A ring girl (also number girl, card girl, or round girl) is a woman who enters the ring between rounds of a combat sport, carrying a sign displaying the number of the next round. Ring girls are often seen in boxing, kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
History
Ring girls first appeared in a 1965 edition of Ring Magazine. The magazine published a photo of a Las Vegas model holding a sign at a boxing match. Boxing promotions soon adopted the concept of ring girls, when promoters started to hire attractive women to parade around the ring holding signs, signaling the upcoming round.
In modern combat sports
Professional wrestling
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In professional wrestling, ring girls are attendants who remove the entrance gear (such as jackets, robes, and other clothing) and championship belts from the ring after a wrestler takes them off before his match. Throughout the 1980s, World Wrestling Entertainment employed ring girls known as the Federettes. Since its inception in 2002, Total Nonstop Action Wrestling has featured various independent female wrestlers and valets as ring girls.
During the first year of WWF Monday Night Raw, WWE featured traditional boxing-style ring girls who carried signs featuring various Raw-themed slogans in the ring between matches.
MMA
A list follows of notable ring girls who have posed for the American entertainment magazine, Playboy.
| Model: | Date: | Issue: | Notes: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachelle Leah | October 2008 | Playboy | UFC ring girl |
| Arianny Celeste | November 2010 | Playboy | UFC ring girl |
| Brittney Palmer | March 2012 | Playboy | UFC ring girl |
| Victoria Elise | June 2021 | Playboy Mexico | MMA ring girl |
Controversies
Allegations of sexism
Some sports journalists claim that the use of ring girls, which first started in boxing, is unnecessary. Critics argue that half-naked women at the games provides sexual stimulation for the male audience, whereas others regard them as harmless tradition; boxing promoter Lisa Elovich describes the practice as "part of the show."
"Ring boys" or "ring guys" have been proposed for women's matches. Professional boxer Mikaela Laurén said, "I want a number boy. I think that's only fair, and I'm sure it will give the women in the audience some pleasure as well."
While all-female fighting promoter Invicta FC uses ring girls, the promoter brought in UFC fighter and model Elias Theodorou to serve as a ring boy at Invicta FC 28. Theodorou received criticism, however, for using the occasion to promote sponsors.
Payments
There has been speculation that ring girls are paid more than female fighters. In 2015, former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey protested. "Do you think her walking in circles," argued Rousey, "is worth more (than fighters)? ... either the ring card girls are paid too much, or the fighters aren't paid enough." UFC ring girls are reputedly paid $18,000 a year. This excludes jobs outside the UFC, like modeling. UFC ring girl Arianny Celeste protested, calling Rousey a "big bully". "I think people don't realise how much work it is to be a model," argued Celeste, "Trying being like a live mannequin and having clients put you in a million different outfits... It's not as easy as it looks... Not a lot of people would know that unless they were in my shoes."
See also
References
- "MMA Ring Girls: Glamorous Tradition or Modern Controversy?". blog.spartacus-mma.com. 2023-06-02. Retrieved 2024-03-07.
- "UFC confirms Rachelle Leah on November cover of Playboy". MMA Junkie. 2008-09-12. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- Raymond, Paul. "UFC Arianny Celeste – Playboy Cover Girl". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "UFC girl Brittney Palmer appears in Playboy". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- "Instagirl: Victoria Elise, la novia del océano". Playboy (in Spanish). 2021-06-21. Retrieved 2021-11-30.
- Kevin Norquay (April 28, 2017). "Boxing's ring girls: harmless entertainment or Dark Ages sexism?". Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- Steven Kelliher (November 16, 2015). "What Are the Girls Who Walk Around the Boxing Rings Between Rounds?". livestrong.com. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Matt Saccaro (November 8, 2012). "In Light of the Ronda Rousey News, Should the UFC Get Rid of Ring Card Girls?". Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Amy Winters (October 11, 2013). "MMA, Say Hello to Ring Dudes". Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Sarah Kurchak (April 21, 2016). "Boxing Champ Mikaela Lauren Wants "Ring Boys" for Her Next Fight". Retrieved August 9, 2017.
- Ben Fowlkes and Danny Downes (March 25, 2018). "Trading Shots: Did 'ring boy' Elias Theodorou steal Invicta FC spotlight or add shine?". Retrieved July 1, 2018.
- Mark McGowan (March 24, 2017). "This Is How Much UFC Ring Card Girls Earn". Archived from the original on March 26, 2017. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- Brian Lewis (February 26, 2015). "'Big bully' Ronda Rousey in heated feud with UFC ring girl". Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- Brent Brookhouse and John Morgan (February 25, 2015). "Rousey on Celeste's 'bully' comments: 'I'm sorry, but I'm not impressed with the job'". Retrieved August 8, 2017.
- "Arianny Celeste on UFC champ Ronda Rousey's criticism: 'I see her as a big bully'". February 25, 2015. Retrieved August 8, 2017.
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