Serrano-Ramos: A Long Overdue Step Towards Equality In Boxing

One would be hard pressed to answer the question of in the last decade, what parts of the sport of Boxing have been the most significant in terms of true progress. By the design of the way such a question is asked, one would likely find no shortage of answers covering just about every aspect that the sport has to offer and most likely every subject. Some would likely point to the push towards digital subscription-based streaming as one significant move of progress for the sport, while others would point to the continued reliance of some to use the overpriced and outdated model of pay-per-view as a sign of Boxing's regression as well as for lack of a better term, "Being Stuck In Its Antiquated Ways" from a business standpoint. Two subjects that have been recurring themes of this observer's work for many years.

Outside of those themes which remain a focal point for the sport, if one were to ask yours truly that aforementioned question regarding what has been the most significant progress in my view that has taken place over the last decade my answer is simple and does not require much thought because, in my opinion, the answer is indisputable. "Women's Boxing."

When I began writing about and covering combat sports in the mid-1990’s, women’s participation in the sport was just starting to get exposure due largely to Hall of Famer Christy Martin, who was the first superstar of Women’s Boxing, with her bouts being regularly featured on television and yes, pay-per-view on the undercards of some of the biggest bouts in Boxing history. Despite her success as a trailblazer in bringing Women’s Boxing to the forefront, the sport in the United States did not get the recognition, and respect that it truly deserved for many years including after Martin and other notable stars in Women’s Boxing including Lucia Rijker, Laila Ali, Holly Holm, and others retired from the sport. The struggle for consistent television exposure also remained a real one as most women’s bouts were either shown on undercards of other bouts and not given much attention, or at times not shown at all. 

This differed significantly from how Women’s Boxing is treated internationally as many world championship fights would serve as the main event on cards also featuring men’s bouts on a consistent basis and that would occur several years before the United States would catch up to the rest of the world in finally recognizing what Women’s Boxing had to offer. Perhaps in an indirect way, this was aided somewhat by the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) and the success of fighters in that sport such as Rhonda Rousey. It was not until the 2012 Summer Olympics that things began to shift however in the favor of Women’s Boxing. For that was the first Olympic games where Women’s Boxing was included along with the men’s Boxing tournament. Although that in of itself was groundbreaking, it was the performance of Claressa Shields in dominating the tournament to becoming the first Gold Medalist for the United States in Boxing since Andre Ward accomplished it in 2004. It would be an accomplishment that Shields would repeat in the 2016 Summer Olympics before setting her sights on a professional career after becoming the United States first boxer to win consecutive gold medals in Olympic competition. 

Due to the success she was able to have as an Olympian, the spotlight was naturally focused on Shields upon turning professional in 2016 and it was that, that led the way to the sport of Women’s Boxing being able to gain long overdue recognition and exposure here in the United States as finally, it would be Women’s bouts showcased on a regular basis on television as along with Shields, fighters like Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, Heather Hardy, Cecilia Braekhus, and Jessica McCaskill, to name a few, have all become stars in the sport and have all headlined Boxing cards where men’s bouts are also featured. In what was another groundbreaking moment for the sport, it was Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano who engaged in one of the best fights this observer has ever seen in April of last year. An all-time classic that was the first Women’s bout to main event in the legendary Madison Square Garden. Not only did the fight exceed every possible expectation inside the ring, but the event also accomplished something that those who for whatever reason did not take Women’s Boxing seriously did not think was possible. It sold out Madison Square Garden’s main arena drawing over 20,000 spectators.

For someone who going back to when I started had been asked regularly “Why do you cover Women’s Boxing? No one cares…” I can’t lie to the reader when I say that seeing what had been accomplished that night from a distance was emotional for me because it also justified why I have tried to give Women’s Boxing as much attention and coverage as I could for years in addition to men’s bouts on every level of the sport. Simply put, I knew long before the boom that has taken place over the last decade that Women’s Boxing belonged on the same level as the sport for men and all the sport for women needed was consistent exposure and the chance to show what it had to offer. In time, I felt if women were given that chance, the sport would grow as well.

As emotional and vindicating as it was for me to see that accomplishment for Women’s Boxing, there has always been one thing that I have felt has held the sport back. The fact that Women’s bouts, going back as far as the 1960’s, long before the first women’s bout was ever broadcast on television, were fought with only a two minute round length and not the three minute rounds that men’s bouts are fought under. Longtime readers, particularly those who read the ‘Boxing Wishlist” that usually begins every calendar year here on The Boxing Truth® know that one wish that has been consistently featured over the years is to see women’s bouts moved to three minutes. Something that I have been screaming for, for years. Why? When one considers that women’s bouts in the sport of MMA are fought with five minute rounds, the same round length as men’s bouts, and women’s bouts are scheduled for the same three and five round distances as men’s bouts, there really is no reason why women’s bouts in Boxing should be relegated to two minute rounds, even if the argument for it is in regard to safety. I would also go as far as saying that world championship bouts in Women’s Boxing should be scheduled for twelve rounds, the same distance as men’s bouts. 

Despite my pleas for such steps toward equality, particularly in regard to allowing women to fight in three minute rounds, which would solve the frequent conundrum for judges in many cases of having to score fights even because the two minute round length often does not allow one fighter to stand out clearly from the other because of the obvious quicker pace, progress toward that goal has been slow. Ironically, it was the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics held in 2021 in Tokyo, Japan that would provide the evidence that three minute rounds should be allowed in Women’s Boxing. For the first time since Women’s Boxing was added to the Olympic Boxing tournament, all bouts held in the delayed 2020 tournament were fought with three minute rounds and there were no causes for pause or any injuries, which had been the argument some have used for why Women’s Boxing “Can’t Have Three Minute Rounds.”  Despite another feeling of vindication having seen women’s bouts fought with three minute rounds run smoothly, with conclusive outcomes throughout the 2020 tournament, in over two years since the delayed tournament took place due to the global COVID-19 epidemic, Women’s Boxing on the professional level has not been able to benefit from three minute rounds. At least, not yet.

For on October 27th at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Casino in Orlando, FL, Boxing history will be made. Undisputed Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano will defend her crown against WBO number one contender Danila Ramos. The undisputed world championship bout, which will headline a card that will be broadcast on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN, will be fought not only with three minute rounds, but it will be the first women’s bout in Boxing history to be fought at a scheduled twelve round distance. When I was first informed of this bout and both of the addition of two additional rounds as well as the three minute round length, the same length and distance as world championship bouts for men, I excitedly yelled “YES!” 

By now, the reader should know where I stand on both the issue of round length and why women should be equal to men. This is something that is so long overdue and while this comes at the request of both Serrano and Ramos themselves rather than the change to equality being a universally adopted standard in the sport this will likely be the first step in that process.

Some however, might be asking beyond the issue of equality, what will a three minute round do and how will it benefit female fighters. The primary benefit for the fighters will be in the ability to pace themselves, something that men in the sport are able to do. When fights are fought under a two minute round length, generally they are extremely fast paced with both fighters literally throwing everything they have at each other right out of the gate, which in some cases can resemble a toughwoman or toughman contest. Although often exciting, this not only results in fighters becoming fatigued quickly, but because the rounds are shorter in duration than men’s bouts, it also often turns into a nightmare for judges who are tasked with scoring a fight. 

One aspect that might also be seen as a benefit that will come with a move to three minute rounds is it might allow for more knockouts to occur as well. While a knockout can occur at any time regardless of the duration of a round, there are many top fighters in Women's Boxing that do not have many knockouts on their records, which some might attribute that to the respective styles that fighters might have, I also feel that this could be attributed to the fact that up until this upcoming bout, the pace of women's bouts have been geared for two minute rounds and one might argue that the added minute will allow fighters to not only pace themselves more normally, but also time to strategically look for a knockout if the opportunity arises.

While from an analysis standpoint most of the checkpoints that would indicate an advantage for one fighter over the other going into this fight would favor Serrano, a fighter with more experience than Ramos and one that has won world championships in seven different weight divisions, the truth here is we really don't know what will happen in this fight simply because it is the first Women's bout in history at least on the professional level to be for a world championship fought with three minute rounds and will be scheduled for twelve rounds as opposed to the previous standard of ten two minute rounds for world championship fights.

While it is likely that both Serrano and Ramos have been sparring in preparation for this bout in three minute rounds and doing sessions at a twelve round distance, we simply will not know whether there will be a difference in how both fighters approach this encounter in terms of strategy until the fight is underway. Regardless of who wins this fight, this is nevertheless a true groundbreaking moment for women in the sport and while the Florida State Athletic Commission (FSAC) should be applauded for being the first to sanction a woman's bout that puts Women's Boxing on equal ground with male fighters in the sport, hopefully more female fighters will insist on following the lead of both Serrano and Ramos in demanding three minute rounds and the same standards as men follow in the sport. Although I hope more athletic commissions adopt this push for equality in the sport so it is a universal standard worldwide for women in Boxing, it is more likely as was the case for this fight that the fighters themselves will have to demand/request three minute rounds and a twelve round distance on a fight by fight basis at least for the immediate future before all the respective commissions and regulatory boards around the world truly embrace equality in Boxing. Something that is truly long overdue.

"And That's The Boxing Truth." 

Serrano vs. Ramos takes place on Friday, October 27th at the Caribe Royale Hotel and Casino in Orlando, FL. The fight as well as its full undercard can be seen globally on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN beginning at 6PM ET/3PM PT with preliminary bouts, which will be followed by the main card, which will begin at 9PM ET/6PM PT.

(*U.S. Times Only.) (*Card and Start time Subject to Change.)

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com. 

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TWENTY-FIVE PROMINENT FEMALE FIGHTERS, INCLUDING CURRENT AND FORMER BOXING CHAMPIONS, SUPPORT AMANDA SERRANO, DANILA RAMOS, AND EQUALITY IN BOXING

Press Release October 10, 2023 By DAZN  and Most Valuable Promotions-  Today Amanda Serrano and Danila Ramos, in collaboration with multiple current and former boxing champions and other prominent female fighters, released a statement titled ‘CHOICE’. The statement, supported by Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), affirms the pursuit of female fighters to achieve equal pay, promotion, and competitive opportunity in the sport of boxing.

Credit: Most Valuable Promotions/DAZN 

The statement comes on the heels of Amanda's historic decision to fight 12 rounds at three minutes each for her unified title fight vs. Danila on Friday, October 27th, 2023 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, FL. 

Amanda and Danila’s choice was supported by the Florida Athletic Commission, WBO, WBA, and IBF. Now, their colleagues are proud to amplify their decision as they stand up for this precedent and women’s future choice to compete with the same rules as men, should they so choose.

United in support of Amanda and Danila’s CHOICE statement are 25 incredible female fighters: Laila Ali, Ramla Ali, Daniela Bermudez, Evelin Nazarena Bermudez, Chantelle Cameron, Bonnie Canino, Maricela Cornejo, Franchón Crews-Dezurn, Seniesa Estrada, Shadasia Green, Miriam Gutierrez, Christina Hammer, Heather Hardy, Lisa Holewyne, Holly Holm, Natasha Jonas, Sarah Mahfoud, Christy Martin, Mikaela Mayer, Layla McCarter, Maira Moneo, Elena Reid, Krystal Rosado, Britt VanBuskirk, Ann Wolfe. 

“I want to thank all of the boxers who are supporting this message of CHOICE. We are advocating for the ability to choose,” said Amanda Serrano. “Female boxers compete in MMA with 5 minute rounds, the same as their male counterparts. Even in bare knuckle boxing, women and men compete with the same rules. Danila and I, on Friday, October 27th, are proud to make history  and compete under the same rules as male boxers. This is a fight for women everywhere to be treated the same. Thank you to the Florida Athletic Commission, the sanctioning bodies WBO, WBA, IBF, IBO, Boxlab Promotions and of course my incredible team at Most Valuable Promotions and Jordan Maldonado.”

MVP is proud to support Amanda as both a fighter and true ambassador of women’s boxing alongside the incredible women united by CHOICE. 

Material and Photo Courtesy of DAZN and Most Valuable Promotions Used with permission.

For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, Local start times in your area, and to subscribe please visit: www.DAZN.com.

The Boxing Truth®️ is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

A Historical Moment For The Sport Of Boxing: Taylor-Serrano

 

It is something that this observer has gotten used to saying as years have gone by, but yours truly has been writing about and covering the sport of Boxing for most of his life. In that time, I have seen plenty of things that I often refer to as “Black Eyes” in that it effects Boxing in negative ways. While obviously over the course of one’s journey covering the sport there are also plenty of good things that occur, I would be lying to the reader if I said that the negative elements that surround the sport do not get the majority of coverage throughout those of us in media that cover Boxing.

 

One thing that I personally saw as a negative from when I began writing in the mid-1990’s that I unfortunately saw continue for a lengthy period of time was the perception of how Women’s Boxing was viewed by many. Despite the fact that Women’s Boxing dates back as far as the1960’s, the female fighters in the sport did not get the opportunity to benefit from television exposure until the mid-1990’s when Christy Martin made a name for herself being showcased on Don King promoted cards, often on the undercard of marquee pay-per-view events, where more often than not Martin's bouts stole the show due in part to her crowd pleasing action style.

 

While it was seeing several of Martin's bouts that I saw in my youth in my early days as a writer that introduced me to Women’s Boxing and it was undeniable in my view what fighters like Christy Martin did for the sport for women and as I began trying to incorporate coverage of Women’s bouts, I kept hearing one consistent thing from many that would talk about the sport with me that frankly got under my skin. The perception that Women’s Boxing would never be taken as seriously as the sport is for men and that it was treated as a side show. Although I obviously disagreed with such statements/points of view, it was hard to make a case based largely on how the sport for women was showcased or lack thereof here on the United States as if you did not see a women’s bout showcased on a pay-per-view undercard, it was rare to see a women’s bout on network or cable television for years. With the rare exceptions of a Christy Martin bout or a Laila Ali bout for example, consistent television exposure for the women in the sport remained a struggle for years. An illustration of this was premium cable network HBO's refusal for many years to broadcast women’s bouts on their network beyond an obscene pay-per-view undercard bout. Sadly for HBO, the decision to finally showcase a women’s bout on their network would come in the final fight the network would broadcast before exiting the sport in 2018 after a forty-five year run broadcasting the sport.

 

HBO’s exit from the sport is a subject that will be debated for many years and even though it indisputable that several factors led to the network’s exit, the lack of consistently showcasing women’s bouts including its outright refusal to air women’s bouts on their network was at least one of those factors as it  eliminated the potential to increase their audience by opening the sport to new eyes that may not have been interested in Boxing otherwise. Such a reluctance by a network once regarded as one of the power players in the sport as well as very sporadic exposure for Women’s Boxing by other networks involved in Boxing seriously delayed the growth of the sport for women in this observer's eyes.

 

Out of respect for those who follow my coverage of the sport regularly, I will not do a rehash of the long overdue progress that the women of the sport have been able to make in the last several years, which thankfully has seen women’s bouts featured regularly on both traditional and digital streaming networks and featured in main event positions. This has been particularly noticeable here in the United States as it should be noted that women’s bouts have headlined Boxing cards also featuring men’s bouts for several years internationally.

 

The progress that has been made for the women who compete in the sport is undeniable however, and it was such progress that finally led to a truly historic moment for Boxing. This observer is referring to the April 30^th encounter for the Undisputed Women’s Lightweight championship of the world between undefeated longtime world champion Katie Taylor and seven-division world champion Amanda Serrano. What made this fight so historic beyond the true rarity of the consensus number one and two fighters in the sport meeting in the eyes of many, was it was the first time a women’s bout would headline a Boxing card in Madison Square Garden in over 140-year history of the historic venue through its various incarnations.

 

When I was first notified that the bout would take place and the circumstances of the location of the fight as well as the fact that it would be the main event, I immediately felt the anticipation that would accompany any major fight in the sport, whether it be a men’s bout or a women’s bout. As someone who has advocated for Women’s Boxing however, it was something that I looked forward to for the reason that it would finally bring long overdue recognition on arguably Boxing’s biggest stage to the women of the sport. While in the days prior to the fight I commented through social media platforms that I felt that fighters such as Christy Martin should have had the opportunity to headline a Boxing card in Madison Square Garden long ago, particularly because of the exposure Martin was able to give the sport for women, this was the right fight at the right time to break this barrier down for female fighters.

 

Not only did the bout between Taylor and Serrano bring together two world champions who are at the top of the sport, but it also showcased the evolution of Women’s Boxing in the sense that both women brought into the fight sizable fan followings and the sport overall is more mainstream in present day than it has ever been. The fight also pitted two highly skilled fighters against each other and that fact alone added intrigue to the historical significance of this fight.

 

With a crowd of over nineteen thousand spectators jammed into Madison Square Garden, Taylor and Serrano lived up to the anticipation and simply put on a show from the opening bell.  Although I always intended to cover this fight, I made the decision in the week or so prior to the bout taking place to sit and observe the atmosphere of the event and take it in though I was not in attendance at the venue simply known as “The Garden.” After many years of being questioned as to why I cover women’s bouts as well as men’s bouts and hearing the aforementioned points of view, I simply wanted to sit back and enjoy what I knew long ago what Women’s Boxing was capable of in drawing a sell out crowd in an iconic venue and producing an atmosphere and anticipation prior to the fight that was akin to any major fight that has taken place in the sport.

 

In the interest of honesty with the reader I will also admit that I did get emotional watching this fight for those reasons. The fight itself was also a reason for it as the two world champions showcased all the aspects that make Boxing great. While the current Featherweight world champion Amanda Serrano moved up two weight divisions for this fight, it was not surprising to see her try to cut the ring off from Taylor who spent the early rounds using lateral movement to maintain distance and combination punching to outwork Serrano. Despite being the naturally smaller fighter even though Serrano has made a career moving up and down through weight divisions with ease, it became clear early on that she had the edge in terms of punching power as whenever she landed punches, they tended to be flush and hurt Taylor.

 

It was not long before tactical Boxing gave way to a toe to toe battle in the middle rounds where Serrano got the better of the action including being able to have Taylor badly hurt in the fifth round with a barrage of offense that gave the appearance that the champion was on the verge of being stopped. The champion however, would respond surviving the onslaught and fighting back Over the course of the fight, both fighters would suffer cuts and for me personally, I began to have flashbacks of a fight in March 1996 between Christy Martin and Deirdre Gogarty, which took place on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s second bout with Frank Bruno. The bout between Martin and Gogarty was an all out war, but one that was only scheduled for six rounds. This bout between Taylor and Serrano was scheduled for the Women’s championship distance of ten rounds, but the action between the two reminded me of that encounter between Martin and Gogarty twenty-six years ago, which was also one of the first women’s bouts I covered in my early days as a writer.

 

Despite the ebb and flow seeming to favor Serrano after the offensive surge in the middle rounds, Taylor would respond in the closing rounds by reverting back slightly to looking to out box Serrano, which appeared at least in my eyes to turn things back around in her favor in a fight as she seemed to outwork Serrano in the closing rounds.  At the end of the ten round world championship bout received a standing ovation from the crowd inside Madison Square Garden.

 

As is the case with many women’s bouts due largely to the two minute length in rounds, I felt the fight was very close and could go either way. This was due to both fighters having significant periods where they were effective. When it comes to close fights it more often than not will boil down to what a judge prefers in their own criteria based on clean punching, effective aggressiveness, ring generalship, and defense that will determine who will get the nod in terms of scoring.

 

In this case, Taylor was effective in several rounds in being able to control distance with her lateral movement and combination punching. Serrano meanwhile was the consistent aggressor throughout much of the fight and landed the harder punches in my view. It became a question of whether Taylor’s movement and combination punching particularly in the early rounds as well as the closing rounds would be enough for her to retain her title. While I felt this fight could have gone either way and frankly expected to hear the official decision to be a draw based on these aspects and how close the fight was, at the end of the ten round world championship bout, I arrived with a scorecard of 95-93 in favor of Taylor as I felt her rally on the late rounds was enough to earn the decision.

 

Despite my point of view, it was no surprise to see a split decision rendered in this fight with Taylor getting the nod of two official judges in winning a hard fought decision to retain her undisputed crown. While some have expressed criticism of the decision, it was a fight that truly could have gone either way and as I said, even though I had Taylor ahead by what amounted to two rounds, I expected to hear that the fight was a draw.

 

An obvious question is whether a rematch will take place. Obviously, the old saying that more often than not applies to the sport of Boxing, “If it makes money, it makes sense” can be applied here. From my perspective a rematch is logical not only based on what took place in the ring, which frankly was one of the better fights I have seen or covered in recent memory, but also the historical significance of the event.

 

While I hope the progression for Women’s Boxing continues and will eventually include the implementation of three minute rounds, as was done for women’s bouts in the delayed 2020 Olympics as well as increasing the world championship round distance to twelve rounds, which would put Women’s Boxing on equal footing with the men who compete in the sport, in closing I would like to repeat what I said on social media shortly after the fight concluded.  Women’s Boxing take a bow and enjoy the overdue recognition the women of the sport have fought decades for.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

The Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.

 

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SuperWomen: A Win For Boxing

 

The bout between undefeated world champions Claressa Shields and Marie-Eve Dicaire to determine the Undisputed Women’s Jr. Middleweight world championship was more than merely a unification bout to determine an undisputed champion between two great fighters. This fight was a symbol of progress for the women of Boxing as a whole. After all, there are some who will say that the first time they were exposed to Women’s Boxing on television was during the early-mid 1990’s when Christy Martin made a name for herself competing on undercards of major Boxing events, many of which were broadcast on pay-per-view. Although Martin’s legacy as a trailblazer for women in the sport is more than secure after compiling a Hall of Fame career, the sport as a whole continued to struggle for consistent exposure on television particularly here in the United States. 

Credit: FITE 

 

When the decision was made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to sanction Women’s Boxing for the first time in the 2012 Summer Olympics, it opened a new opportunity for Women in the sport. As many know, Claressa Shields not only seized the opportunity, but arguably took the spotlight in both the 2012 and 2016 games by becoming the only Olympic boxer in the history of the United States to win consecutive gold medals. She then was able to benefit from the increased exposure upon turning professional in 2016. Along with the exposure Shields was able to receive came increased exposure for the entire sport of Women’s Boxing.

 

Over her professional career, Shields has built a resume of her own in becoming a three-division world champion in only ten pro bouts and completely unifying the 160lb. Middleweight division in the process. When Shields faced Marie-Eve Dicaire, she was chasing further Boxing history in attempting to become the first fighter male or female in the history of the sport to fully unify two weight classes. While this in itself was historic, it would come on a night where Women’s Boxing took center stage, as the main event of a pay-per-view card of all women’s bouts. 

 

What took place when Shields and Dicaire squared off in the ring at the Dort Financial Center in Shields’ hometown in Flint, MI on March 5^th was essentially what one would expect to see from a great fighter in a high stakes situation. For ten rounds, Shields put on a full demonstration of her Boxing skills. Whether it was her defense, combination punching, or just her overall skillset, this fight as much as any of her previous bouts as a professional or an amateur showed not only why many consider Shields the top Women’s fighter in the world, but also that her skills continue to evolve.

 

In previewing this fight, I stated that stylistically things seemed to favor Shields because of her tendency to be aggressive and apply pressure on her opponents. While this indeed was a key component of her strategy in this fight, what was impressive was how she essentially switched her approach throughout. Switched her approach not because her initial approach of aggression and pressure was unsuccessful, but as an added element that kept Dicaire from being able to find a rhythm. In simple terms, Shields did not do too much of only one aspect, but mixed every aspect together in near perfect execution. When she felt like forcing the fight on Dicaire, she did, when she wanted to primarily use defense and her counter punching to dictate the combat, she did. This strategy was effective to such a degree that Dicaire, a fighter who is most effective when she is able to use angles, lateral movement, and distance to execute her offense, was unable to settle down and let her hands go with consistency. Whether it was nerves in fighting for an undisputed championship for the first time in her career, a healthy respect for Shields’ skillset, Dicaire was not able to implement a similar approach as she has done previously in her career and this ultimately resulted in Shields winning every round on all three judges scorecards, winning a ten round unanimous decision to secure her second undisputed world championship in a second weight class after previously unifying the Middleweight division in her career.

 

Although much of the focus of this card and subsequently of this post-column centers on Claressa Shields and will conclude on the subject of where she goes after completely unifying two weight classes, the all-women’s event SuperWomen also featured three other bouts in the Bantamweight and Heavyweight divisions that also need discussion. The first of these bouts featured Bantamweight contender Marlen Esparza, who scored a six round unanimous decision over Shelly Barnett.

 

Esparza, who is a former world title challenger having suffered her lone career defeat in that challenge to undefeated WBA Flyweight champion Seneisa Estrada in November 2019, has worked her way back into world title contention as she is currently the WBC’s top contender in the Flyweight division. Esparza however, has shown she is a contender in both the 112lb. Flyweight division and the 118lb. Bantamweight division as she outworked veteran Shelly Barnett over the six round distance to win a unanimous decision. While it is not uncommon in Women’s Boxing to see fighters move between weight classes on a per fight basis depending on what opportunities may be available to them, Esparza is the current mandatory challenger for current WBC world champion Ibeth Silva and it is logical barring things like potential injuries or anything related to the ongoing global COVID-19 epidemic, that Esparza will likely look to challenge Silva in the near future if a potential world championship opportunity in the Bantamweight division is not an option at the present time.

 

The second Bantamweight bout that took place on the SuperWomen event featured undefeated rising contender Jamie Mitchell facing veteran Noemi Bosques. This fight was controlled by Mitchell, who’s harder punches and ring generalship gradually wore a “Game”, but ultimately over matched Bosques before the bout was stopped in the fifth round giving Mitchell her sixth career victory in eight professional bouts.

 

In Mitchell’s eight career bouts, she has fought to two draws. One of those draws came against perhaps her best known opponent thus far Britain Hart in August 2019. Hart as many know recently scored a five round unanimous decision over MMA star Paige VanZant, in a fight fought under Bareknuckle Boxing rules in the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). Much like more opportunities are opening up for women in traditional Boxing, the idea of the women who competed on this card potentially competing in Bareknuckle Boxing should not be dismissed as Bareknuckle Boxing has re-emerged in the last decade in various forms and is seeing continuing growth around the world. Perhaps a potential bout for Mitchell off of her victory over Bosques could be a rematch with Hart fought under either traditional or Bareknuckle rules.

 

As Women’s Boxing has increased in exposure, among the the weight classes that have been able to take advantage of the exposure has been the Heavyweight division. The final preliminary bout that took place prior to Claressa Shields’ bout with Marie-Eve Dicaire was a Heavyweight rematch between undefeated Danielle Perkins and Monika Harrison. A rematch from last August that was fought in the Cruiserweight division, Perkins successfully made her professional debut on that evening by scoring a four round unanimous decision over Harrison. Now in her third bout this time fought at Heavyweight, Perkins saw similar results in her second encounter with Harrison as she experienced in her pro debut. Perkins out worked Harrison over six rounds to earn a convincing unanimous decision victory. If there was a slight difference between this fight and their first meeting last year, it appeared in the second half of this rematch that if Perkins opted to apply more pressure on Harrison, she may have been able to get a stoppage as Harrison appeared to struggle in the latter stages of the bout.

 

It is hard to necessarily say a fighter with only three professional bouts is ready for a potential world title shot. While in most cases this is true when discussing Men’s Boxing, it’s important to keep in mind that Women’s Boxing is still very much a sport that is growing in both the traditional and Bareknuckle forms. As such, it is not hard to envision Perkins possibly getting a shot at a world championship in the Heavyweight division in the near future depending on whether an opportunity for a championship bout exists. One should also consider that Perkins rematch against Harrison was for the Women’s WBC Silver championship in the Heavyweight division. While such championships are not held in high regard throughout the entire sport, in reality, the silver championship grants the holder of it a higher position in the WBC’s rankings in a given weight class. When one also factors into the equation that the WBC’s Women’s world championship in the Heavyweight division is currently vacant, the idea of Perkins fighting for a world championship sooner than later should be viewed as a very real possibility.

 

  While the future for the fighters who were able to shine on the SuperWomen undercard is unknown as of this writing as to potential future bouts, so too are questions regarding what Claressa Shields will do next. Shields, who in recent months made her intentions to venture into the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) clear by signing with the Professional Fighters League (PFL) MMA promotion revealed after her victory over Marie-Eve Dicaire that she intends to make her MMA debut as well as box again later this year. 

 

Although this may be viewed as a difficult task to accomplish particularly in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, it’s clear that Shields wants to compete and do so often. It should also not be overlooked that for a fighter who has thus far been dominant in her sport, she is challenging herself by testing the waters in a different combat sport while maintaining her position as the focal point in the view of many for Women’s Boxing.

 

In terms of who she might fight in her next bout, a danger with a fighter being able to achieve as much as Shields has in now only eleven fights is the idea of having accomplished everything possible. It is certainly true that after fully unifying two weight divisions and becoming a three-division world champion overall that Shields’ legacy in what will be a Hall of Fame resume is secure. There are still possibilities for her in the sport and one should not view the possibility of her going back up to the 168lb. Super-Middleweight division where she also holds a world championship to attempt to unify a third weight division as unrealistic.

 

While we will have to see what the future holds for Claressa Shields outside of her venture into MMA, which may include facing world champions in lower weight classes, or maybe even venturing into the Bareknuckle realm of the sport, it’s clear that Women’s Boxing has definitely come a long way and the SuperWomen event was a win for Boxing as a whole, but more importantly, a testament to the progress that has been made for Women competing in the sport. Something that has been long overdue.

 

“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”

 

Promotional poster Courtesy of FITE TV Used with permission.

 

To watch the  SuperWomen Shields vs. Dicaire pay-per-view on demand for $29.99 download the FITE app on mobile, tablet, or connected streaming devices and Smart TVs or visit: https://www.fite.tv/watch/shields-vs-dicaire/2p8qn/ to order. For more information about FITE including schedules and list of compatible streaming devices/platforms, and Smart TVs, please visit: www.FITE.TV.

 

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