Elizabeth Wilkinson

Elizabeth Wilkinson was an English bare-knuckle boxer and practitioner of historical European weapon arts active in the 1720s and early 1730s. She was one of the earliest known female boxers. During her decade-long career, she was often described as a "Championess" and had a reputation for having fought 45 bouts without defeat, although no official career data survives from the time. Later in her career, she engaged in bouts in which she and her husband, who was also a boxer, fought against other mixed-gender couples. She was also skilled with daggers, short swords, and quarterstaffs. She was one of the most famous prizefighters of her time, and writers including Pierce Egan and Thomas Moore celebrated her career into the early 19th century.