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Aileen LeBell Eaton (February 5, 1909 – November 7, 1987) was an Americanboxing and professional wrestling promoter who was influential in theUnited States' west coast's boxing and wrestling scene for five decades. In 2002, she was the first woman inducted into theInternational Boxing Hall of Fame.[1]
Eaton was born inVancouver,British Columbia, Canada. She attendedLos Angeles High School.
Her second husband,Cal Eaton, was a boxing promoter inLos Angeles. She got involved in her husband's business in 1942. During her career as a promoter, Eaton would get involved with big-name promoters and fighters, sometimes traveling to other states in search of business. Eaton is the mother of martial artist and professional wrestlerGene LeBell and professional wrestling promoter Mike LeBell.
Eaton appeared as a contestant on the panel game showWhat's My Line? on October 22, 1961. A panel ofArlene Francis,Barry Nelson,Dorothy Kilgallen andBennett Cerf was unable to guess Eaton's occupation as a boxing promoter.[2]
Cal died in 1966. NicknamedThe Redhead, Eaton took over presidency of her husband's company and went on to stage more than 10,000 boxing bouts and as many wrestling matches at the L.A.Olympic Auditorium, promoting such fighters asFloyd Patterson,Danny Lopez,Carlos Palomino,Joe Frazier andGeorge Foreman before she retired in 1980. When alongside her husband, she had also helped promote fights ofSugar Ray Robinson andCarmen Basilio, among others.
Eaton died in November 7, 1987 after a being sick for a long time.[3]
In 1994, she was inducted into theSouthern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.[4] Eaton was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2002, the first woman in the hall.[citation needed] In 2011, Eaton, along with her sons Gene and Mike LeBell, was inducted intoNational Wrestling Alliance'sHall of Fame.[5] She was posthumously inducted into theInternational Women's Boxing Hall of Fame in 2017.[6]
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