Equality: WBC female boxing champion quits in protest, makes statement
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WBC women featherweight champion Amanda Serrano did not announce she was hanging the gloves, but has relinquished her claims over a world title to protest against the WBC’s alleged inequality.
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Recently, WBC chairman Mauricio Sulaiman rejected Serrano’s push to fight for twelve rounds of three minutes each with another female boxer.
Medical sources are against the idea of allowing women boxers undergo head blows for the length of time men do. Though some women could argue that the blows were from fellow women and therefore not worse than men participating in like situations, not all female boxers favour the opinion to increase their fight time.
Speaking in her announcement before dumping her world title without losing it, Serrano gave the following statement:
‘I love boxing. I have given my life to this sport. No phone, no boyfriend, no parties. Just boxing.
‘I am the only boxer, male or female, from Puerto Rico to become undisputed champion.
‘I am the only female boxer to have won titles in 7 divisions. I am the first female boxer, along with Katie to headline Madison Sqaure Garden.
‘I am the first female boxer to make 7 figures from a fight and the same from sponsors.
‘And I am the first undisputed female champion to fight 12×3 minute rounds.’
According to Serrano’s further comments, it seems she was advocating not for the implementation of the new rule to all female boxing matches but to that of those who would desire them.
The following were among her next comments:
‘Moving forward if a sanctioning body doesn’t want to give me and my fellow fighters the choice to fight the same as the men, then I will not be fighting for that sanctioning body.
‘The WBC has refused to evolve the sport for equality. So I am relinquishing their title.
‘Thank You to the sanctioning bodies who have evolved for Equality!
‘If you want to face me in the ring, you have a choice. I’ve made mine.
‘Thank you to all of my fellow fighters who have stood with me. Thank you to my team.
‘Thank you to my fans. And above all, thank you God. I’m blessed.’
As things stand, some other female champions might dump their titles too to show solidarity, while those against the idea of fighting for more minutes who are bold might become objects of attack.
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