Queen Underwood Receives a Berth in the 2012 Olympic Games‏

Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) received the call she had been dreaming about for over a month on Monday morning, and the voice on the other line delivered the message she’d been hoping for. The 28-year-old lightweight immediately fell into tears upon learning that she would be nominated to compete in the inaugural Olympic Games for women’s boxing in London. Underwood received the call from USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski at approximately 10 a.m. PT and was too emotional to speak after receiving the news.

After regaining her composure, Underwood attempted to put her feelings into words through the tears. “I’m just so happy right now. I’ve been waiting for this second chance and it means a lot to be able to go to the Olympics,” Underwood said. “All I heard was welcome to the Olympic Team and I just couldn’t control my emotions. I am just happy and thrilled that they chose me. This is just awesome.”

As the IOC’s Tripartite Commission did not have a suitable NOC for the lightweight slot, they returned to the berth to AIBA, the international federation for Olympic-style boxing. Per the Olympic Selection Guidelines approved the IOC Executive Board, the berth was to go to the next place finisher at the 2012 Women’s World Championships, which was Underwood. The American boxer lost a one-point decision to Norway’s Ingrid Egner in preliminary round action at the World Championships last month, falling just short of qualifying at that event. She required a first place finish in the Americas at the 2012 World Championships to earn her berth at the 2012 Olympic Games in the lone international qualifying tournament.

“We are thrilled for Queen and believe that she absolutely deserved to be in London,” said USA Boxing Executive Director Anthony Bartkowski. “She has been an outstanding representative for the sport since her first national championship win in 2007 and the team feels complete now that she will be joining Marlen and Claressa in London.”

Underwood’s selection by AIBA means that the United States will be represented in all three women’s weight divisions in the first-ever Olympic Games for Women’s Boxing. Flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) both qualified for the Olympic Games based upon their finish at the 2012 World Championships. Only 12 boxers in each of the three women’s weight divisions will be competing in London.

All nominations to the 2012 Olympic Team are subject to approval by the USOC Board of Directors.

Additional Underwood Quotes

“I now have the chance to write my own story and my winning the gold medal is now going to be the headline. That’s what I owe to everybody and to myself. I can’t wait to get in the ring, I really can’t. It is going to be way different this time.”

“This past three weeks almost destroyed me mentally. All this pressure, everything since China (where the World Championships were held) has been so hard.”

“This is God’s gift to me, the chance to pursue what I’ve always dreamed about. It’s obviously a dream come true and it wasn’t even in my control. I’ve worked hard to get here. I’m just so happy right now.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships 5/16/12!‏

While Marlen Esparza is the first American female boxer to have one a place at theOlympics, she is still avid to medal at the 2012 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships!

Christina Cruz, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images AsiaPac

In early results from today’s bouts it seems that the USA Boxing team has come out a winner so far.

Christina Cruz (54kg) fought a tough close bout against Sopida Saturmrum of Thailand, but managed to take the bout by the score of 29:19. Cruz managed to tie the first round 3:3, but actually lost the second and third round trailing by a total of two points before she put everything she had into the fourth round to take it by the score of 6:3. She advances to the semi-finals against Italy'sTerry Gordini on May 18th, giving her a well-need rest day.

Raquel Miller (69kg) was equally victorious in her bout over Turkish boxer Bilgehan Karabulutby the score of 11:5. Raquel led the low scoring bout throughout all four rounds. Her next bout in the semifinals of her division will be against Irina Poteyeva of Russia on May 18th.

In the third afternoon fight for the American team, Franchon Crews had a big win outscoring her opponent for Kasakhstan, Dariga Shakimova by the score of 30:12. Franchon came out blasting from the beginning and finished her fight with a devastating 10:2 round. As of this writing, Franchon's opponent in the semifinals is still undetermined. Her fight is also scheduled for May 18th.

Still to come in the 7:00 PM (local time) sessions are three fights:

Yesterday, Marlen Esparza's (51kg) became the first American female boxer in history to win a spot in the Olympic Games. Today, she hopes to continue winning in her quarterfinal bout against China's Cancan Ren.

Tiara Brown (57kg) who is considered the top seed in her division will also fight her quarterfinal bout against another member of China's boxing team, Jian Quin.

To round out the PM session, Mikaela Mayer (64kg), following her fantastic win yesterday by the score of 34:13, will be taking on India's Meena Rani. In yesterday's bout, Mayer led throughout with huge scores in the second and third rounds (10:4 & 10:3).

Queen Underwood in her heartbreaking lost to Ingrid Egner, Credit: Feng Li/Getty Images

As a reminder, in a true heartbreaker, Queen Underwood (60kg) lost her very close battle with Norway’s Ingrid Egner by the score of 26:25. Egner held a slight advantage in the first two rounds scoring 6:4 and 8:5. Queen was able to tie up the score 6:6 in the third round and came back with a fierce fourth round scoring 6:10, however, it was not enough. This is very, very tough for Queen, and she joins Claressa Shields in the waiting game for a place in the Olympics.

In a couple of notes on the Lightweight division, Ingrid Egner went on to lose today toNatasha Jonas of England by the score of 32:9. While Ireland’s Katie Taylor received a walkover against Mihaela Lacatus.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

The 2012 Women’s World Championships Draw is Completed in Qinhuangdao, China

The Women’s World Championships official event draw was held today in Qinhuangdao, China and the three potential Olympians from the United States and six fellow World Championship team members know the road that lies ahead for each of them in the key international tournament.

An altered Olympic qualification process focused on continental quotas was announced at the event’s technical meeting on Thursday, and the United States’ three Olympic hopefuls will now have a slightly different road than initially thought to advance to London. While eight boxers from each Olympic weight class will still earn berths in China, the selections will be based on how they finish in comparison with the other boxers from their continent. FlyweightMarlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) and middleweight Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) will need to place in the top two from the Americas while lightweightQueen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) requires a first place finish in the continent. Due to this wrinkle in the qualification process, it could be the end of the tournament before the full list of 2012 Olympic Games competitors is announced.

Underwood and Shields will open action tomorrow with Esparza taking the ring for the first time on Sunday due to a first round bye. Underwood will take onDayana Sanchez of Argentina while Shields battles India’s Pooja Rani in first round action on Saturday. Esparza will face the winner of a first round contest between Argentina’s Pamela Benavidez and Zohra El Zahraoui of Mauritius in her first bout on Sunday.

In non-Olympic weight class action, welterweight Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) will kick off the competition for Team USA in a bout with New Zealand’s Daena Stephenson today. Bantamweight Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.) will join the Olympic trio in competition on Sunday as she battlesNicole Michel of Switzerland. Featherweight Tiara Brown (Lehigh Acres, Fla.) and light heavyweight Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) will open competition on Monday. Brown will await the winner of a bout between Serbia’s Ranic Bojana and India’s Mandakini Kangabam while Crews will take on France’s Sabrina Delarue. Light welterweight Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) will be the final U.S. boxer to take the ring as she takes on the winner of the bout between New Zealand’s Laura Matthews and Spain’s Judit Barbosa Sotelo on May 15.

Preliminary action will be contested in two sessions daily at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. local time from today through Tuesday. Quarterfinal competition will take place on Wednesday prior to Thursday’s off day. Friday will feature semifinal rounds action with the event concluding on Saturday, May 19 with final round competition.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Female 2012 USA Boxing National Champions Crowned!

Female 2012 USA Boxing National Champions Crowned! Franchon Crews will be representing the US once again at the 2012 Women's World Championships as winners of the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships. She will reunite with the three US Olympic Trials champions, Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields, to round out the US team.

Alex Love (106 lbs), Christina Cruz (119 lbs),Tiara Brown (125 lbs), Mikaela Mayer (141 lbs), Raquel Miller (152 lbs), and Franchon Crews (178 lbs), each veterans of the first-ever female Olympic Trials and each competing in a non-Olympic weight class, will be representing the US once again at the 2012 Women's World Championships as winners of the 2012 USA Boxing National Championships in their respective weight classes. They will reunite with the three US Olympic Trials champions,Marlen Esparza, Queen Underwood and Claressa Shields, to round out the US team.

Mikaela Mayer had the additional honor of being name the outstanding female boxer of the 2012 USA Boxing National tournament.

Girlboxing sends a huge shout out to these remarkable women for their accomplishments!

Saturday’s Championship Results

5 p.m. session - Winners will go on to the 2012 Women's World Championships in China this coming May 2012!

106 lbs/female: Alex Love, Monroe, Wash., dec. Lisa Ha, Honolulu, Hawaii, 26-13

119 lbs/female: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., dec. Jamie Mitchell, Pacific Grove, Calif., 22-7

125 lbs/female: Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., dec. Rashida Ellis, Lynn, Mass., 20-17

141 lbs/female: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Cashmere Jackson, Cleveland, Ohio, 20-16

152 lbs/female: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Danyelle Wolf, San Diego, Calif., 10-5

178 lbs/female: Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., dec. Tiffanie Hearn, San Diego, Calif., 27-17

178+ lbs/unopposed female: Victor Perez won unopposed

1 p.m. - Olympic Weight Classes

112 lbs/female: Ayesha Green, Trenton, N.J., dec. Anissa Vasquez, Fort Worth, Texas, 26-7

132 lbs/female: Emily Dagnan, Jasper, Tenn., dec. Katie Brunacini, Los Angeles, Calif., 16-9

165 lbs/female: Fallon Farrar, Staten Island, N.Y., dec. Dara Shen, Alexandria, Va., 22-15

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

The First-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Champions are Crowned

History was made on Saturday night as the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing crowned three champions at the Northern Quest Resort in Airway Heights, Wash. The trio of talented women is now just one step away from berths in the inaugural Olympic Games for women’s boxing.

The winners bracket champions made a clean sweep on Saturday all clinching their spots without going to a second day of final round competition. Flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) became the first Olympic Trials champion in the opening bout of the night with familiar foe Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.). It was the third match-up between the two, following two showdowns in the USA Boxing National Championships finals. Esparza took her third straight victory over Douglas in the contest, winning a convincing 32-17 victory to win the first title of the night. After building a 14-10 lead at the midway point in the bout, Esparza blew it up open in the third, scoring 12 points to take a commanding 26-14 into the final two minutes.

In lightweight action, crowd favorite Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) faced Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) for the second time at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. Once again, it was Underwood coming out victorious. Underwood built up a 12-8 lead after two round of boxing, but Mayer was able to pull to within three in in the third stanza. With the sounds of the crowd chanting her name in her ears, Underwood held on to her edge in a tied fourth round to win a 22-19 final decision and become the first lightweight champion at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing.

Teenage sensation Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) continued her amazing run through the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in her rematch with fellow middleweight Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.). She once again got off to a quick start in the bout, racking up 13 points to 9 for Hemingway in the opening two rounds. She continued to build on her lead in the third to claim at 19-13 advantage with one round remaining. Hemingway could not dent her deficit and Shields went on to win a 23-18 decision. The victory gave Shields the first-ever middleweight crown and completed the trio of boxers who will vie for spots in London. Yet Shields accomplishments didn’t end there, she was also named Outstanding Boxer of the Tournament, only her second in the open division.

Esparza, Underwood and Shields will now prepare for the 2012 Women’s World Championships in China where they will need to place in the top eight to qualify for the London Olympics. In addition to the eight boxers in each weight class that will qualify in China, a tripartite commission will select an additional four in each of the three weight divisions that will advance to London.

U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing Finals Results

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas dec. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., 32-17

132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., 22-19

165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa. 23-18

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

The Final Trio of London Hopefuls Claim U.S. Olympic Team Trials Final Round Berths in Spokane‏

The U.S. Olympic Team Trials Championship bouts are now set following three challengers bracket final round contests at Northern Quest Resort. All six competitors in Friday’s action were battling to stay alive in the first-ever Olympic Trials, and the intensity of the action reflected the night’s high stakes.

Flyweight Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) was competing in her fifth bout in as many days but didn’t show any signs of fatigue in her contest with Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.). Douglas held a slim two-point advantage going into the final round, and she didn’t leave anything to chance over the final two minutes. The two-time USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist scored 11 points in the final round to claim a 22-14 victory and move on to Saturday’s championship contest with six-time national champion Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas).

Two tall and skilled lightweights faced off in the second contest of the evening with 2011 National Golden Gloves champion Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) challenging 2011 USA Boxing National Championships bronze medalist N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio). The momentum swung throughout the bout with Sherman taking a 7-5 lead after the opening two minutes. Yet Mayer pulled the bout to a 13-13 tie at the midway point of the contest. Mayer grabbed the lead in the third round, holding a 20-17 advantage with one round of action remaining. Sherman, an accounting major at Kent State University, nearly managed to pull the bout to a tie score over the final two minutes but Mayer held on to a one-point lead. She went on to win a 26-25 final decision and move on to a rematch of Tuesday’s action with Queen Underwood in Saturday’s finals.

Middleweight Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.) won the final spot in the championship round with a convincing 21-6 victory over Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) in their challengers bracket contest. Hemingway took the early lead and built it out slowly, closing the show with nine points in the final round to win a 21-6 decision. She will face 16-year-old Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) in a rematch of Thursday’s action on Saturday night.

The evening opened with three junior female bouts, featuring contests ranging from the 10 and 11 year-old division to the 15 and 16-year-old class. The participants traveled from as far as Alberta, Canada to take part in the event.

Saturday’s championship round action will begin at 8 p.m. PT and should the winners bracket titlist emerge victorious, they will be the first-ever U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing champion. If a challengers bracket champion wins on Saturday, the weight class will go to a second winner-takes-all bout on Sunday.

Saturday’s championship bouts can be viewed via live stream at http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=fa5a8f09-8696-4cf8-8833-f9f42c58631b.html.

Friday’s Challengers Bracket Finals Results

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Christina Cruz, 22-14

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. N'yteeyah Sherman, 26-24

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., dec. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., 21-6

Saturday’s Championship Round Bout Sheet

112 lbs: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.
132 lbs: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.
165 lbs: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., vs. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

USA BOXING NEWS; Three London Hopefuls Advance to the U.S. O lympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing in Spokane

Six action-filled bouts highlighted Thursday night’s competition at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials for Women’s Boxing at the Northern Quest Resort. The winners bracket competitors returned to action on Thursday to battle for a coveted spot in Saturday’s championship bout. The challengers bracket boxers took the ring as well, fighting for their tournament lives in three contests.

Flyweight Marlen Esparza (Houston, Texas) clinched the first berth in Saturday’s final round contest in a close bout with Christina Cruz (New York, N.Y.). Esparza held the lead after every round, but Cruz kept the match close throughout all four rounds. Cruz managed to tie the bout up during the final round but Esparza quickly reclaimed the lead en route to a 13-10 final decision.

The second spot in the championship round went to Queen Underwood (Seattle, Wash.) but it didn’t come easy. Nineteen-year-old Kent State student N’yteeyah Sherman (Barberton, Ohio) utilized her long reach and active pace to claim a one-point lead after each of the three round, but Underwood wouldn’t be denied in the fourth. Underwood kept up the pressure over the final two minutes to win a 25-24 final decision and a berth in the final bout.

Sixteen-year-old Claressa Shields (Flint, Mich.) has impressed the crowd throughout the tournament and Thursday was no exception. Shields battled two-time light heavyweight national champion Tika Hemingway (Pittsburgh, Pa.) in the winners bracket finale. Shields built up a strong 20-9 lead after three rounds and despite Hemingway’s best efforts, she couldn’t overcome her opponent’s advantage. Shields won a 23-15 decision to claim the third spot in Saturday’s championship round.

In challengers bracket action, middleweight Raquel Miller (San Francisco, Calif.) continued her surprising run by knocking off top seed Franchon Crews (Baltimore, Md.) in the middleweight contest. Miller took control of the bout in the second round and didn’t let it go, winning a 26-15 final decision. She will face Hemingway in Friday’s challengers bracket final.

2011 National Golden Gloves champion Mikaela Mayer (Los Angeles, Calif.) kept her Olympic dreams alive with a 23-18 victory over 2011 USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Tiara Brown (Washington DC). Mayer will battle Sherman tomorrow night for the lightweight spot in the finals with Underwood.

In the first challengers bracket bout, two-time USA Boxing National Championships silver medalist Tyrieshia Douglas (Baltimore, Md.) won a 31-19 decision over Virginia Fuchs (Kemah, Texas) to move on to a rematch with Cruz.

The three challengers bracket final bouts will begin at 8 p.m. PT on Friday at the Pend Oreille Pavilion while the three finalists enjoy a second day off. Universal Sports will once again live stream the bouts and Friday’s action can be viewed at: http://www.universalsports.com/video/assetid=f7b8a492-bdd5-490a-b5f4-ed7dc13b96c4.html.

Thursday’s Results

112 lbs/winners bracket: Marlen Esparza, Houston, Texas, dec. Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., 13-10

112 lbs/challengers bracket: Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md., dec. Virginia Fuchs, Kemah, Texas, 31-19 

132 lbs/winners bracket: Queen Underwood, Seattle, Wash., dec. N'yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio, 25-24

132 lbs/challengers bracket: Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif., dec. Tiara Brown, Lehigh Acres, Fla., 23-18

165 lbs/winners bracket: Claressa Shields, Flint, Mich., dec. Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., 23-15

165 lbs/challengers bracket: Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif., dec. Franchon Crews, Baltimore, Md., 26-15

Friday’s Challengers Bracket Bout Sheet

112 lbs: Christina Cruz, New York, N.Y., vs. Tyrieshia Douglas, Baltimore, Md.

132 lbs: N’yteeyah Sherman, Barberton, Ohio vs. Mikaela Mayer, Los Angeles, Calif.

165 lbs: Tika Hemingway, Pittsburgh, Pa., vs. Raquel Miller, San Francisco, Calif.

♔EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess♔, See you at the Fights and Thank You for your time.EL Boxing Empress Online @ Twitter http://www.twitter.com/Keishamorrisey ©®™ 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 All photos other than specified by "EL Boxing Empress & MMA Princess" Keisha Morrisey, for ♔Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios♔, KCKMT for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and ★Starlite★ Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved.

Malloy's 1993 lawsuit still felt as amateur women's boxing continues to grow

Malloy's 1993 lawsuit still felt as amateur women's boxing continues to grow
TONY BRIGGMIN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

Fifteen years after Dallas Malloy's legal victory against USA Boxing, the impact of the decision continues to reverberate.

According USA Boxing, the sport's amateur governing body has seen its membership of female athletes grow to 2,370 as of December 2007, and internationally, more than 120 countries and approximately 30,000 athletes participate in the sport. A record 208 boxers from 44 federations registered for the Fifth AIBA Women's World Championships to be held Nov. 22-30 in Ningbo, China .

In response to the sport's growing popularity, the International Boxing Association (AIBA) submitted a formal application in October to the International Olympics Committee to include women's boxing in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Fifteen years after historic bout, Malloy still taking on all challenges
Boxing is the only sport on the Olympic program without a female counterpart. The AIBA says the IOC Executive Board is expected to rule on the proposal in late 2009.

"The level of boxing is very high, very good," AIBA president Wu Ching-Kuo told the Associated Press in August. "Many of our federations have asked us to support women's boxing in the Olympics. We hope we'll soon have the women competing there."

Washington state could have its share of Olympics contenders.

Grace Parks, 28, of Bellingham, USA Boxing's second-ranked light middleweight, is a four-time Golden Gloves winner and three-time national silver medalist.

Queen Underwood of Seattle is USA Boxing's top-ranked light welterweight. Jessica Chambers of Tacoma is the fifth-ranked lightweight. And Jackie Peterson of Vancouver is the third-ranked welterweight.

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©®™ 2007, 2008 All photos by "EL Boxing Empress" Keisha Morrisey- Empire Morrisey Photo-Studios, for Bloodline Boxing Communications Entertainment and Starlite Boxing's Sweetscience Magnews-Online Publication all rights reserved