Amanda Serrano has long been an advocate for women fighting three-minute rounds, as is the standard for men’s fights.
With that in mind, the card she tops this weekend will be an opportunity to show just what the future might look like for women’s boxing.
Serrano’s defense of her unified featherweight titles against Reina Tellez - which headlines Saturday’s DAZN show from Coliseo Roberto Clemente in San Juan, Puerto Rico - will be her third fight with three-minute rounds.
In addition to Serrano-Tellez, the WBA lightweight title fight between Stephanie Han and Holly Holm, plus the six-round bout between Krystal Rosado-Ortiz and Tania Walters will also have rounds scheduled for three minutes.
Serrano believes that the argument for equal pay begins with equal work.
“Because we want change for the future. I’ve been in the game for 17 years, and I want these women to get the equality, get the bigger pay days, get recognition, and get platforms,” said Serrano, 47-4-1 (31 KOs), who fought three-minute rounds in her 2023 shutout of Danila Ramos in Orlando, and 2017 blowout of Marilyn Hernandez, whom she stopped in the final minute of the opening round of a fight that might have gotten out of the first round if they were fighting just two-minute rounds.
“These women, as amateurs, they’re fighting three minutes, so why not do it as a pro? They have to change their whole game plan. They have to change their whole game and style to become professionals, but I just think it’s better for us women to be able to display our skills and our knockout power.”
Tellez, 22, of San Antonio, Texas, will be fighting for the first time with three-minute rounds, while also fighting for the first time in a 10-round scheduled bout. The unbeaten but largely untested fighter acknowledges that she is entering unknown territory in this fight.
“I would just like to put the work in, that’s it. It’s my first time for 10 rounds and first time for three minutes so it’s going to be something new that I experience in my life,” said Tellez, 13-0-1 (5 KOs).
While promoter Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which is headed by Jake Paul and Nakisa Bidarian, have been supportive of pushing for ring length equality, not everyone in boxing’s establishment has been on board. The World Boxing Council has refused to sanction women’s bouts scheduled for three-minute rounds, which add an additional 10 minutes of combat to each title fight if scheduled for 10, citing a study by the non-profit organization PINK Concussions, which states that women are more at risk for brain injury than men. As a result, Serrano, Chantelle Cameron and Alycia Baumgardner - all of whom are promoted by MVP - have vacated WBC titles in recent months.
Baumgardner was the undisputed world champion at 130lbs prior to vacating the WBC belt. She engaged in her first 12-threes championship contest earlier this month, outpointing Leila Beaudoin to retain the IBF, WBO and WBA titles.
Holm, who had been the face of women’s boxing during the 2000s before becoming a mixed martial arts champion in the UFC, says that she is accustomed to fighting five-minute rounds in MMA, and had always trained three-minute rounds for boxing. She says she is looking forward to putting in the same work in an actual boxing fight.
“Coming into this fight and being able to experience three-minute rounds in an actual boxing fight – I’m excited for it.”
Han, 11-0 (3 KOs), will be making her second title defense, but the first one with three-minute rounds. The El Paso, Texas resident views it as a challenge - to the notion that women aren’t as ambitious or durable as men.
“We’re showing that women are just as capable as men, and we can definitely put on a show,” said Han. “Why not show that we’re just as strong?”
Ryan Songalia is a reporter and editor for BoxingScene.com and has written for ESPN, the New York Daily News, Rappler, The Guardian, Vice and The Ring magazine. He holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at ryansongalia@gmail.com or on Twitter at @ryansongalia.
