When Mike Tyson and Jake Paul stepped out into the AT&T Stadium in Texas on Friday night, the YouTube sensation and legendary boxer were soon overshadowed by boxing’s latest rising star – ring girl Sydney Thomas.
The 20-year-old, who promoted her first match in Puerto Rico only a month ago, stole the spotlight in the much-anticipated Netflix Live fight.
While the bout was slammed as ‘boring’ by sports fans on social media, Sydney was crowned the ‘real winner’ of the right, and has already racked up more than 530,000 Instagram followers.
Her ‘overwhelming’ overnight success has shone a light on the elite and vastly lucrative world of the ring girl – where scantily-clad models can earn thousands from holding up signs at just one match.
The profession has proved itself to be portal to success in the beauty industry, allowing those who take part to launch careers in influencing, OnlyFans, and attract the attention of TV executives for shows such as Love Island.
Three contestants, most notably 2019 finalist Maura Higgins, who is about to enter the I’m a Celeb camp, started their path to fame as ring girls.
The world’s most successful ring girls can be paid thousands per appearance, while social media endeavours on the side mean some have millions to their name.
But the occupation is hugely competitive and debate surrounding whether it is a ‘sexist’ practice has been rife in recent years, with some calling for the role to be banned altogether after equivalent positions in other sports, such as darts and Formula 1, were cancelled.
Ring girl Sydney Thomas has been propelled to fame after appearing at Friday’s Tyson vs Paul match
Being a ring girl also appears the perfect set-up for those wanting to appear on ITV’s Love Island. Pictured: Maura Higgins
One of the world’s most famous ring girls, Kourtney Kellar Hartenstein (pictured), is reportedly worth around £4million, in part thanks to her modelling pursuits
‘Ring card girl’ Sara Beverley Jones previously revealed that the worst abuse she’d received was from other women and blasted so-called feminists for ‘upsetting and insulting’ comments.
Another challenge of the job is looking in peak physical condtion for parading around the ring in skimpy outfits, which requires a strict diet and exercise regime.
Here, FEMAIL takes a closer look inside the elite world of the ‘ring girl’, revealing the astonishing sums they’re raking in.
HOW MUCH DO RING GIRLS EARN?
While the world’s most elite boxers earn millions each year, the added glamour ring girls bring to each fight also sees them rake in princely amounts.
According to Sportskeeda, ring girls can earn up to £4,000 per fight, while the modelling jobs, brand deals and endorsements that come with the territory can earn them much much more.
One of the world’s most famous ring girls, Kourtney Kellar Hartenstein, is reportedly worth around £4million, in part thanks to her modelling pursuits.
Meanwhile Brittney Palmer has an estimated worth £4.1million as a ring girl for the UFC, model and artist, before retiring in December 2023.
Salaries are of course much lower when starting out, or being a ring girl at less well-known matches.
Apollonia Llewellyn, 25, a model and influencer from the UK, said she was paid £900 per match while working for KSI’s boxing promotion Misfits – but had accepted the role for the exposure it would grant her, rather than on the salary.
Apollonia started modelling in her teens and was a ring girl at local charity matches, now boasting more than 600,000 followers on Instagram.
When she was 16 or 17, she was paid £100 for one evening at Ultimate White Collar boxing, charity nights held over the UK, she previously told Business Insider.
Meanwhile Brittney Palmer has an estimated worth £4.1million as a ring girl for the UFC, model and artist, before retiring in December 2023. Pictured in 2018
Apollonia Llewellyn, 25, a model and influencer from the UK, said she was paid £900 per match while working for KSI’s boxing promotion Misfits
However, annual income for UFC Ring Girls can be millions.
The debate over how much ring girls are paid has in the past attracted controversy, with some in the industry claiming they’re paid more than female fighters.
UFC’s Ronda Rousey caused debate when she argued: ‘Do you think her walking in circles is worth more (than fighters)?
‘Either the ring card girls are paid too much, or the fighters aren’t paid enough.’
Ring girl Arianny Celeste responded, calling Rousey a ‘big bully’, saying: ‘I think people don’t realise how much work it is to be a model.
‘Trying being like a live mannequin and having clients put you in a million different outfits… It’s not as easy as it looks… Not a lot of people would know that unless they were in my shoes.’
LIFE BEYOND THE RING: THE GIRLS WHO BECAME FAMOUS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT
Kourtney Kellar been a cover girl on the likes of Maxim, Cigar Snob and Fashion Stars
She’s also married to NBA star Isaiah Hartenstein, creating content on social media revolving around their relationship
Arianny Celeste, who has been claimed to be the ‘most famous’ ring girl in the world, has also used her impressive following to boost her OnlyFans career
Celeste recently took to Instagram to share an insight into her life as a ring girl
While life as a ring girl is lucrative in its own right, boxing has been only the start of success for some in the role.
The role of the ring girl comes alongside exposure on high-profile TV channels, networking with celebrities and social media opportunities, meaning it often kick-starts careers in influencing.
Arianny Celeste, who some say is the ‘most famous’ ring girl in the world, has also used her impressive following to boost her OnlyFans career.
Meanwhile Ebaine Bridges herself went on to climb the boxing ranks to become a world champion.
Kourtney Kellar Hartenstein is reportedly worth around £4million, thanks to her modelling pursuits, having been a cover girl on the likes of Maxim, Cigar Snob and Fashion Stars.
She’s also married to NBA star Isaiah Hartenstein, creating content on social media revolving around their relationship.
Brittney Palmer is worth an estimated worth £4.1million and was awarded Ringcard Girl of the Year at the MMA Awards in 2012, 2013, 2019 and 2022.
As an artist, she sells pieces for £7,000 and has her own gallery in Vegas, which she also promoted to her 1 million Instagram followers.
Being a ring girl also appears the perfect set-up for those wanting to appear on ITV’s Love Island, as Maura Higgins, Coco Lodge and Olivia Hawkins all previously spent time in the ring.
Maura, 33, was a finalist on the 2019 series of the show, and is often regarded as one of the most iconic ‘bombshells’ of all time, thanks to her outrageous flirting and attempts to steal Tommy Fury away from Molly Mae Hague.
Maura, 33, was a finalist on the 2019 series of the show, and is often regarded as one of the most iconic ‘bombshells’ of all time
Maura came fourth with Curtis Pritchard and has boasted a impressive career following her time on the show
Coco Lodge, who appeared on the summer 2022 series in Casa Amor, was also a ring girl
Meanwhile Olivia Hawkins, who appeared on series nine, said previously of her career: ‘I feel so empowered’
Prior to her Love Island stint, Maura had appeared as a ring girl for promoters including Bellator for both boxing and MMA fights, and appeared at Anthony Joshua’s world title defence against Carlos Takam in October 2017.
She eventually came fourth with Curtis Pritchard and has boasted a impressive career following her time on the show, including hosting Love Island Games, hosting the Irish reality competition Glow-Up, and appearing on Dancing on Ice.
Meanwhile Olivia Hawkins, who appeared on series nine, said previously of her career: ‘I feel so empowered. Everyone within the boxing community makes me feel so welcome.
‘And you always feel so supported with all the security and everything, but I just think every woman should embrace themselves and do whatever they want.
‘Obviously, I get the odd wolf whistle, but I don’t really tend to pay too much attention to that.’
HOW DO YOU BECOME A RING GIRL?
Ring girl Apollonia Llewellyn said her biggest top for becoming a ring girl is signing with an agency
Becoming a ring girl has always been highly competitive and selective, due to a limited number of matches – and some opposition to the concept.
According to JobsInSports, ring girls must have ‘a fit physique’, ‘confidence’, ‘professionalism’, and ‘charisma’, alongside a genuine interest in the sport.
The website advises that prospective ring girls should work hard to maintain their physique, be able to interact with the audience and remain confident in the presence of loud crowds.
Ring girls will often have promotional experience or experience in modelling, through which they can develop a portfolio and their social media presence.
Thomas pictured posing for a photo while pretending to box fellow ring girl Delia Sylvain (left)
Twenty-year-old Thomas was one of five ring girls working at Friday’s boxing event in Texas
To land a job, models can network with promoters, contact ring girl agencies to ask about their hiring process, and attend UFC and MMA events to prove love of teh sport.
For big fights, ring girls are usually selected through an agency or casting calls.
Speaking to Business Insider previously, Apollonia Llewellyn said: ‘My tips to someone breaking into doing it is to sign with an agency because they can help you get the contacts you need.
‘I’d start with the small charity fights. That’s how I learned the ropes and prepared myself for the bigger fights.
‘Social media also really helps. I know lots of girls will post when they’re a ring girl and it can boost their following.’
Meanwhile Jade Berry, a ring girl with Misfits, took to TikTok in August to explain her own journey in landing the role.
Jade, from the UK, explained that her journey was slightly ‘different’ to most people’s, as she’d been approached by Misfits and hadn’t considered it as a career previously.
However, she did have some tips and advice to share based on speaking to others in the industry.
Jade Berry, a ring girl with Misfits, took to TikTok in August to explain her own journey in landing the role
Jade, from the UK, explained that her journey was slightly ‘different’ to most people’s, as she’d been approached by Misfits and hadn’t considered it as a career previously
Posting on her account @jadexberry, she said: ‘I think the best thing that you can possibly do if you want to be a ring girl is to just get on Google, just look up Ring Girl agencies wherever you’re from.
‘I think going with an agency is one of the better ways to go. I found that a lot of boxing agencies, they tend to already have trusted relationships with these agencies, so if you can get into one of those, then you’re more likely to have regular work.
‘Another very good way to go about is is to look up charity events… and offer to volunteer at these events.
‘I know ring girling isn’t the hardest job in the world, but it wouldn’t hurt to have some experience under your belt before you start.’
For auditioning, she recommends going in with ‘some sort of personality’ as it is an ‘incredibly vain job’ and very ‘looks based’.
‘Be yourself, because once you’re there, there’s no faking who you are,’ she said.
For Jade, her ‘personality’ is set to be like Wednesday Addams, meaning she doesn’t smile at weigh-ins during her show, adding that she got her job through her ‘alternative’ appearance and tattoo sleeve, making her stand out from the crowd.
Even after becoming a ring girl, maintaining the athletic physique required for the role is far from a simple task.
Kahili Blundell, an Australian UFC Octagon girl, personal trainer and nutritionist, previously shared her average day on a plate and her favourite workouts. Pictured in 2014
She shared her healthy diet in a bid to help others make changes with their eating and health habits
UFC Octagon Girl Kahili Blundell introduces a round during the UFC Fight Night event at Rod Laver Arena on November 27, 2016
Kahili Blundell, an Australian UFC Octagon girl, personal trainer and nutritionist, previously shared her average day on a plate and her favourite workouts.
Speaking to Husskie, Ms Blundell said she follows a strict routine Monday to Friday due to her ‘busy lifestyle’ and begins each morning with a litre of water.
She then enjoys a greens sachet with coconut water to get her ‘digestive tract moving’ and prepare herself for the day.
‘Breakfast is either eggs or oats around 9am and an Eat Fit Food meal for lunch. I am a foodie and because I don’t necessarily have time to cook during the week, it really does satisfy my “foodie” appetite,’ she said.
‘As for dinner, I tend to keep it simple and easy with a protein and veg style dinner. I am a meal prepper so I like to plan my meals during the week the best I can.’
On the weekends, however, Ms Blundell is a little more flexible and enjoys going out, getting ‘creative in the kitchen’ and visiting cafés.
Ms Blundell, who is an ambassador for Eat Fit Food, also revealed that she loves raw caramel treats and caramel desserts and does her best not to cut any food groups from her diet.
However, she tries to always choose ‘fresh, local and organic produce’ and does her best to avoid anything processed or fast foods as they ‘do not agree with my body’.
To make the most of each meal, Ms Blundell said she always sits down, smells her food, chews slowly and only eats when she is truly hungry.
Alissa King-Underwood, from Cambridgeshire, works with Finesse Ring Girls and says she will always ‘eat properly’ before a match
Alissa (right) says she will usually take sweets to a boxing match to give her energy
As for her exercise regime, Ms Blundell trains intensely four to five times per week and ‘listens’ to her body when deciding what workout to do.
On an average week, however, she will range from hill sprints and F45 classes to jogging, boxing, long walks and laps in the pool.
Taking to her Instagram nutrition page, Ms Blundell said she takes care to always fuel her body before working out.
‘When fuelling the body pre-workout, to make sure you reach optimal performance, you should aim to provide the body with a carbohydrate based snack 30-40 mins pre session,’ Ms Blundell, who eats 1,200 to 1,400 calories per day, said.
She also focuses on ‘liver loving’ foods and has completed liver cleanses in the past.
Alissa King-Underwood, from Cambridgeshire, works with Finesse Ring Girls and says she will always ‘eat properly’ before a match as boxing shows start early in the evening and go on quite late.
She said: ‘I always bring snacks that’ll give me energy such as sweets, and there’s always a paramedic or MC offering out tangtastics! I also work a few black tie boxing dinner events where I get a 3 course meal included, I love that job!!!’
SHOULD ‘RING GIRLS’ BE BANNED IN 2024?
Model and social media star Thomas pictured in an angel costume at another event this year
In recent years, the idea of the ‘ring girl’ has been met with controversy, with some calling it ‘sexist’ and ‘outdated’.
Opposition has grown after equivalents in sports such as darts and Formula 1 were banned.
In 2016, WBC champion Mikaela Lauren idemanded a ‘ring boy’ for her defence – or refused to take part.
She told her promoters at the time she would only defend her title if the ‘sexist’ role was replaced by a male equivalent.
She told World Boxing News: ‘I’ve spoken to my promoter and told him that I will not fight if they use number girls.
‘Why should there be a half-naked woman in the ring when two top female athletes are competing? I think it’s sexist. Women shouldn’t be seen as sex objects!
‘I want a number boy. I think that’s only fair, and I’m sure it will give the women in the audience some pleasure as well.’
Her demand for a ring boy was indeed honoured by Sauerland Promotions, with a man holding up round cards in front of the crowds at the Hovet Arena.
In 2019, Melbourne’s Lord Mayor Sally Capp called for ‘scantily clad’ ring girls to be banned from a UFC event, calling it ‘time to move on’.
‘It’s 2019, do we really still need scantily clad women to wander around the middle of a fighting ring between rounds?,’ she said.
Mikaela Lauren of Sweden during a public training session on October 18, 2017
Lauren said previously she would not fight unless there was a ‘ring boy’ present at her match. Pictured fighting Christina Hammer in 2013
UFC President Dana White later slammed the ‘ridiculous calls’ from the Australian politicians, claiming they are an integral part of the show.
‘Our Octagon girls, they’re as much a part of the UFC brand as anyone, they’re ambassadors for our sport,’ he told the Telegraph.
‘I’d suggest these people calling on them to be banned go have a look at what these girls do with the company, the type of money they’re making,’ he said.
‘Do that and you’ll realise these girls are as important to our brand as anyone else in the company. And that’s exactly the way we treat them.’
In 2018, Formula 1 banned ‘grid girls’ – the Grand Prix’s equivalent to ring girls – declaring them ‘at odds with modern-day societal norms’.
Meanwhile, walk-on girls were banned from the darts world championships.
‘Grid girls are no longer part of Formula One, walk-on girls are no longer part of professional darts – surely it’s time to move on,’ said Ms Capp.
Following the debate, ‘ring card’ girls took to Good Morning Britain to defend their roles.
‘Ring card girl’ Sara Beverley Jones argued she had never felt objectified in the five years she worked in the industry and that the worst criticism has come from other women in the wake of the banning of ‘grid girls’ in Formula 1.
World boxing champion Ebanie Bridges (pictured) has slammed calls for boxing ring card girls to be banned, having worked as one herself in her younger days in Australia
The IBF bantamweight champion (pictured at a boxing event in Australia) has been competing in combat sports since she was five years old, but before she was boxing as a professional on the world stage, she spent years working as a ring card girl at boxing and Muay Thai events
Speaking on the ITV show at the time, she said: ‘[Women] have come out with derogatory comments. They are insulting our intelligence based on our occupation. They are calling us prostitutes online. It’s very upsetting and insulting.’
Ms Jones revealed some of the worst criticism she had received had been from women.
‘In the past week I have received some of the worst comments in the last week from women applauding this ban than I have ever received for this industry,’ she said.
‘From women calling themselves feminists, they are not empowering us or supporting us.’
Former MP Ann Widdecombe weighed in on the issue, saying the nation had lost its ‘cheerfulness’ by banning the ‘girls’ from sport.
She said: ‘All I can say is, I loved seeing those nice cheerful “grid girls” [in the GMB studio] as opposed to that po-faced shrieking feminist. We’re losing our cheerfulness.
‘Things like wolf whistling, “grid girls”, we’re becoming so po-faced now about what feminism is – we’ve lost our cheerfulness.’
She continued: ‘It certainly doesn’t advance women’s rights and I actually think it makes so-called feminists look stupid. Feminism is about equality, it’s not about that sort of thing.’
When asked in a poll about whether ‘ring card girls’ should be banned, the majority of Good Morning Britain viewers responded to say they should not.