LOUISE Tuppen will fight her way into the history books this month when she takes part in Sussex's first official female boxing match.

The superfit 29-year-old cannot wait to get her gloves on for the Hove Town Hall bout on February 19.

And with only days to go before the big fight, Louise is anxious to prove to traditional boxing fans that women are just as good as the men.

Promoters expect the match to be a sell-out. Until October 1997, Louise was not allowed to fight because the Amateur Boxing Association refused to recognise women in the sport.

But after mounting pressure from women boxers all over the country, the association changed its mind.

Louise, 29, of Ditchling Rise, Brighton, is trained by Keith Fulner, of Savages Boxing Club, Hove, which is promoting the fight.

He said: "We are one of the only gyms in Sussex that take women boxers seriously.

"I'd never pressure any women to fight but if it was their choice I'd give them the training, support and advice I'd give any boxer."

Louise, a lightweight, is currently training alongside male boxers.

She said: "My partner, Jules, was a bit worried to begin with but when he saw me sparring against a male boxer he realised I could look after myself." The supervisor at Hove's King Alfred Centre has been boxing for more than four years and hopes this fight will be her first triumph.

She said: "I feel fit, confident and I'm really looking forward to the fight."

Louise is thankful to all the women who have stood up for their rights and opened up the way for the next generation of female boxers, in particular Jane Couch.

The 29-year-old from Blackpool, known as the Fleetwood Assassin, made sporting history by becoming the first professional female boxer after winning a sex discrimination case last year.

Louise said: "I think it will be a lot easier now for young girls to give boxing a try. It's great exercise as well as being a brilliant sport."

Louise and her opponent from Kent will be the only women on the five-fight bill at Hove Town Hall.

Tickets, from £10 to £30, are available from Savages Gym on 01273 206532.

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