Boxing: History, pressure & prejudice – Amy Pu’s life as a referee

Pu grew up in Taiwan and moved to London in 2004 to study before returning permanently in 2009.

After doing some pad work during a personal training session, she thought about finding a boxing club for fitness.

Her fitness hobby turned into amateur competition, then judging, before she stepped out of her comfort zone to become qualified referee in 2018.

“My family are kind of like a traditional Taiwanese family – quite protective and lots of rules – so I think being traditionally brought up, I was quite risk-averse,” she said.

Pu’s parents were fully supportive of her decision to transition into refereeing, although they did have concerns over her safety and being a target for racism.

“Obviously, they were proud when they heard I was the first and the only one in the UK,” said Pu. “But mums being mums, she was asking if it was going to be dangerous.

“I said: ‘They’re not punching me, they’re punching each other!’

“Obviously, they worry about racism, they worry about a woman in a really male-dominated space.

“I had to kind of reassure them that it’s OK and that I can protect myself. When I was doing training, I got told you need to be thick skinned and I am that.”

Pu took on further responsibility inside the ring a month after her professional debut – scoring Robert Lloyd-Taylor Jr’s win over Denis Hnidek as well as refereeing, before becoming fully qualified in 2025.

“On the professional side, I have to say the reaction has mostly been really positive,” Pu said.

“During the amateur days, there were some odd comments and stuff. I think one of the hesitations I had before turning professional was also for that reason.

“I just thought: ‘Well, it’s a very different demographic, the professional boxing supporters’, and I just thought: ‘Is it going to be worse than the amateurs and with the people that I work with?’

Boxing referees are regularly criticised and, for a woman, the risk of that is heightened, but Pu says her experience so far has been positive.

“People have just been so supportive, knock on wood, I haven’t really had any criticism directed at me because of my sex or because of my race,” Pu said.

“I’m really grateful and I hope that it continues, that people should see me as a referee. They can give me stick as a referee, not as a female Asian referee.”