WBC Maintains Ban on Three-Minute Rounds for Female Boxers
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is unwavering in its decision to maintain a ban on three-minute rounds for female boxers, despite an outcry from several prominent fighters, including Amanda Serrano, Chantelle Cameron, and Alycia Baumgardner, who have recently chosen to vacate their titles in protest. The latest to step away was Cameron, who relinquished her super lightweight championship just last week.
Fighter Advocacy for Equality
In her statement, Cameron emphasized the importance of equality in sports, asserting that female fighters deserve the same opportunities and respect as their male counterparts.
“I’m proud of my achievement as a WBC champion, but now is the time to stand up for what is right and for the future of boxing,”
she declared.
WBC’s Defense of Its Stance
In response, the WBC issued a statement defending its stance by referencing a thorough clinical study by medical professionals, which indicates that women face a higher risk of concussions, more severe symptoms, and longer recovery times compared to men. This independent research was conducted by PINK Concussion.
WBC President Mauricio Sulaimán reiterated the council’s historical commitment to women’s boxing, highlighting that the WBC was the first organization to establish a dedicated championship for female fighters. He stated that their focus is not on issues of sexism or inequality but rather on athlete safety:
“This is about protecting the health of the athletes.”
Most Valuable Promotions and Gender Equality
Most Valuable Promotions, co-founded by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, continues to advocate robustly for gender equality in boxing. Their upcoming event on January 3 in Puerto Rico will showcase two title matches for women, adhering to men’s format of ten rounds, each lasting three minutes. Amanda Serrano is set to defend her WBO and WBA featherweight titles against Erika Cruz, while Stephanie Han will face Holly Holm for the WBA lightweight championship.
Notably, not all fighters under Most Valuable Promotions have abandoned their WBC titles. The undisputed bantamweight champion, Cherneka “Sugar Neekz” Johnson, is scheduled to defend her titles against Amanda Gaelle on November 14 and has opted to keep her championship.
WBC’s Commitment to Safety
The WBC has made it clear that they will not reconsider their ruling unless new credible research is presented that re-evaluates or enhances the current understandings of safety in boxing. The organization expressed pride in its role in the sport and underscored its commitment to ensuring that boxing evolves responsibly for the sake of future athletes.
“We continuously assess and roll out new initiatives aimed at promoting safety, fairness, and progress within the sport,”
the WBC noted in its statement to ESPN.
