The World Boxing Council, one of the four major organizations which sanctions championship boxing matches, has decided to shorten women's professional bouts ... because of periods.
In a statement published on its website, the Mexico City-based non-profit said its first World Female Convention unanimously decided to shorten championship bouts from 12 rounds to just 10 after several detailed medical studies claimed a woman's menstrual cycle has tremendous impact on the female body.
At the same time the WBC decided individual rounds should last no longer than two minutes, as opposed to the three-minute rounds of men's competition because women are more prone to suffering concussions than men.
Menstruation was given as one of four key reasons why women's boxing matches should not last as long as men's, a list based on "several facts ... reported during the convention which are of total concern."
The change from three-minute rounds to two-minute rounds brings the professional women's game in line with amateur boxing, including Olympic boxing, where both men and women fight shorter rounds.
The WBC said that any promoter staging 12-round fights for women ran the risk of fighters suffering "severe injuries" and that it would refuse to sanction any women's fight lasting more than 10 rounds.
"Several facts were reported during the convention which are of total concern regarding any changes of the 10 x 2 female boxing matches," the statement said.
"A female fighter used to fight 10 x 2 which is 20 minutes, would need tremendous effort to adjust to 12 x 3 which is 36 minutes."
The WBC said the decision is not discrimination but based upon "established medical and safety facts."
The WBC said the decision is not discrimination but based upon "established medical and safety facts."
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