Michelle Sutcliffe
Encyclopedia
Michelle Sutcliffe is a female boxer
from England
who also practices the martial arts
sport of Muay Thai
, where she is undefeated in nine fights, with three wins by knockout
.
Sutcliffe and Germany
's Regina Halmich
have helped to increase the popularity of women's boxing in Europe
. Sutcliffe is one of the most famous female fighters to come from England. She is a native of the Leeds
area.
Her professional boxing
career began on November 2, 1996 with her first world title try, as she went right away and challenged Halmich for the WIBF
's world Flyweight title, losing by a second round knockout. She did not know what was coming towards her. She had never fought competition on this level.
Sutcliffe met Para Draine
on her second bout, June 24 of 1998, losing by knockout in round five, at Atlantic City, New Jersey
.
Her first win came against Diane Berry on June 28 of that year, when she defeated Berry by decision in five rounds back home in England.
On February 12, 1999, she lost to Sengul Ozokcu by a six round decision in Denmark
. She followed that defeat with two wins in a row, and then, on October 7 of 2000, she and Halmich were rematched in Berlin, once again with the WIBF's world Flyweight championship on the line. Sutcliffe proved more competitive than in their first match, but lost again, this time by a ten round decision. On her next fight, she lost to Kim Messer by decision in ten in South Korea
.
After a knockout win, she received her third world title try, challenging Daisy Lang
on October 29, 2001 for Lang's WIBF world Jr. Bantamweight title, in Germany. Sutcliffe lost by a seven round technical decision
when the fight's referee dictated that a cut suffered by Lang had been produced by a headbutt. The bout's result proved to be controversial, as many at ringside and television
viewers thought they had seen a punch by Sutcliffe causing Lang's cut. Had the referee ruled that the cut was produced by a punch, Sutcliffe would have been declared winner and world champion by a seventh round knockout instead.
Sutcliffe has not boxed since then (as of March 2006).
Her record stands at 5 wins and 6 losses, with 2 knockout wins.
Women's boxing
Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...
from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who also practices the martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
sport of Muay Thai
Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...
, where she is undefeated in nine fights, with three wins by knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
.
Sutcliffe and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's Regina Halmich
Regina Halmich
Regina Halmich is a popular female boxer from Germany. Halmich is among the most successful female boxers of all time, and helped popularize female boxing in Europe.-Amateur career:...
have helped to increase the popularity of women's boxing in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Sutcliffe is one of the most famous female fighters to come from England. She is a native of the Leeds
Leeds
Leeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
area.
Her professional boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
career began on November 2, 1996 with her first world title try, as she went right away and challenged Halmich for the WIBF
Women's International Boxing Federation
The WIBF is, along with the WIBA, IWBF and others, one of the more recognized world championship fight sanctioning organizations in women's boxing. The organization is based in Miami, Florida, and is not associated with male boxing's IBF.The WIBF was formed in the middle 1990s. It is presided by...
's world Flyweight title, losing by a second round knockout. She did not know what was coming towards her. She had never fought competition on this level.
Sutcliffe met Para Draine
Para Draine
Para Draine is an American female boxer who has been a world champion two times. She is a former 112 pounds and current 115 pound champion. Draine stands 5 feet eight inches tall, making her relatively tall for a boxer of her weight.Draine's nicknames are "Hurricane" and "The Spokane Spike"...
on her second bout, June 24 of 1998, losing by knockout in round five, at Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City, New Jersey
Atlantic City is a city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States, and a nationally renowned resort city for gambling, shopping and fine dining. The city also served as the inspiration for the American version of the board game Monopoly. Atlantic City is located on Absecon Island on the coast...
.
Her first win came against Diane Berry on June 28 of that year, when she defeated Berry by decision in five rounds back home in England.
On February 12, 1999, she lost to Sengul Ozokcu by a six round decision in Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
. She followed that defeat with two wins in a row, and then, on October 7 of 2000, she and Halmich were rematched in Berlin, once again with the WIBF's world Flyweight championship on the line. Sutcliffe proved more competitive than in their first match, but lost again, this time by a ten round decision. On her next fight, she lost to Kim Messer by decision in ten in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
.
After a knockout win, she received her third world title try, challenging Daisy Lang
Daisy Lang
Dessislava Kirova , better known as Daisy "The Lady" Lang, is a professional female boxer. She was GBU world champion in Super Bantamweight in 2003, WIBF world champion in Super Flyweight from 1999 to 2003, and is residing GBU world champion in Bantamweight.Before she started her boxing career, she...
on October 29, 2001 for Lang's WIBF world Jr. Bantamweight title, in Germany. Sutcliffe lost by a seven round technical decision
Technical decision
A technical decision is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.In boxing fights, referees have to pay deep attention to the action going on between the fighters, especially when the two combatants are fighting close to each other...
when the fight's referee dictated that a cut suffered by Lang had been produced by a headbutt. The bout's result proved to be controversial, as many at ringside and television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
viewers thought they had seen a punch by Sutcliffe causing Lang's cut. Had the referee ruled that the cut was produced by a punch, Sutcliffe would have been declared winner and world champion by a seventh round knockout instead.
Sutcliffe has not boxed since then (as of March 2006).
Her record stands at 5 wins and 6 losses, with 2 knockout wins.