Growing up in the Starrett City Boxing Club, one of New York City’s premier training grounds for boxing talent, I had the privilege of witnessing the remarkable journey of women in the sport. It was here that I trained alongside Kisha Snow, a heavyweight with incredible talent — powerful, skilled and charismatic. Snow won the New York Golden Gloves to thunderous applause at Madison Square Garden and dominated the amateur scene. Yet, when she turned professional, she faced a harsh reality: There was no real platform for her, little media support and no clear path to a sustainable career.

Around the same time, I formed a friendship with the Stan Hoffman, a manager who guided many world champions, including the legendary Lucia Rijker — one of the most gifted fighters in women’s boxing history. Rijker had a counterpart in Christy Martin, and both were extraordinary athletes. Rijker was with Bob Arum, and Martin was with Don King. Despite their greatness, they existed in separate worlds, often relegated to pay-per-view undercards without meaningful rivalries, except against each other.

However, change was on the horizon. The amateur boxing scene began to evolve for women. National champions emerged, international teams formed, and women’s boxing finally earned its rightful place in the Olympic Games in 2012. This shift mirrored broader cultural changes, as society began to embrace women in leadership roles, highlighted by a woman........

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