think it was fair,
I would like to know-
1251
01:22:24,400 --> 01:22:27,280
I didn't actually know this,
I, I wasn't that in tune,
1252
01:22:27,320 --> 01:22:29,680
I wasn't that...
1253
01:22:29,720 --> 01:22:32,240
politicised at that time...
1254
01:22:32,280 --> 01:22:34,920
But it didn't dawn on you
that you were getting
1255
01:22:34,960 --> 01:22:36,480
a lot of publicity then?
1256
01:22:36,520 --> 01:22:39,000
Oh yeah, that dawned on me
because it was obvious.
1257
01:22:39,040 --> 01:22:41,280
Mm-mm, yeah it was obvious.
That was obvious.
1258
01:22:41,320 --> 01:22:45,160
I heard a lot, then it was
because it was so unfair-
1259
01:22:45,200 --> 01:22:46,480
And it was so unjust.
1260
01:22:46,520 --> 01:22:50,880
OK.I'm so sorry we didn't get
a chance to get to know each other.
1261
01:22:52,240 --> 01:22:56,640
You were my adversary, you know
Sal made you out to be,
1262
01:22:56,680 --> 01:23:01,280
you know, this person I didn't
wanna have any contact with...
1263
01:23:01,320 --> 01:23:04,200
Wow...so, he wouldn't let me
interact with you,
1264
01:23:04,240 --> 01:23:06,840
or any of the other gals.
That's not nice.
1265
01:23:06,880 --> 01:23:09,120
I didn't, I didn't know any of them.
OK.
1266
01:23:10,760 --> 01:23:12,560
I think we would have
been great friends.
1267
01:23:12,600 --> 01:23:14,680
I think so too.Yeah.
1268
01:23:14,720 --> 01:23:18,600
Look who's coming,
that looks like Pat, Pat Pineda!
1269
01:23:18,640 --> 01:23:22,400
Oh my god, Tyger!
No, hug honey, hug.
1270
01:23:22,440 --> 01:23:26,240
I wanna hug. Oh my god.
Oh, she is wonderful to hug.
1271
01:23:26,280 --> 01:23:28,840
How are you? You look skinny,
how d'you do that?
1272
01:23:28,880 --> 01:23:30,680
You don't wanna know.
(LAUGHS)
1273
01:23:30,720 --> 01:23:34,040
Cat.
Cat, oh my God, nice to meet you.
1274
01:23:34,080 --> 01:23:36,800
Oh yeah, I don't think
I've ever met you, have I?
1275
01:23:36,840 --> 01:23:38,320
No, you've never met me.
Oh gosh...
1276
01:23:38,360 --> 01:23:42,400
Oh my god.No!
(LAUGHS)
1277
01:23:42,440 --> 01:23:45,400
Sue, Sue Fox.
How you doing, Sue?
1278
01:23:45,440 --> 01:23:47,720
Wait a minute,
I don't think I've ever met you,
1279
01:23:47,760 --> 01:23:50,920
but I've talked to you on the phone,
haven't I?Yes, you have.
1280
01:23:50,960 --> 01:23:55,000
Oh, my God, it's awesome.
And me and Sue go way back.
1281
01:23:55,040 --> 01:23:59,280
How are you?I'm so angry
we never became friends.
1282
01:24:00,800 --> 01:24:04,600
You know, I know we've maybe had
horror stories and everything.
1283
01:24:04,640 --> 01:24:07,600
I know I've had my share.
And it was hard.
1284
01:24:07,640 --> 01:24:10,880
The suffering was unbearable,
I mean, come on, I had two kids,
1285
01:24:10,920 --> 01:24:14,400
I was getting out of the marriage.
You had it tough.
1286
01:24:14,440 --> 01:24:17,240
Trying to get babysitters,
trying to get to the gym.
1287
01:24:17,280 --> 01:24:20,920
You know, it took me years
to understand what we had done.
1288
01:24:20,960 --> 01:24:22,920
I, I didn't realise it at the time.
1289
01:24:22,960 --> 01:24:25,480
I just thought
we were something everybody hated.
1290
01:24:25,520 --> 01:24:29,480
(LAUGHTER)
Well, we didn't get accepted.
1291
01:24:29,520 --> 01:24:33,200
We need this documented.
This is our story.
1292
01:24:34,720 --> 01:24:37,120
When I look back at the sport,
1293
01:24:37,160 --> 01:24:41,080
we were not erased from the record
books because of controversy
1294
01:24:41,120 --> 01:24:42,560
or corruption,
1295
01:24:42,600 --> 01:24:45,520
or because no-one cares
about women's boxing.
1296
01:24:46,480 --> 01:24:48,280
We were written out of history
1297
01:24:48,320 --> 01:24:51,960
because it's men who have always
written the history of boxing
1298
01:24:53,120 --> 01:24:56,720
and they didn't think our story
was worth telling.
1299
01:24:56,760 --> 01:24:59,680
Well, we're determined
to set the record straight.
1300
01:25:01,080 --> 01:25:04,600
They can't take that away from us.
Yeah.And we were erased.
1301
01:25:04,640 --> 01:25:08,600
We're not erased now.
This is why I'm getting emotional.
1302
01:25:08,640 --> 01:25:14,640
I'm gonna start crying, I'm so happy
to be with all you guys.Exactly!
1303
01:25:14,680 --> 01:25:21,160
It's wonderful.It is healing,
it's, um, it's amazing.
1304
01:25:21,200 --> 01:25:24,160
We're all here.
Let's make a circle of power.
1305
01:25:24,200 --> 01:25:29,360
You better believe it, and I love
all you guys; I really do.
1306
01:25:29,400 --> 01:25:33,240
Nobody can take what we did,
in history, away.
1307
01:25:33,280 --> 01:25:35,440
We're free again.
1308
01:25:35,480 --> 01:25:38,680
We're actually free at last.
At last.Yeah.
1309
01:25:45,840 --> 01:25:50,480
While none of us made millions or
fought at Madison Square Garden,
1310
01:25:50,520 --> 01:25:54,800
we were the spark that started a
fire, that's burning brightly today.
1311
01:25:56,440 --> 01:25:58,040
(CHEERING)
1312
01:27:19,800 --> 01:27:21,160
(APPLAUSE) (CHEERING)
1313
01:27:21,200 --> 01:27:22,360
Lady Tyger!
1314
01:27:24,160 --> 01:27:28,400
In September 1978, she was one
of the first women granted licences,
1315
01:27:28,440 --> 01:27:31,600
tireless advocate for women
in the sport,
1316
01:27:31,640 --> 01:27:34,360
Marian "Lady Tyger" Trimiar.
1317
01:27:34,400 --> 01:27:37,640
I love you, love you, love you.
1318
01:27:37,680 --> 01:27:41,440
It was always Lady Tyger's goal
to have a belt.
1319
01:27:41,480 --> 01:27:43,400
She was a trailblazer.
1320
01:27:43,440 --> 01:27:46,080
Lady Tyger now has a belt.
1321
01:27:46,120 --> 01:27:49,040
Oh, thank you! Thank you!
1322
01:27:49,080 --> 01:27:51,880
Thank you! Oh!
1323
01:27:51,920 --> 01:27:54,240
Oh!
1324
01:27:54,280 --> 01:27:59,240
Oh, thank you!
1325
01:28:00,160 --> 01:28:03,040
Thank you all!
1326
01:28:03,080 --> 01:28:06,440
Bless you all!
1327
01:28:06,480 --> 01:28:09,600
Thank you! Oh!
1328
01:28:09,640 --> 01:28:11,600
Oh, my God.
1329
01:28:11,640 --> 01:28:14,840
Oh, thank you!
1330
01:28:14,880 --> 01:28:16,480
(CHEERING) (APPLAUSE)
1331
01:28:22,640 --> 01:28:24,480
(SHUTTER CLICKS)
1332
01:28:39,120 --> 01:28:42,120
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