Boxing might not have been in fashion since should-have-known-better fashion types adopted the lace-up leather boot as their footwear of choice in the early 00s, but, warming up for the release of Hard Candy, Madonna has now billed herself as a hard-as-diamonds heavyweight champion of the world (just don't touch the face). On the album's brilliantly lurid front cover, she's locked her fingers into a knuckleduster, strapped a bling champ belt around her middle and bandaged her hands before (I'd like to imagine) snarling "Shall we take this outside?" Whether astride a ringside stool licking her wraps or draped in a white towel, Chanel gloves at the ready, the confident swagger of a fighter fits the latest incarnation of 'Madonna' - and there's a lot more to it than knockout fashion.

In the mid 90s, her creative collaboration with Jean Paul Gaultier memorably led to the sexed-up costumes for her Blonde Ambition Tour. He built an armoured torso with Madonna's corseted bust in mind, constructing that perfume bottle and that bra in her image. The playful Hard Candy look is a return to a tough femininity - she's both scarily sexy and scarily strong. While the celeb pages are recoiling at her 'overly' gym-honed bod and criticising her for being too muscular, by posing as a boxer she's stepped up the symbolism to match the physical strength she’s famous for. Madonna's pugilistic posturing and appropriation of the garb of the über-male boxer is confrontational, empowering and subversive. Of course the irony is that she doesn't actually have any opponents. She's the undisputed champion pop star of the world.

But Madonna isn't the only lady to get in the ring... Let's look at those who went before her.

Kylie Minogue - Showgirl Tour (2007)

Dolce and Gabbana imagined Kylie as a sparring leopard cub for an outfit on her Showgirl Homecoming Tour last year. She made an adorable vision in diamante gloves, leather and fur, but it was less hardcore boxing bitch and more of a euphemistic acknowledgement of what she'd overcome to get there.

Christina Aguilera - Dirrty video (2002)

David LaChapelle directed this filthy promo to Xtina's magnum opus during her prolonged 'troubled' phase. It combines elements of wrestling, ultimate fighting, boxing and cowboys. Just plain dirty.

Gordon Sisters Boxing (1901)

Brilliant YouTube find - a deeply unladylike foray into the fisticuffs arena for some brawling turn of the century dames. A terribly enthusiastic brawl, if not particularly tactical.

Million Dollar Baby (2004)

Not quite Raging Bull for Third Wave Girls, but a decent showing nonetheless… *SPOILER ALERT* until the end when wannabe boxer star Maggie's paralysed during a match, slightly twisting the whole tough-girls-rock message into tough-girls-give-up. You’d be better off watching genre-defining indie-flick Girlfight (2001).