Amanda Serrano dumps WBC title over 12-round dispute
Amanda Serrano successfully defended her WBA, IBF, and WBO titles in October against Brazilian Daniela Ramos, marking the longest women's boxing match since 2007. Typically, title fights for female boxers span 10, two-minute rounds, and the WBC didn't approve Serrano's match against Ramos.
"If the sanctioning body in the future doesn't want me and my fellows to decide how men fight, then I won't fight for this sanctioning body," Serrano, 35, wrote in an Instagram post published on Tuesday. "The WBC refuses to develop the sport in the context of equal opportunities. Therefore, I'm renouncing their title. Many thanks to the sanctioning bodies that have advanced the sport in the context of equal opportunities!"
CNN did not immediately receive a comment from the WBC for this article.
Suleiman, the chairman of the WBC, confirmed the organization's stance on safety on Wednesday, telling Sky Sports News, "It's not discrimination, it's not sexism. It's not about equality. It's just about safety."
Last year, Serrano joined Irish Katie Taylor as the first woman to headline a boxing match at Madison Square Garden. Serrano lost to Taylor by a split decision, marking her second career defeat. She boasts a record of 46 wins (30 via knockout) and one draw.
In a brief open letter, a group of women boxers asserted their right to fight in the same format as their male counterparts before Serrano's match against Ramos. "We have proven our skill and size with a 3-minute advantage. We deserve this decision to build a fairer future for all fighters worldwide," they wrote.
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Serrano thanked her teammates on Tuesday and added, "If you want to step in the ring with me, you have a choice. I've made mine."
Past comments from American boxer Clarissa Shields suggest that three-minute rounds shortchange female boxers financially and contribute to boxing's lower perception of women's fights compared to men's. "I love the sport and I know for a fact that [match and fight length] is the reason we're not paid like men and why women's boxing isn't considered on the same level as men's boxing," Shields told Yahoo Sports in 2021.
Promoter Bob Arum echoed Shields' sentiments in 2021, telling ESPN, "If I could have a three-minute fight, I'd sign a few women up."
Additional Reading
Serrano announced in her Instagram post that she would no longer fight for the WBC if they didn't allow her and her colleagues to determine fighting styles for men. A group of female boxers petitioned the WBC, demanding the right to fight under the same conditions as men, claiming that their skills and size had been proven in a 12-round title fight.
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