Educational Media Reviews Online

This video is a documentary of the women’s professional boxing circuit centered on the life of Gina “Boom-Boom” Guidi through her 1998 winning of the International Female Boxing Association (IFBA) championship in a split decision over Dora Weber, and through Gini Guidi Day in San Leandro, California, 1999. This is an honest portrayal of Gina’s rise through the ranks of women’s boxing using interviews with Gina, family members, her trainer, her cut man, and gym owners. Gina is lesbian. She admits to having been physically violent with her partner during years of using drugs and alcohol and describes how her boxing improved when she was able to quit using. Her trainer and the gym owners provide their perspectives on the increase in participation in amateur women’s boxing from Gina’s success and increased interest in women’s professional boxing.

The strengths of the video lie in the live action clips from sparring practice, boxing matches, and training. The training includes incredible body-bashing with a medicine ball, presumably to toughen Gina against blows in the ring. There are few weaknesses: boxing is not a glamour sport though women’s boxing still suffers from chauvinism, attracting a portion of the audience who wish to see “good looking” boxers. There are no rich women professional boxers as there are among the ranks of the lucky, durable, talented few who can contend for male boxing crowns.

Technically, the film is excellent. There are some questions from interviewers that are slightly garbled from background noise in the gyms and Gina’s back yard. Caitlin Manning has done a superb job as cinematographer and the film is excellently edited. Gina Guidi has had additional professional boxing successes since winning her first championship. One hopes that perhaps an update of her career in the same style is in the works.

This video would be an excellent addition to sports and gay and lesbian collections in universities and colleges. Since the subject matter includes the graphic violence of the ring and occasional adult language, those anticipating showing it in the high schools should consider a personal previewing of the film and a careful consideration of the intended audience. And, yes, there’s homophobia. Gina found this message on her home answering machine the night she won the championship, “Gina Guidi, I’m going to expose you for the dyke you are.” Not exactly acceptance of Gina’s desire to be seen as an athlete rather than that she’s in the ring because she’s lesbian.