Women boxers fight for more time in ring boxing in a position where we’d be able to be paid more? “There’s equal pay in the major slams in tennis, where the women are doing best of three sets and the men are doing five. I know if I was a male tennis playe
Amanda Serrano is among those calling for 12 three-minute rounds, but is it right move for the sport? Fiona Tomas reports
‘Ten two-minute rounds differentiates women’s boxing from men’s boxing. It can be explosive and draws you in’
When Amanda Serrano, the unified featherweight champion, vacated her WBC title last month after the organisation refused to sanction her 12 three-minute rounds championship bout, it reignited a debate that has long split opinion in boxing.
Serrano’s fight against Danila Ramos last October, which led to the Puerto Rican retaining her WBA, WBO and IBF titles, was the first time since 2007 women had been in the ring for a title bout for as long as their male counterparts.
But Serrano’s celebrations were short-lived after the WBC refused to endorse extending the length of the rounds in female boxing, citing “health and safety” concerns.
Women’s championship-level fights are usually contested over 10 two-minute rounds, but calls for female fighters to box over the same length of time as their male counterparts are growing louder.
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 that called for women to fight 12 three-minute rounds like their male counterparts.
“We have earned the choice of three-minute rounds, with 12 rounds for championship fights to demonstrate our skill and greatness,” the group wrote.
Advocates for extending women’s championship fights argue there is a greater chance of a knockout when female boxers are in the ring for longer – Serrano threw a career-high 1,103 punches en route to defeating Ramos by unanimous decision – which results in a more tactical fight that requires competitors to break down their opponent.
But others, including Irish boxing great Katie Taylor, claim 10 two-minute rounds encourage more high-tempo bouts, thus boosting entertainment value.
“It’s absolutely not a priority in my eyes,” insists Stacey Copeland, who made history in 2018 by becoming the first British female boxer to win a Commonwealth title and now heads up sporting equality charity Pave The Way.
“Ten two-minute rounds differentiates women’s boxing from men’s boxing in a way that’s really exciting. Ten twos can be really explosive, high-intensity women’s boxing, it’s eye-catching, it draws you in. It’s a USP in a way.”
Chantelle Cameron, who was edged out by Taylor in an epic battle for the undisputed world super-lightweight title two months ago, has also been vocal about fighting the longer format.
“I’d love to push myself to do what the men are doing,” she told Telegraph Women’s Sport last year. “There are a lot more punches in two-minute rounds – it’s busier – but three-minute rounds you can’t argue about the pay. Women have to be paid equal to men because we are doing the same. Also it makes it more exciting because there would be more stoppages.”
The WBC’S strict stance is based on women’s safety. Mauricio Sulaiman, the organisation’s president, has pointed to scientific literature that indicates women are at more risk of concussions the longer they fight in the ring.
Women are twice as likely as men to experience concussion but the dearth of studies on female boxers has led to scepticism in a sport where women have traditionally been an afterthought. There is general consensus that not enough research has been conducted exclusively on women.
“Twenty years ago, they [boxing authorities] were having a massive panic about what we’d actually wear in the ring and whether boobs would be falling out,” Copeland says.
“It’s so backward. Go back 50 years and we weren’t running marathons because they said our uterus would fall out. Whatever they say, I take it with a pinch of salt until an actual scientist says, ‘Yes, we’ve diligently done this’.”
There is also widespread scepticism over whether 12 three-minute rounds would help close boxing’s pay disparity. Serrano’s pay cheque when she defended her featherweight titles against Heather Hardy last August is understood to be between six and seven figures but in a sport where women once struggled to be taken seriously, the gender pay gap remains stark. “Amanda feels as if the three minutes would suit her style a lot better and believes there might be more stoppages. As an athlete, I wouldn’t oppose three-minute rounds,” Terri Harper, the reigning WBA champion, says.
“If I had to do three-minute rounds, I’d expect a higher purse. I’d expect to be paid more. But being a realist, boxing, like all sports, is a business. Is female