Jane Couch MBE, born on 14 August 1968 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, overcame a tumultuous youth and went on to pioneer women’s professional boxing in the United Kingdom. Expelled from school in Blackpool, Couch described her early years as marked by “a life of booze, drugs, and street fighting.” Her life took a dramatic turn at the age of 26 when she watched a television documentary about women’s boxing. Inspired, she entered the world of combat sports, beginning with a Muay Thai fight in which she defeated a policewoman—an experience she described as exhilarating. Couch became the first licensed female professional boxer in the UK in 1998, after a groundbreaking legal battle. The British Boxing Board of Control had refused her a professional license on the grounds that she was a woman, citing arguments such as premenstrual syndrome (PMS) rendering women “too unstable to box.” Supported by the Equal Opportunities Commission, Couch successfully overturned this decision in a landmark tribunal in March 1998. Despite her victory, she faced backlash, including criticism from the British Medical Association, which called the ruling “a demented extension of equal opportunities.” Couch later sought the right to fight male opponents, an appeal that was denied, though she noted that sparring with men was a routine part of her training.
Couch’s boxing career was marked by significant achievements. In just her fifth professional fight, she won the WIBF light welterweight title in 1996, defeating France’s Sandra Geiger over ten rounds in Copenhagen, Denmark. Two years later, Couch made history again by participating in the first sanctioned professional boxing match between women in the UK. The bout, held in November 1998 in Streatham, London, saw Couch triumph over Simona Lukic. Her trailblazing efforts earned her widespread recognition and respect in the sport. Over her career, Couch competed from 1994 to 2007, earning the nickname “The Fleetwood Assassin” for her relentless style in the ring. She retired on 1 December 2008, citing her plans to transition into boxing promotion. Her contributions to the sport were formally recognised when she was awarded an MBE by King Charles III (then Prince Charles) on 2 November 2007. In 2024, Couch achieved further distinction with her induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, solidifying her legacy as a trailblazer and advocate for women in boxing.
Through determination and resilience, Jane Couch transformed the landscape of British boxing, breaking barriers and setting the stage for future generations of female fighters. Her journey from a troubled youth to a celebrated boxing champion exemplifies perseverance and the power of challenging societal norms.
Jane Couch at Fight night, Caesar’s Nightclub, Streatham on 25 November 1998.
Jane Couch from Bristol is made an MBE by the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace. © Alamy and PA Photos
