Equity or Equality…?

By Donald “Braveheart” Stewart

An opinion piece from the only Donald worth listening to…

Full Stop – In British English grammar a full stop is a lengthy pause, in the US, you call it a period. In the UK that tends to suggest feminine products. Here it means a period of time where I look at something in boxing in a little more depth. I am typing from my perspective of a fan who watches the sport closely. It’s an opinion. It is my opinion. Don’t like it? There are other opinions out there but if you don’t like it then good, debate and democracy are a good thing. If you do like it, feel free to spread the word.

Equity or equality…?

Recently two things have happened in women’s boxing of note. Firstly, Amanda Serrano won her fight over 12 x 3 minute rounds against Danila Ramos and believes she has proven that women should be treated equally with men.

Secondly and perhaps less significantly, Ramli Ali, former refugee and now women’s boxing icon, declared in the ring, in the plush surroundings of a posh Monte Carlo, that the reason for a less than sparkling performance was that she had taken her period that morning. She did apologize to the men for saying it and did claim that it was not the only reason, but it was notable.

For the former, the fight for equality rambles on whilst the latter reminds us that we are all not born the same.

As the women’s game emerges from the disgusting past where men did all they could to marginalize and stop it, getting a fair crack of the whip is what women want. It’s what they have always wanted and now they are beginning to be at a point, where asking for it and demanding it are part of their new makeup routine.

Serrano and her dance partner Ramos, managed to show that women can do 12 rounds and can compete for 3 minutes in the ring, so, why don’t we just take it on the chin metaphorically and just make every fight 3 minutes? It’s not the first time that Serrano has made headlines or history – she was one side of the card when women headlined at Madison Square Gardens for the very first time as she took on Katie Taylor.

Ali’s admission perhaps reminds us that there is a physiological difference that we need to reflect upon. When we ask science what it thinks, on the debate about 3 minute rounds and 12 of them, the research is unclear. There is evidence that women deal with things differently and their ability to absorb head trauma is different to men’s. What is clear, however, is that at an elite level, there is an appetite for it and that comes from the majority of the fighters themselves.

Whilst fighters may be the most qualified to represent themselves, we do know that they only want to fight and that means they are often fools to themselves and need to be protected. But that smacks, very much, of an age-old paternalism. The boxers who want to see a move, at least to 3-minute rounds include Claressa Sheilds, and Serrano herself, though it is not a universal clamor – Katie Taylor is not in favor.

There have been fights before with 3 minute rounds and with the approval of the fighters but again it has not been universally adopted. What is clear is that some, like Eddie Hearn, thinks that 3 minute rounds might be acceptable for more established fighters and perhaps championship fights could be set at 3 minutes as we have that already with title fights being established at a certain number of rounds – world titles are never scheduled in men’s boxing for less than 12, women’s for less than 10.

Those in favor of three-minute rounds believe that it will encourage more excitement and more knockouts but there are lighter weights in the men’s game where that simply does not happen. Two-minute rounds are pressurized with fighters having to find their A game long before they get caught out. A move to minute rounds might lead to 3 minute chess matches rather than the exciting opportunities opened for fighters as they claim.

But there remains a couple of obstacles.

Firstly, commissions and sanctioning bodies need to make a decision and keep to it. Serrano defended most of her belts with one sanctioning body demurring – the WBC. There would need to unanimity on whether there should be 12 rounds or that they should be 3 minutes long.
Next, is an easier obstacle – the money in the women’s game. There is a need to see that grow and that shall be the catalyst for change. Right now, there is not enough depth in the women’s game to allow that to be used to prepare the ground for more equality. But there needs to be equity – the women boxers need to be given equal access to airtime, equal opportunity on bills and the chance to show their skills as the sport grows. And it will. Until then making the case for 12 3-minute rounds in the elite game is compelling, whilst lower down the reason for retaining 2-minute rounds is equally compelling. Once boxers have managed to manage to get a few professional fights under their belts they are ready to move on and make championship level fights. Until then the two-minute dashes to the bell are exciting and are building the sport, but change must always be a debate and always on the horizon. It will take time for mid-range fighters to earn the same as men but once there, they have a presence which deserves equality and equity in equal measure.

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