This film tells the story of women's role in the Golden Gloves boxing competition.
The Golden Gloves is America's oldest amateur boxing tournament, a coveted goal for young boxing athletes since 1928.
Women have been trying to get into the competition for many years. But not until 1994 was the case for women given real attention.
A boxing novice from Brooklyn, Dee Hamaguchi, also a civil action worker, teamed up with the ACLU to threaten USA Boxing with a civil lawsuit. Finally women were let in for the first time in 1995.
As of today, boxing is the only sport in the Olympic Games exclusively for men. This fact has a serious effect with all amateur boxing foundations and athletes all across the US- because if the sport is not in the Olympics, it gets no funding.
The winner of the NY Golden Gloves tournament gets the right to represent NY in the National Golden Gloves. USA Boxing pays all expenses for travel, hotel, food, etc for state champions- but only for men. Women have to pay for all expenses by themselves.
We follow 8 women in the 2005 tournament who all think they can be the champion, from the quarter finals in the Brooklyn suburbs till the prestigious Finals in Madison Square Garden.
At the end of the competition, the winner, an outspoken Puerto Rican young woman cannot go to compete on the National level, because she does not have the money....
ARTISTIC STATEMENT
Leyla Leidecker, Director
As a fellow woman boxer I want to invite you into the locker rooms of amateur women boxers. I feel responsible to clear up a few misconceptions and clichés about these girls who box.
Women's boxing is not a curiosity anymore. It isn't a variety show fit for clubs or bars. It is a legitimate sport, looking for recognition and an equality of sportsmanship, offering women the same opportunities as men. But as of today, unfortunately, women still do not have the same rights in this sport as men.
In amateur boxing nobody gets paid to fight. All you can hope for is a title and the honor to be champ in the city, state or country, or even in the Olympics.
However, boxing is the only sport on the Olympics exclusively for men. (Greco-Roman Wrestling, Weightlifting, Judo, Tae-Kwon-Do are all coeducational). In 2005 the International Olympic Comity voted "No" to the inclusion of women's boxing in the next Olympic Games in Beijing.
This decision alone should be protested. But its effects in the USA are devastating, coming down to many broken dreams and lots of wasted talent. Because of this decision, amateur women's boxing gets no funding, so that while male competitors receive monthly stipends, competition costs, and travel expenses, women have no rights to any of these funds.
This part is the film's political message, calling for equal rights for women.
I also wanted to introduce the public to these incredible women, who besides being very successful in their out-of-the-ring careers, show great sportsmanship and camaraderie to each other.
MAIN CHARACTERS
GENEVE BROSSARD is a Brooklyn-based schoolteacher with a Masters Degree in sculpture from Pratt, who won the Golden Gloves in 2003 in the 154lb division.
DOMINGA REGLA is a non-English immigrant from the Dominican Republic, two-time Golden Gloves champion who is returning to the ring five months after giving birth to her son.
MELISSA HERNANDEZ is an outspoken Puerto Rican boxing trainer who gained the title of champ while Dominga was on hiatus.
JEAN MARTIN is an African-American sergeant with the NYPD and five-time Golden Gloves champion who is determined to win one last championship, before her forced retirement from amateur boxing at age thirty-four.
JUSTIN HERRERA is a Hawaiian born Philippino woman, former school counselor, who is entering the ring for the first time.
MUNAH HOLLAND is an English karate instructor and black belt who was a runner up last year, losing to Melissa Hernandez.
MELISSA ST.IVES is an African American drama student and aspiring actress who is participating in the Golden Gloves for the first time.
KATHY HUTCHINS is a soldier and a single mother from upstate New York who is anticipating her second Golden Gloves competition.
BILL FARRELL: Journalist he has been covering the Daily News Golden Gloves for more than 20 years.
