Amanda Serrano’s Trailblazing Journey for Equality in Women’s Boxing
Amanda Serrano was overcome with pure joy. Her face lit up as the scorecards were read, and several featherweight championship belts were placed on her right shoulder and waist. She had dominated Danila Ramos en route to a unanimous decision win in October, bolstering her argument for being considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport and a trailblazer.
Serrano’s performance came in the first unified women’s championship fight contested over 12 three-minute rounds in boxing history. Female boxers, until that point, were only able to compete in bouts with 10 (or fewer) rounds at two minutes each. “I really enjoyed the three minutes,” Serrano said after the fight in Florida. “I was able to set up a little more of my punches, and I think I’m going to continue with the three minutes. I know the women out there, they saw that it’s possible, that we can do it. And me and Danila, we showed that we’re capable. There’s going to be a lot of women out there that are going to say, ‘Yes, they did it. Now I can do it.‘”
“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.”
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said his organization made this decision to protect female fighters from suffering potential long-term damage in the ring and issued a statement to The Athletic, explaining their position. However, the lack of concrete conclusions regarding the risks for women in boxing has led Serrano’s adviser, Nakisa Bidarian, to push for equal rounds and time, as he believes “less time is less injury” for all fighters, regardless of gender.
Serrano’s decision to relinquish her WBC title and stand up for the future of women’s boxing is a testament to her trailblazing spirit. As she continues to fight for equality in the sport, her next bout will feature 12 three-minute rounds, showcasing her full abilities and further cementing her legacy as one of the greatest boxers in history.
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