Jane "The
Fleetwood Assassin" Couch was born in Fleetwood, England on August 14, 1968.
Couch began her pro boxing career in Wigen, on October 30, 1994, winning her
first fight by KO in the second round of a scheduled four round bout over Kalpna
Shah. She retired in December of 2008.
During the 14 years boxing as a professional, she fought some of the very best
female boxers in the world that included some of the following: Leah Mellinger,
Dora Webber, Marischa Sjauw, Andrea DeShong, Sharon Anyos, Elizabeth Mueller,
Sumya Anani, Lucia Rijker, Nathalie Toro, Jaime Clampitt, Jessica Rakoczy,
Myriam Lamare, Holly Holm, Anne Sophie Mathis, which many of these named top
boxers were inducted into the International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame.
During her time as a pro, Couch launched a legal fight with the British Boxing
Board of Control, who refused to issue her (or any other British female boxer) a
boxing license on flimsy medical grounds. Panos Eliades, the promoter of WBC
heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis, had promised to promote Jane if the BBBC
relented. The tribunal ruled in Couch’s favor in March 1998. Armed with her
favorable ruling, Jane also sued the BBBC for loss of past income.
Couch made a place for herself in British boxing history at Caesar's Palace in
Streatham, in London on November 25, 1998, by winning by TKO in the second round
over Simona Lukic.
Another
history-first for Couch took place on February 20, 1999 at the Thornaby Pavilion
in Teesside, where she successfully defended her WIBF welterweight title with a
10-round decision over European champion Marischa Sjauw of Holland. The fight
was the first female title bout in the United Kingdom to be sanctioned by the
British Boxing Board of Control, making it another milestone in Couch's long
battle to have the sport officially recognized in her home country.
During her professional boxing career she won several world titles that were
the following: IWBF Super Lightweight title; NABA Junior Welterweight; WBF
Junior Welterweight; WBF Lightweight; WIBF Lightweight; and WIBF Super
Lightweight title.
Other
accomplishments: In 2001, she published an autobiography, "Jane Couch --
Fleetwood Assassin"; she was appointed a Member of the Order of the British
Empire (MBE) in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours; In 2012, Couch was awarded
the AOCA / Awakening Outstanding Contribution Award for her part played in
raising public awareness and acceptance of female fighters; and In 2016, Couch
was inducted into the Women's International Boxing Hall of Fame in Fort
Lauderdale, Florida.
Bernie
McCoy wrote in 2007, "Couch is a fighter who leaves it all in the ring and she's
been doing it for thirteen years and doesn't sound like she plans on stopping
any time soon. That's good news for boxing fans in Connecticut this month and in
Monte Carlo in September and it's good news for the sport of Women's boxing.
Because not only is Jane Couch "on the road again," but, as usual, when she gets
where she's going, there's going to be another good fighter waiting."
