Female Boxing A Fixture On World Sports Scene

We all must come to grips with reality. Women are doing it all today.

They are engineers, they are construction workers, they are car mechanics, they operate heavy machinery. All over the world they are rising to prominence. In politics, a number of nations now have a female head of state. Hillary Clinton, the junior senator from New York might capture the Democratic Party’s nomination and go on to become the next president of the great United States.

Women head some of the major business boardrooms. It could be argued that Oprah Winfrey is the most noticeable person in television and one of the most recognized in the world.

Why shouldn’t women box?

Is female boxing unseemly?

Laura Serrano doesn’t think so.

We met at the World Boxing Council’s "Night of Champions" extravaganza February in Cancun Mexico and despite having fought for 12 years and approaching the big 40 (she will be 39 on October 20) she in no way looks the worst for wear. In fact, she looks incredibly fit and can easily pass for a fair Mexican damsel in her 20s.

She is a true female boxing pioneer and the former lightweight and featherweight champion is one of a growing number of exciting women fighters. She goes into the ring again on April 1, against Tracy Bird.

Serrano is your perfect example as to why there is absolutely nothing wrong with female boxing. In any profession, there will be men and women falling through the cracks. That’s the way of the world, some survive very well, some live life on an average basis, others have borderline existences and then there are those who fail in life at whatever they do.

That’s the kind of balance that humanity must relate to.

No longer can we tell women ‘you can’t do this or you can’t do that’ and sound reasonable. They have really earned the right to do whatever they wish to under the parameter of the rule of law.

Serrano would not do anything different.

"Everything has been wonderful even when you think of the money (which has not been particularly plentiful for women boxers, with few exceptions). Even with the big obstacles I have had to overcome as a female fighter, everything has been great because boxing has enabled me to be a better person to reach a higher level of maturity, to meet more people. It has been good," she said.

Admittedly the ring has not brought her richness but she recognizes that she has been and still is a part of the developing process of women’s boxing, helping to lay the foundation for future meaningful purses for fighters other than light heavyweight champion Laila Ali and a few others. Her ring record is a healthy one of 15 wins (five knockouts) two defeats and two draws.

There is no envy in Serrano. She readily acknowledged the positive impact Ali has had on the sport of female boxing.

"Laila in my opinion, has helped women boxing a lot because of her name, the same as her famous father (Muhammad Ali, the great one). She has helped also because of her skills. She is a great fighter in her weight class and good for the game," said Serrano.

Is she happy with the state of female boxing?

"Yes, it is good. I mean it can be better, with the money, but like I said before there are lots of positive things about boxing, like building good characters. I like it. I am 38 but I will fight for at least one more year," she said.

Hopefully within that period another championship opportunity will come Serrano’s way. But whether it does or not, her legacy is intact. She stands right up there with the Christy Martins, the Monica Lovatos, and yes the Laila Alis and others who have made and continue to make valuable contributions to female boxing.

They are a good mix, going about the business of providing quality ring showmanship and entertainment.

Continued best

wishes to all of them and their associates!