by When unanimous featherweight champion Amanda Serrano vacated her WBC title last month after the organization refused to sanction her 12-round, three-minute championship bout, she set off a debate that has long divided opinion. her in boxing.
Serrano’s fight against Danila Ramos last October, which saw the Puerto Rican retain her WBA, WBO and IBF titles, was the first time since 2007 that women had been in the ring for a title bout as long as their male counterparts.
But Serrano’s celebrations were short-lived after the WBC refused to extend the length of rounds in women’s boxing, citing “health and safety” concerns.
Women’s championship-level fights are typically contested over 10 two-minute rounds, but female fighters are asked to box over the same amount of time as men are getting taller.
Serrano, who has been a lightning rod for equality in women’s boxing, was one of 20 female fighters who signed a letter last October asking women to fight 12 three-minute rounds.
“We have earned the option of three-minute rounds, with 12 rounds for championship fights to demonstrate our skill and excellence,” the group wrote.
‘Two-minute rounds are USP’
Advocates for extending women’s championship fights argue that boxers are more likely to be out of the ring for longer – Serrano threw a career-high 1,103 punches en route to defeating Ramos by unanimous decision – which makes fighting more tactical as a result. which requires competitors to break down their opponents.
But others, including Irish boxing legend Katie Taylor, claim 10 two-minute rounds encourage more high-speed rounds, which heightens the entertainment.
“It’s not a priority in my eyes,” insists Stacey Copeland, who made history in 2018 by becoming the first British boxer to win the Commonwealth title and now heads the sports equality charity Pave The Way.
“Ten two-minute rounds differentiates women’s boxing from men’s boxing in a very exciting way. Ten men can be very explosive, high-intensity women’s boxing, it’s captivating, it draws you in. It is a USP in a way.”
Chantelle Cameron, who edged Taylor in an epic battle for the undisputed world super-lightweight title two months ago, has been vocal about fighting the longer format.
“I would love to push myself to do what the men are doing,” she told Women’s Sport in the Telegraph last year. “There are a lot more points in two-minute rounds – it’s busier – but you can’t argue with three-minute rounds about the pay. Women must be paid the same as men because we are doing the same thing. It also makes it more exciting because there would be more stops.”
The WBC’s strict stance is based on women’s safety. Mauricio Sulaiman, the president of the organization, drew attention to scientific literature that indicates that women are at risk of more concussions the longer they have fought in the ring.
Women are twice as likely to suffer a concussion as men, but in a sport where women have traditionally been an afterthought, the paucity of studies on female boxers raises doubts. There is a general consensus that not enough research has been done exclusively on women.
“Twenty years ago, [boxing authorities] we had a huge panic about what we would wear in the ring and if our breasts would fall out,” says Copeland. “It’s so backwards. Go back 50 years and we weren’t running a marathon because they said our uterus would fall out. Whatever they say, I take it with a pinch of salt until a scientist himself says, ‘Yes, we did this diligently’.”
‘With rounds of three minutes more money would be expected’
There is also widespread skepticism about whether 12 three-minute rounds would help close boxing’s pay disparity. Serrano’s pay check when she defended her featherweight titles against Heather Hardy last August is understood to have been between six and seven figures but in a sport where women have struggled to take the stage seriously, the gender pay gap remains narrow.
“Amanda feels the three minutes would suit her style much better and believes there could be more stops. As an athlete, I wouldn’t be against three-minute rounds,” says Terri Harper, the reigning WBA champion.
“If I had to do three-minute rounds, I would expect a higher purse. I would expect to pay more. But let’s be realistic, boxing, like all sports, is a business. Can women’s boxing get more money?
“There is equal pay in the grand slams in tennis, where the women are doing the best of three sets and the men are doing five. I know if I were a male tennis player, I would ask, ‘Why are these women getting paid the same as us for doing less?’”
Harper failed to become a unified lightweight champion after being held to a majority draw against Cecilia Braekhus last year. “It was such a boring fight,” she said. “Imagine if there were three-minute rounds – it would kill everyone.”
Serrano will defend her world featherweight titles against Germany’s Nina Meinke on March 2 in another contest that will take place over 12 three-minute rounds.
The minute debate will continue for female boxers but, as she continues to be a voice for female empowerment, Serrano’s legacy in the sport is already intact.
