Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano Disagree Over Rounds
Amanda Serrano [42(30)-1-1-] wants to spend as much time as possible in the ring with Katie Taylor [20(6)-0] – and has called for both longer and more rounds when the pair meet in New York on April 30.
The Puerto Rican born born, New York based fighter wants the greatest female of all time to play out over 12 three-minute rounds.
The decorated duo make history when they meet for the undisputed women’s lightweight title in just over two months’ time.
They will become the first women to ever headline a boxing show at the historic Madison Square Garden, but Serrano believes they could go one further in terms of making it an icon fight by matching up with the men and agreeing to do 12x3s.
“I’m a woman for equality. If Katie Taylor’s willing, I’m ready and willing to make this 12 rounds of three minutes [each],” she said. “If we want to make change… [Let’s do] the same as the men,” Serrano said in London today.
Irish Icon Taylor doesn’t feel any changes are needed for the fight to make an impact.
“I don’t really feel like that will make a huge change. The fight is already iconic the way it is,” she responded
When Serrano again put forward her proposal, stating, “I think we need to make a stand,” Taylor responded by saying: “I think we’re already making a stand.”
Serrano has fought in three minute rounds before in New York State and at the Barclays Center and Taylor has previously been open to the idea.
Speaking previously Taylor said: “I’m happy to go three-minute rounds. If you had three-minute rounds you would have a better chance of stopping these girls, for sure. It does make for a different fight as well. We spar three-minute rounds all the time.”
Taylor’s trainer Ross Enamait elaborated that “to knock the girls out you’re going to have to break them down to the body, and when you have an extra minute that’s a lot more time to get those fatigue stoppages.”
Currently, women fight two-minute-long rounds, with world title fights taking place over ten rounds. By comparison, men fight in three-minute long rounds, with world title fights taking place over twelve rounds – a scheduled distance 16 minutes longer than women.
Indeed, a woman’s world title fight is less than seven rounds of men’s professional boxing.
Notably, in mixed martial arts, women and men fight in an identical format with major governing body UFC – 3×5 minutes for non-title fights and 5×5 minutes for title fights.
In 2017, amateur boxing switched to 3Ă—3 minute rounds for women, moving in line with the men after years of fights taking place over 4Ă—2 minute rounds.
