Cathy Davis


Cathy Davis is an American former professional boxer who competed between 1976 and 1981. Some of her fights were fixed.

Career

Davis sued the New York State Athletic Commission in 1977 because she was denied a boxing license because she was a woman, and the case was decided in her favor later that year, with the judge
invalidating New York State rule number 205.15, which stated, “No woman may be licensed as a boxer or second or licensed to compete in any wrestling exhibition with men.” In his opinion the judge cited the precedent set by Garrett v. New York State Athletic Commission, which “found the regulation invalid under the equal protection clauses of the State and Federal Constitutions”. The NYSAC filed an appeal of the ruling, but later dropped it.
In August 1978 Davis became the first, and, until Ronda Rousey in January 2016, the only woman to be on the cover of The Ring.
On September 19, 1978, Davis received the NYSAC’s first boxing license given to a female boxer.
Cat Davis did not only fight in New York. She fought between 1976 and 1981, in various areas of the country, including Nevada, California, and much of the Northwest. She became popular throughout the country by often fighting on television.
It was eventually revealed that some of her fights had been fixed.

Partial boxing record

Officially, her first fight occurred on November 11, 1977, when she knocked out Margie Dunson in the first round, in North Carolina. On June 7, 1978, she and Ernestine Jones fought to a no contest in a bout that was scheduled for four rounds. On July 2, 1979, she knocked out Uschi Doering in the Exposition Building, in Portland, Maine, in 6 rounds.

Professional boxing record

No.ResultRecordOpponentTypeRound, timeDateLocationNotes
14Win13–0 Lavonne LudianTKO3 10 Apr 1981Mid-Hudson Civic Center, Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.
13Win12–0 Ursula DoeringTKO6, 0:582 Jul 1979Exposition Building, Portland, Maine, U.S.
12NC11–0 Ernestine Jones4 7 Jun 1978Municipal Auditorium, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
11Win11–0Margie DunsonKO1 11 Nov 1977County Arena, Cumberland, North Carolina, U.S.
10Win10–0Mona HayesKO4 14 Jul 1977Holiday Inn West, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
9Win9–0Margie DunsonKO3 23 Mar 1977Wagner Ballroom, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
8Win8–0Margie DunsonKO2 3 Feb 1977Holiday Inn West, Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
7Win7–0Joanna LutzKO4 2 Dec 1976Exposition Building, Portland, Maine, U.S.
6Win6–0Margie DunsonTKO3 25 Nov 1976Exposition Building, Portland, Maine, U.S.
5Win5–0Jean LangKO1 12 Aug 1976Hinchliffe Stadium, Paterson, New Jersey, U.S.
4Win4–0Patty Patterson3 3 Aug 1976Arena, North Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.
3Win3–0Nickie HansenKO2 29 Jun 1976Seattle Center Arena, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
2Win2–0Joanna LuftKO2 16 Jun 1976Silver Slipper, Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.
1Win1–0Bobbi Shane2 15 Apr 1976Exposition Building, Portland, Maine, U.S.