Hattie Leslie (allegedly born Libbie Spahn; November 14, 1868 – September 28, 1892) was an American
female boxer
Although women have participated in boxing for almost as long as the sport has existed, female fights have been effectively outlawed for most of boxing's history until recently, with athletic commissioners refusing to sanction or issue licenses ...
who fought against Alice Leary in the first US bout in 1888 in Buffalo. Hattie Leslie and Hattie Stewart were known as the "Female
John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan (October 15, 1858 – February 2, 1918), known simply as John L. among his admirers, and dubbed the "Boston Strong Boy" by the press, was an American boxer. He is recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved ...
".
Hattie Leslie married John Leslie who later became her manager.
A
bare-knuckle boxer
Bare-knuckle boxing (also known as bare-knuckle or bare-knuckle fighting) is a full-contact combat sport based on punching without any form of padding on the hands. The sport as it is known today originated in 17th-century England and, although s ...
, Hattie Leslie was inducted
to the
Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame
The Bare Knuckle Boxing Hall of Fame is a museum and hall of fame in Belfast, New York, dedicated to the sport of bare-knuckle boxing. It is housed in barns that were once owned by the Greco-Roman wrestling champion and physical culture pioneer ...
in 2014.
She died of typhoid pneumonia on September 28, 1892, while on tour in Milwaukee.
References
Further reading
* Jennings, L. A. (2014). ''She's a Knockout!: A History of Women in Fighting Sports''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
* Smith, M. (2014). ''A History of Women's Boxing''. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.
1868 births
1892 deaths
American women boxers
American bare-knuckle boxers
Deaths from typhoid fever in the United States
Deaths from pneumonia in Wisconsin
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