Michelle Sutcliffe

Michelle Sutcliffe (born February 3, 1967) is a female boxer from England^[1] who also practices the martial arts sport of Muay Thai, where she is undefeated in nine fights, with three wins by knockout.

Sutcliffe and Germany's Regina Halmich have helped to increase the popularity of women's boxing in Europe. Sutcliffe is one of the most famous female fighters to come from England. She is a native of the Leeds area.

Her professional boxing career began on November 2, 1996 with her first world title try, as she went right away and challenged Halmich for the WIBF's world Flyweight title, losing by a second round knockout. She did not know what was coming towards her. She had never fought competition on this level.

Sutcliffe met Para Draine on her second bout, June 24 of 1998, losing by knockout in round five, at Atlantic City, New Jersey.^[2]

Her first win came against Diane Berry on June 28 of that year, when she defeated Berry by decision in five rounds back home in England.

On February 12, 1999, she lost to Sengul Ozokcu by a six round decision in Denmark. She followed that defeat with two wins in a row, and then, on October 7 of 2000, she and Halmich were rematched in Berlin, once again with the WIBF's world Flyweight championship on the line. Sutcliffe proved more competitive than in their first match, but lost again, this time by a ten round decision. On her next fight, she lost to Kim Messer by decision in ten in South Korea.

After a knockout win, she received her third world title try, challenging Daisy Lang on October 29, 2001 for Lang's WIBF world Jr. Bantamweight title, in Germany. Sutcliffe lost by a seven round technical decision when the fight's referee dictated that a cut suffered by Lang had been produced by a headbutt. The bout's result proved to be controversial, as many at ringside and television viewers thought they had seen a punch by Sutcliffe causing Lang's cut. Had the referee ruled that the cut was produced by a punch, Sutcliffe would have been declared winner and world champion by a seventh round knockout instead.

Sutcliffe has not boxed since then (as of March 2006).

Her record stands at 5 wins and 6 losses, with 2 knockout wins.

References

1. ^ Boxing: Mother of two (Bobby and John), no previous experience, seeks fight, Sunday Telegraph, May 16, 1999
2. ^ More women are getting kicks by throwing punches, Deseret News, July 5, 1998 ("beating Michelle Sutcliffe of England with a fifth round TKO")

External links

• Michelle Sutcliffe at Tiger's Gym

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Name	Sutcliffe, Michelle
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Date of birth	February 3, 1967
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