Amy Pu Makes History as First Female Pro Boxing Referee in UK

Amy Pu stepped into the ring at York Hall in March 2024 as the third official for Marcus Eaton's bout against Paul Scaife, becoming the first woman to referee a professional boxing match in British history. The Taiwan-born official, who had worked amateur fights for years, made the transition after a member of the British Boxing Board of Control suggested she go pro.

Pu told BBC Sport she had not considered the move initially, as her focus was on reaching international amateur competitions and possibly the Olympics. "I did watch professional boxing and what really kind of bugged me was that you didn't see a female referee on TV or at shows," she said. She completed the BBBofC training course and stepped up to the professional ranks in 2023, though even on fight night she was uncertain about getting assigned until the lead referee confirmed it.

Navigating Pressure and Breaking Barriers

Pu, who moved to London in 2009 after studying in the UK, started boxing as a fitness hobby before competing as an amateur and eventually qualifying as a referee in 2018. She acknowledged that her family had concerns about safety and potential racism, particularly as a woman in a male-dominated field. "I had to kind of reassure them that it's OK and that I can protect myself," she said, per the BBC report.

The response from the professional boxing community has been largely positive, Pu said, though she remains aware of the scrutiny. "I don't want people to have the excuse to say: 'Oh, she's not doing well because she's a woman,'" she told BBC Sport. "People should see me as a referee. They can give me stick as a referee, not as a female Asian referee."

Pu became fully qualified to both referee and judge in 2025 and has already worked an undercard bout at Wembley Stadium during Oleksandr Usyk's win over Daniel Dubois. Her long-term goals include officiating world title fights and major events in Las Vegas, continuing to push boundaries in a sport that had never seen a woman in her role on British soil.

Source: bbc.com