WBC is the only all female boxing and boxing fitness club in The Midlands. It is three years old and has scored film and TV credits from all over the UK.
Jason Lowe
Women's boxing has really over the last three years to become one of the biggest talking points in the sport. The USA has well established a strong bond for women in the sport and also in other sports. The UK is somewhat thirty years behind in thinking when it comes to women's boxing.
Even now in 2017, trainers, promoters and fans in both the amateur and professional sides of boxing have not yet warmed to women's boxing.
The old attitude is still there, but these are the same people slagging off white collar boxing shows compared to amateur and pro, but have trainers run them to bring their club in financial gain to cover costs. Most costs covering their very own holidays.
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| Katie Taylor |
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| Chantelle Cameron |
In October 2014 Jason Lowe set up the Women's Boxing Club at a gym near the City Center. The Community Aero Gym opened just a few months before by Colin Treasure, a Kick-Boxing champion and friend of Jason's. After a meeting it was agreed three sessions a week would be set aside for females in boxing.
Only three women were training with Jason when he opened up but word spread very fast over the following weeks and more women joined. Women are happy to train in an all female environment - word spreads and things start to expand!
Jason brought in female boxer Mav Akram to help with the sessions and also to make WBC bigger and better. Mav started training with Jason a few months previously and was very happy with how he worked with people.
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| Mav Akram |
Over the next twelve months, three classes a week started to pay off for WBC. More females of all ages are coming to the sessions. The gym has seen the potential of the branding and accommodated more for the sessions. The UKs TV Channel BOX-NATION did a poll across the Country and placed the club as a joint No 1 choice for the year!
While getting the branding of the ground, Jason has already established his own name in boxing. A renowned boxing coach, trainer, referee and event MC, Jason was also writing for three local newspapers covering all the boxing for all three and helping out with other avenues. Also a former fighter, Jason decided after two years to do something no other gym wanted to do - Women's Boxing Classes.
Some boxing clubs had ta single digit number of females in the club, but not one gym had double digits. Jason saw this as a negative and wanted to make it a positive. After being with the ABA he moved away and grasped the movement for women in boxing and also offered women the chance to even train like their male counterparts do and get a blending of amateur/professional training and boxercise all in one. The club opened to accommodate women from all walks of life. From the ages of 10 to ladies over 55, they have all become friends of WBC.
Females from all paths of faiths, religions, beliefs train under one roof of safety. From college to university, unemployed to employed, NHS staff to office staff, police officers, office workers, mothers - everyone has found this place a great movement and of high stature in not just the community, but also for women who have been left out in a sport they love.
Since starting in October of 2014, actors, referees, MCs, local boxers, area, British, Irish, Commonwealth, European and over 31 World Boxing champions have all sent videos showing support and offering good luck to the club. Nigel Benn, Frank Bruno, Tim Witherspoon, Ritchie Woodall, Anthoney Joshua, Ray Boom Boom Mancini, Vinny Paz, Glenn Catley, Wayne Elcock, Robin Reid, Johnny Nelson, Shannon Briggs, Steve Collins, Barry McGuigan, Joe Calzaghe, Kell Brook, Micheal Buffer and Roberto Duran are just some of the names who have done this.
Last year the club was voted the No 1 club of the year by Sport Birmingham. Jason was a finalist for coach of the year.
Two months later, the club was a finalist in the West Midlands Sports Awards. Also Jason was nominated by the local main newspaper as Unsung Coach of the Year. Colleges, Universities and TV channels from GB and Ireland have all descended on the club to film there and make documentaries.
Jason was asked to film a role with Johnny Harris in his film 'JAWBONE', the newly released British film also staring Ray Winstone, Micheal Smiley, Ian McShane and Luke Smith. Jason was given the role of the fight scene referee and also boxing Master of Ceremonies in the film. Paul Weller made the sound track music. WBC was also asked to provide some females for the film also.
WBC showcased three boxing events to highlight women's boxing. All three events sold out before opening. These shows received glowing reviews from the press and opened more doors for WBC. Festivals and Sports Days in Birmingham asked the club to be involved which again gave crowds of people a open eye into females in boxing. One open day show had over 10,000 people attend. All had to pass the Women's Boxing Club and the organizers were given massive positive feedback from both visitors and trade.
In May of this year the club was asked to work with the BBC and to be the new faces for an Ident which would go out on main TV up to four times a day. After getting a 'Yes' from The BBC, sevel ladies spent the day filming the Ident which has now been shown nearly everyday including prime time. Over 20 million people have seen the Ident. This then lead on to six other females from the club being asked to take part in a TV show which is to be aired in January of 2018.
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| BBC official photo of The Women's Boxing Club Ident |
November 3rd will see the club eventing its 4th and only show of 2017. The long anticipated show will again house an all female boxing event and four weeks before the event tickets have nearly all sold out.
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| Poster for next show in UK |
The club has gained alliances from other trusted female boxing clubs in the outer surrounding areas. WBC has agreed to maintain a healthy life with some other clubs who now work alongside and with some fantastic coaches who want to go down the same route as Jason has. Women's Boxing Northampton, Cearys Boxing in Derby, The Wolverhampton Women's Boxing Organization and Robbie's Boxing Academy in Coventry have now formed a positive bond with the Women's Boxing Club to help provide security and a balanced canvas for females in boxing.
The UK's WBC has also a booming website www.womensboxingclub.com which is now at times getting hundreds of supporting hits every week and attracting contacts from the media and TV film companies for resources.
The club and branding are growing from strength to strength and is still only in its infant stages. So much has been done over the three years and it has all been positive.
Every now and then, the club has active or former boxers coming down to help with their sessions. The women love the buzz of being involved and it is a fantastic bonus having known faces take on sessions to help them in their training. It is great to see boxers who have been there and done it show support in anyway they can. To have them pop on and say hello is not just super cool but also very supportive.
The club is always looking to motivate the ladies and is always on the lookout to have known boxing faces from all over the world send them positive messages by video.
Getting the branding out shows everyone the club is strong and here to stay.
No matter what goes on the owners work hard to keep windows open for women in boxing.
What's great about women's boxing is there is less drama than the males. There is no one walking around puffing their chests out and bicep curling. These ladies want to get in and dirty (so to speak). They want to get a sweat on and some now love getting in some sparring. They enjoy going through at a fighting pace and picking it up when other boxers come into the gym from a visiting club.
There is no animosity between the girls as there is with males. They learn and teach at the same times where their male counterparts just want to show dominance and alpha male marks. Males claim to be the best in the gym. However it's different at WBC. No one is above or below anyone else. No one is the best in the club. No one thinks like that.
One may have a better jab than the others but lacks good defence. Someone else may have good movement but week uppercuts.
Everyone works with each other and backs each other up at all times. They are not just a club family. On occasions the club ladies meet up to attend boxing events as a group or go the cinema and food afterwards. In good weather, BBQs are a great way for them to chill out and get to know each other in not just a friendship way but also for networking.
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| WBC taking part in a charity run |
The future for women's boxing looks great and is only getting better. The UK's Women's Boxing Club hopes to be a show of force and a branding known all over for years to come.
The Women's Boxing Club can be found at www.womensboxingclub.com or on FaceBook at WBC Women's Boxing Club. Twitter details at @wbcwomensboxing
WBC would love and be very grateful if any USA or other female champions could find time to send them a short video showing support. The women in the UK would feel so proud to get them!
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