Jane Couch

Jane Couch is the former five-time World Champion boxer hailing from Bristol.  She recently retired to focus on her promoting career and is recognised as the UK's most successful female boxer of all time. She fought in front of millions and has received an MBE from the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Sportsvibe caught up with Jane recently for a quick interview......

1.      How did you get into your sport? It has been said that it was a way for you to keep out of trouble? What was an average day for you prior to boxing?

I saw a documentary about female boxing it was on Channel 4 and it was about women boxing in the USA, I thought I’d like to try that and went to the local gym the next day and it all started from there. I wouldn’t say I took it up to keep out of trouble but it did help me as I was hyperactive and got into a few scraps. 

2.      Your first fight was against a female Police officer whom you knocked out in the 2nd round… how was that?

Great I got paid to knock a copper out instead of getting locked up!

3.     Who was the biggest inspiration for you in Boxing and why?

Tex, he trained me my whole career and was always there through good times and bad and taught me how to become a better person. 

As I said I didn’t have a great start, and apart from my mum who couldn’t help me financially as she didn’t have any money bringing 2 kids up on her own was hard for her. I didn’t have any family support besides my mum. 

4.      Do you admire anybody outside of your own sport?

 My Mum. I admire anyone that achieves and works hard even when the odds are against them.

5.     Who is the most competitive person that you have come up against in your sport  and why?

 Lucia Riker, the greatest ever female boxer. I don’t think we will ever see that sort of talent again but she was so determined to win that’s what made her great. 

6.      Was there anyone that you really didn’t want to fight because of their reputation for being a dirty fighter?

 No I fought everybody of my time and would have never ducked anyone.

7.     Did you have any pre fight rituals or superstitions? 

No.

8.      Tell us about your training schedule? What did it involve and how did it change, i.e. before fights?

 I trained very hard twice a day I did circuit training, bag works, pads, skipping and sparred only with men. I was very fit. It was difficult to train when I had to fight in the USA, so much as we had the time difference to cope with so we used to try and live in USA time whilst we were in this country because mostly we would only get flown out two days before the fight and it would have been harder to adapt.

9.     What was most memorable moment in your boxing career? Why? 

Winning my first world title in Denmark against an undefeated puncher, the French girl, Sandra Geiger. Nobody gave me a chance, she had 29 fights 28 knockouts and I had had 4 and of them 4 were nowhere near the level she had been. It was a very hard fight, she was a much better boxer, but I was so determined to be World Champion nobody would have beat me that night.

10.  If you hadn’t of been a Boxer, what would you have done? 

It’s hard to say, I didn’t have a great start, no education, I worked in Factories, shops and hotels. I had no ambitions I came from a small fishing town from a broken family and no money, I didn’t know any other way of life. I think if I hadn’t have seen that documentary I would have just been from job to job with no prospects. 

11. Tell us a little about your relationship with Ricky Hatton and Hatton Promotions? 

I did a couple of joint promotions with Ricky and had a few great shows in Bristol and a big one in Newport. Moving on from that, I have set up a promotional company called Black Eye Promotions with Nick Hodges which is doing really well and we have some really promising up and coming fighters on the books. I can work with anybody, but it’s also good to stand on your own.

12.  Who outside of boxing would you most like to have a couple of rounds in the ring with? 

I try not to fight outside of the ring these days, but if I could, it probably be the medical doctor at the hearing to be granted my boxing licence when he said women were unstable.

13. Who would win in a fight with you and Janet Street-Porter?

 She’s gobby but I don’t think she would last long with me.

14.  When you’re out and about are you recognized much and does anyone start any trouble with you to try his or her luck?

 No, I don’t get any problems. I try not to put myself in them situations, if I am recognised its usually for beating Barrymore up on his show, and everyone seems to like me for that.

15. A couple of years ago you were really keen to fight a man at Wembley. If you were still boxing now would this be something that you would still want to do and who would it be?

I don’t know where that story came from to be honest but I don’t think men and women should ever fight. I sparred with men all the time but we are different and there are enough good women to fight each other, it would become a freak show if it was man v woman.

16.  Mohammed Ali’s daughter Leila has become a boxing super star in her own right. Although 2 stone heavier than you, how would you have done against her? 

If we were the same weight I’m sure I would have beaten her in my heyday, but because her dad was Ali she got all the press. She was a good fighter but I think there are a lot of girls out there that are better but they never had the platform she had.

17. What music do you listen to? What’s the last thing song you listened to on your i-pod?

 I listen to anything. I like Amy Winehouse and had the Frank Album on in the car this morning.

18.  What do you do on a day off/in your spare time?

 Spare time what’s that? As a boxing manager and promoter its 24/7.

19. What is your favourite film? 

Don’t laugh - Pretty woman. 

20.  Do you get any strange fan mail?

 Mmm, sometimes but most of it is just people wanting you to sign things

21.What is the funniest thing you’ve read/heard about yourself in the media?

I think when I first come on the scene because there was no such thing as women’s boxing in the UK I was painted as this wild child who went round fighting all the time which isn’t the case. I did get into a few scraps but not to the extent as the media said - anyone would have thought I was a mass murderer.

22.  What are your guilty pleasures? 

Vodka and Coke and chocolate