International Boxing Hall Of Fame

Born Jane Allyson Couch on August 14, 1968 in Fleetwood, Lancashire, England.

After seeing a documentary on women’s boxing, an intrigued Couch decided to give boxing a go. Based out of the Fleetwood Amateur Boxing Club, she began boxing in 1994 at the age of 26. As boxing was illegal for women in the UK, while fights were taking place, they were unlicensed. In her fifth contest, she traveled to Denmark to outpoint Sandra Geiger to capture the WIBF light welterweight title in 1996. Denied a license by the British Boxing Board of Control, she filed a lawsuit to overturn the decision on the basis of sexual discrimination. In a landmark ruling, a tribunal overturned the decision in March 1998 and Couch had won the right for women to box professionally. On November 25, 1998, she made history as the first female boxer to legally enter a UK boxing ring when she stopped Simona Lukic in two rounds. Couch would go on to win multiple world titles in the light welterweight (WIBF, WBF, NABA, IWBF) and lightweight (WIBF, WBF) divisions and score wins over Jaime Clampitt (W 10), Carla Witherspoon (W 4) and Sharon Anyos (W 10). Couch retired in December 2008 following a loss to Anne Sophie Mathis (TKO by 2) with a record of 28-11 (9 KOs).

Couch remained in the sport as a promoter and, in 2007, “The Fleetwood Assassin” was awarded an MBE for services to sport.