Women’s boxing – should three-minute rounds be in place or not? This is an interesting subject and some female fighters, Claressa Shields for example, believe it should be three-minute rounds for them, the same as it is for the men. Shields actually told DAZN in a recent interview that if she boxed three-minute rounds she would be entitled to ask for equal pay as far as what the male fighters get compared to the women.
Yet others feel two-minute rounds are “safer” when it comes to women’s boxing. WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman went on record a couple of years or so ago as saying two-minute rounds for women fighters is “safety not sexism.” Yet to swing it back round again, some people – fighters, fans, promoters, argue how two-minute rounds do not allow a professional fighter to adequately get going, to pace a round, to set traps. It’s all over in a blur, with the action often just heating up only for the bell to end the round.
Christy Martin, the first star of women’s boxing, was kind enough to give this writer her take on whether or not women’s boxing should have three-minute rounds or stay where it is with two-minute sessions.
“You know, that’s a tough question,” Christy said on the subject of two-minute or three-minute rounds. “I guess I’m kind of on the opposite side of most of the female fighters. I actually fought three-minute rounds, when I first turned pro, back in 1989. Up until the time I signed with Don King, I fought three-minute rounds. I think with two-minute rounds there’s no excuse, you should be throwing punches right to the bell. So I do think a two-minute round can make the women’s fight more entertaining because there’s so much action that can happen in those two minutes.
“If we take women fighters to three-minute rounds, where after four or six fights we then want to put them in 10 and 12-round fights, they’re just not ready for that. So I feel it would have the reverse effect if women’s boxing goes to three-minute rounds. Because after ten pro fights or less we’re having women fighting for a world title, so with less than ten fights, I don’t think there are a lot of women who have enough stamina, enough experience, to go three-minute rounds in a ten or 12-round fight. That’s just my opinion, maybe I’m wrong. But if the female fighters who are out there today, if they think going an extra minute is going to change their purse, I’m going to say they’re wrong. It’s not gonna help you get paid more. What helps you get paid more is when the fans go nuts because your fight is so exciting and so entertaining, so they can’t wait to see you fight again.”
Some excellent points from “The Coal Miner’s Daughter,” don’t you agree? Or maybe YOU think women’s boxing should have three-minute rounds?