Championing all those female Rocky Balboa and Muhammad Ali fans, this is your time to stand up and prove that you've got what it takes.

Rival Boxing is hosting 'Boxing Beauties' where women will fight for women rights on April 27th at the Cochrane Lions Event Centre with all proceeds going towards Big Hill Haven Women's Shelter.

Anne Garrido, Owner of Rival Boxing Gym Cochrane and Head Coach shares when she learned a woman's shelter was coming to town, she thought what better way to portray 'strong women'. "Boxing is a way of empowering women, the sport of boxing teaches you to be confident it's not about punching people and violence, it is the opposite. It teaches you to have a quiet mind and you can't let your emotions take over because in boxing you have to be super grounded. So it will be a good way to bring empowerment to women, self-discipline, and self-esteem, and that is why I contacted them."

So far Garrido has roughly eight ladies from Cochrane, a few from Calgary, and a couple all the way from Grande Prairie signed up but is looking for a few more recruits to box for the fundraising event. The maximum amount of matches allotted is 14 and Garrido is hoping to at least showcase ten different matches with boxers paired by weight class, age group, and experience level.  

No experience is necessary says, Garrido, and as long as you can commit to at least three to four training sessions a week, the women will be ready. "If you can give me three conditioning classes a week plus your private boxing class, you will be good."

Ana Botelho, Co-Chair of Big Hill Haven is thrilled with the concept and shares Garrido has already been a big support. "Thank you on behalf of the Big Hill Haven Women's Shelter board; Anne has already played a part by working with Patti Fisher our Outreach Worker and taught one of our client's self-defense as she needed to protect herself. I think this is a perfect alignment."

If you are interested in signing up, you can grab an information package at Rival Boxing Gym and be prepared for the best fight of your life. The latest you can sign up is February 15th as training technically gets underway the week of the 4th, with boxers able to join any of the classes Rival runs seven days a week.

The cost to register is $400 which includes your 12-week training, gloves, wraps, headgear, mouthguard, souvenir t-shirt, training bag, fight night shorts and singlet, and trophy.