(NOV 28) The International Women’s Boxing Hall of Fame has begun adding videos of our 2023-2024 IWBHF Inductees. Today, we are now featuring Dallas Malloy, our IWBHF 2023 Inductee. Read about this fascinating 2023 IWBHF Inductee! She was honored on October 7, 2023, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Photo credit: Mary Ann Owen
In March of 1993, Dallas Malloy became the first female to challenge the USA Boxing’s bylaw in a federal court. Her dream was to box against other women in the Olympic Games, a goal attainable only as a member of USA Boxing. For months she trained without any immediate hope of competing. Malloy’s lawsuit against USA Boxing would go to trial, unless settled, in December of 1993, before the U.S. District Court in Seattle.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_pJFIvAL5zQ?si=T3Ld1O-SlBOEc2y5
Video Credit: Jill Morley – of Fight Right a Girl Productions
In May of 1993, Judge Barbara Rothstein granted Malloy a court injunction, temporarily nullifying USA’s ban on women until the matter could go to trial. Malloy’s application for membership was sent through.
At the time, if an amateur boxing match for Malloy could be made by the fall of 1993, this would be a history-first for females to fight in a sanctioned bout with the USA Boxing.
The back history of Malloy in regards to boxing was when she first became interested in the sport. She found a local boxing gym from looking in a phone book, and she had spoken to boxing promoter, Bob Jarvis. At the time, Jarvis told Malloy that there was no place for women’s boxing—apparently that was the wrong answer telling Malloy such a thing.
Photo Credit: Nate Wren (Suzy Taylor/Dallas Malloy)
So Malloy at the tender age of 15 wrote a letter to the American Civil Liberties Union, who at the time was responsible for finding her an attorney.
A Seattle firm, “Graham and Dunn”, took the case, expecting it to be quickly settled due to state law that was very clear about gender discrimination. Malloy’s attorney filed the lawsuit in state court, anticipating that the USA Boxing would resist a trial in federal court.
Judge Rothstein only took a few moments to grant the injunction.
Malloy succeeded in taking the USA Boxing to task and on October 30, 1993, at the Edmonds Community College Gymnasium, in front of a crowd of about 1,200, she stepped into the ring with her opponent Heather Poyner, winning the fight by a unanimous decision. As they read the decision, the two got a standing ovation from the crowd.
Malloy said after the fight, “”It was great to get in the ring. It was an almost indescribable moment. I waited a long time for this. Everything went just like I expected.”
In July 1994, after the history-making marker in the sport, Malloy announced her retirement from boxing. At the time she told the local news media that she had many more goals yet to achieve and there were many things that she wanted to do. She was quoted saying that what she did in boxing was a thrill, that it was great, and that she got a lot out of it.
In addition to Malloy being a pioneer boxer she is a professional actor, coach and musician. She portrayed herself in the opening of Jerry Maguire, as Tom Cruise narrates her true story. She later won multiple titles as a champion bodybuilder. Malloy is a certified personal trainer, holistic nutritionist and wellness coach. She is also a classical pianist since the age of six, and most recently produced several original songs and music videos as a rapper /singer/ songwriter. She is creating a podcast called, “The Dallas Malloy Show.”
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