About Lysa
Lysa Harris grew up in a family where most of her relatives were from South Wales. Her great uncle Bill Jones was a boxing coach and trainer who travelled over from Norway to go to Bethnal Green to go and get gum shields, chest pads, gloves, wraps and all sorts to take back home rather than order them in. So Lysa grew up around boxing being Bill Jones niece.
Bill taught Lysa a lot - especially how to punch and avoid being hit which was great because not all women want to wear pink and be fluffy. Lysa was one of the first female Army Cadets in the Royal Artillery and her first job was working in a tyre and exhaust fitting centre which she also had to fight for. She went on to do panel beating, spraying and welding at the centre and moved on to be one of the first female DJ’s in North London.
Lysa's uncle taught her how to fight and to win but Lysa is the first to admit she is not a boxer. Looking back now she wished she had known that women boxed as much as they do because it would have been something she would have gotten into. But let’s all face it, women’s boxing is seriously underrated and not publicized nearly enough.
About WPB.media
Lysa was approached last year by good friend Jon Collins to embark on a new project. That project was WPB.media which is a brand new concept to bring women’s boxing into the limelight and give women’s boxing it’s own platform and TV channel. It was an amazing challenge so how could she refuse?
Lysa couldn't refuse. She talked to boxers and listened to how hard they were struggling before boxing gave them hope for a better future. She saw women that had been terribly abused and battered walking into gyms and finding a place to call home. It was a place they felt they belonged to and a place to make a difference to their own life choices as well as being an inspiration to those around them.
Lysa looked deeper. To her surprise, Lysa found that for these women boxing wasn’t just a bit of fun or a way to learn to fight or keep fit. It was a complete lifestyle change. The women could dedicate themselves to a sport that gave them what they wanted - a chance to win at something. The stories that touched Lysa the most were that of Cherelle Brown, Monika Harrison and so many others.
When you switch on the TV there are ads for events such as “Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua”. But where are the women's fights? You do get the likes of Claressa Shields advocating for women’s boxing but as it stands the overall fan base is built around men's boxing and female boxing is pushed to the back.
But Lysa is encouraged that many men are behind these talented and beautiful powerhouses. Some are doing everything they can to get them noticed and to trying to get them the right fights with the right opponents. This is really amazing!
Boxers fimed by the WPB crew include:
Note that footage shot by WPB is available on YouTube - Women's Pro Boxing WPB TV @WPB.MEDIA.
WPB.media is trying to give women’s pro boxing it’s own home. It is a TV channel that is dedicated entirely to Women’s Pro Boxing. WPB goes out on location - even though it is difficult right now due to the lockdowns - and features fighter interviews and fight footage.
Lysa has so much respect for all women pursuing boxing. New footage is being worked on constantly by the great production team and she is hoping that in the future WPB.media can make that difference. All she knows is that if you don’t give up we won’t give up. Lysa has spoken to social services about a youth club in Hackney called Pedro’s and told them about their boxing club to get kids off of the streets and out of trouble.
Pedro’s youth club is run by James Cook MBE and the other guy is Shabba Edwards, or Ethan. Great youth initiative. The youth need support and guidance and opportunities to make the right choices. Doing things like this is really close to Lysa's heart!
Lysa argues with those who say women shouldn’t box. Why not?? Some people are not aware of the pure dedication and commitment to lifestyle changes these women have made. It is about time WPB showed them!
WPB has several Facebook groups including a main group, two trade groups, a fans' page and a fitness page.
WPB.MEDIA (Women's Pro Boxing)
Women's Pro Boxing Fans (WPB.MEDIA)
Women's Pro Boxing Fitness (WPB.MEDIA)
Lysa is looking for contributors with fitness videos. If you would like to be a part of the way forward please contact Lysa at wpb2021@yahoo.com .
