Even after the 2022 Fight of the Year between Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, there remained debate about equal pay and equal time for women's boxing.
In April 2022, Taylor and Serrano main evented at Madison Square Garden. They made seven figures for the bout, unheard of in women’s boxing at the time, and put on a historic fight that changed the game for women's boxing.
It was the start of something that will hopefully continue down the line. However, the discourse over the topic carries on into 2023 as we head to Taylor's fight against undisputed super lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron on May 20.
Since Taylor vs. Serrano, women's boxing has seen a huge boost in support. There have also been other fights that have blown the roof off several state-of-the-art venues. Claressa Shields vs. Savannah Marshall, Alycia Baumgardner vs. Mikaela Mayer, Cameron vs. Jessica McCaskill, and Serrano vs. Erika Cruz to name a few,
WATCH: Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron, live on DAZN
Taylor, Serrano, and Shields are helping lead the way, but one factor still in question is equal time. Women’s boxing is known for going 10 two-minute rounds in championship fights instead of the 12 three-minute rounds for men.
It is a topic that has caused debate among fighters, promotors, medical professionals, and commissions. That is especially true when female MMA fighters compete in five-minute rounds.
Claressa Shields, the undisputed middleweight champion, has been a major advocate for three-minute rounds. The "G.W.O.A.T." has attempted to convince the governing bodies that there needs to be a change.
"I care about the sport and I know for a fact that [round and fight length] is why we don't get paid like the men and also why women's boxing is not considered on the same level as men's boxing," Shields told Yahoo Sports. "We don't even go three minutes. Like, forget the 12 rounds, but we don't even box three-minute rounds.
"A lot of fans have said to me that they feel like they're being cheated out of our fights because they're two minutes. They want to see their favorite fighter get knockouts, they want to see their favorite fighter look smart and have enough time to execute, and two minutes is not enough time."
MORE: Who are the reigning women's undisputed boxing champions?
Is there just cause for the women not getting a fair share of the time? The Sporting News looks into the debate to see if there are conclusions that could make the case for or against three-minute rounds.
What science and research say about 2 vs 3-minute rounds in women's boxing
The WBC, led by Mauricio Sulaiman, has been against three-minute rounds for women's boxing. Research provided by his team states that women are at a greater risk compared to men.
There are other studies out there that may explain why three-minute rounds should or should not be the norm.
The research is split.
In 2020, a study published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine concluded, per DAZN, “female athletes appear to sustain more severe concussions than male athletes, due in part to a lower biomechanical threshold tolerance for head impacts.”
However, a December 2021 case study examining 23 athletes found no such link. That study found that while head trauma impacted men and women differently, there was no significant difference in terms of impact magnitude.
MORE: Top 10 greatest female boxers
In a study by the Brain Injury Association of America, traumatic brain injury in women was handled differently compared to men. Women expressed greater intention to report sports-related concussions and are more frequent to report headaches and nausea/vomiting. Men, however, have a higher incidence rate of TBI compared to women through adulthood.
Dr. Patrick Hof, the Irving and Dorothy Regenstreif Research Professor of Neuroscience in the Nash Family Department of Neuroscience at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, was interviewed in 2015. A case in the 90s, titled "punch drunk,” showed that more research was needed to determine if the brains of females needed longer to heal to avoid CTE or other drastic post-concussion symptoms. However, there was not enough research on CTE and women in sports (at that time, at least).
What Taylor, Serrano, other fighters say about 2 vs. 3-minute rounds
Serrano has been an advocate for three-minute rounds in the past. She even asked Taylor about making their fight three minutes during a press conference.
“We’re making the biggest payday, both of us,” Serrano stated, via Boxing Scene. “I think we should continue to make this fight iconic, make [changes] in this game. If Katie Taylor is willing, I’m ready and able to make this an equal fight: 12 rounds, three minutes… This is about equality and we should make the change right now. So, Katie, you up for it?”
Taylor, who fought in highly-contested bouts inside MSG before Serrano, stated it would not make a difference in their fight. It was a close bout, one that could have potentially ended in either the fifth or sixth thanks to Serrano's clubbing blows. However, Taylor would go on to win via split decision.
MORE: Breaking down Katie Taylor's inspirational story and her impact in boxing
Speaking with The Sporting News before the fight, Taylor went on to say, “I think the two-minute round is very high tempo and very fast-paced. That makes for a very exciting fight. With three-minute rounds, they say there will be a lot more knockouts. Sometimes I don't think there will be. Look at the lighter weights in men’s boxing. There’s very few knockouts because you don’t punch hard enough.”
The idea has been tested before.
Seniesa Estrada fought Marlen Esparza in 2019 for the interim WBA flyweight title. They requested the fight be three-minute rounds, and Golden Boy complied. It was a great fight that brought awareness to the topic. Outside of the WBC, the WBA, along with other sanctioning bodies, is looking at other research regarding the timing of rounds.
Boxing Scene senior writer Jake Donovan told The Sporting News that he agrees with Serrano's sentiment and stated that the commissions need to talk to the sanctioning bodies because all need to be on board. The New York Athletic Commission in this case would have had to approve something like that for Taylor and Serrano.
The California State Athletic Commission found documents against the WBC's position. CSAC’s Andy Foster was open to something between Estrada and Tenkai Tsunami in 2021, provided the WBO and fighters approved it. Tsunami did not approve, so those rules never materialized for the bout.
Joining those on the quest for change is Mikaela Mayer.
MORE: 'Undisputed' makes history with playable women's boxers
The former WBO, IBF, and Ring Magazine super-featherweight champion told The Sporting News, “I do think we should do three-minute rounds. It is the next step. The talent pool and the level of skill are up there enough now that women should be granted three-minute rounds. It will separate the good from the great and allow us to showcase more of our skills. More knockouts and more excitement can come from it. Think about how fights can change in the second half. That’s when your discipline and conditioning sets in. I think women deserve that chance.
“What does it take? All of the governing bodies need to get on the same page. It just can’t be, ‘Hey girl, let’s make a statement, and let’s go three-minute rounds for this fight.’ No, we deserve to have it equal across the board, to be compensated properly for our work. We need everyone to be on the same page. That is up to the governing bodies.”
Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn is an advocate for women in boxing. He told The Sporting News that maybe three-minute rounds could be utilized for more established fighters. He was OK with a fast-paced style, which grabs people's attention. Young prospect Skye Nicolson is on the fence with two vs. three-minute rounds but told The Sporting News it does not quite make sense as to why it has not been discussed further.
Another sports figure who believes a change is possible is Sky Sports Boxing's Adam Smith. He told Sportsmail that a majority of women's boxers want to see it, and there must be financial improvements in women's boxing if a change in time was made.
“There is definitely scope to do it. I obviously talk to the female fighters a great deal and the majority - I would say 70-80% - are in favor of moving to three-minute rounds,” Smith said via Daily Mail. “I think they want parity. I think they see the men fight 12 three-minute rounds. The only thing I can say and I'm not a doctor, but maybe [it can't happen] if there is any medical reasons why the male and female body are different.
“It is about moving towards parity. If we can move to 12 3-minute rounds and everyone is in favor I think it would be great. I have spoken to Robert Smith at the British Boxing Board and they are very much in favor. It is up to what the women want ultimately, but there are governing bodies.”
😳 "If you want to pay us peanuts, I'll stick to 10x2."
— Sporting News Fights (@sn_fights) August 19, 2022
✊️ @ramlaali weighs in on the 12x3 debate in women's boxing. #UsykJoshua2 pic.twitter.com/IUfhBe7YCu
Will women's boxing have three-minute rounds?
There are mixed reviews when it comes to two vs. three-minute rounds with compelling arguments on each side. While two-minute rounds can make for some entertaining moments, three-minute rounds could be a true catalyst for change and bring in more viewers.
Can anything be done about it?
MORE: Breaking down Katie Taylor's boxing career
Women's boxing is as hot as it has ever been, with more opportunities for growth compared to what trailblazers like Christy Martin, Laila Ali, and even Cecilia Braekhus dealt with in their day. Still, today's fighters need support now more than ever, whether it be equal time or equal pay.
"We, as athletes, always knew how good it was at its highest level," Natasha Jonas told ESPN. "We just needed the world to see it, the fans to see it, the platform to be on, the support financially in order to be committed."
Only time will tell based on the commission, along with more research. With enough data out in the open, perhaps something can be done. Until then, fast-paced fights will continue to be the norm.
