What Impact Will Paris Olympics Have for Pro Boxing and More News 

 

By David A. Avila

As the Paris Olympics remain in full gear it’s a subtle reminder that women were first allowed to participate in Olympic boxing only 12 years ago.

Change has come but not as much as hoped.

In that first Olympic class for women Queen Underwood, Marlen Esparza and Claressa Shields represented Team USA and two earned medals. Both Shields and Esparza later joined the pro ranks and won world titles.

I remember talking to all three prior to the London Olympics while reporting for Ring Magazine. It was exciting times for the women who prior to 2012 were not allowed to participate in the Olympics though they lobbied hard.

Shields has emerged as the top female fighter pound-for-pound and just recently became the third five-division world champion. She joins a rarified list that includes Amanda Serrano with seven-division titles and Japan’s Naoko Fujioka with five.

After a dozen years women’s boxing has made advances. But this year it seems the number of female matches shown on television or streaming networks diminished. Two years ago, it seemed to peak when a card featuring an all-women card including four top female fighters took place in London. For whatever reason, since then, opportunities to showcase top female fighters has ebbed.

What happened?

On that last significant showcase promoted by Boxxer, that featured Alycia Baumgardner versus Mikaela Mayer; and Shields versus Savannah Marshall, it was expected to open doors for more all-female cards. More than 2 million people watched the fight card, according to Sky Sports. And more than 20,000 bought tickets at the O2 Arena in London.

Apparently, that fight card did not spark more success.

Though the numbers of viewers seem more than adequate, for some reason no promoter has attempted to duplicate it.

 

Top Performers

Most of the top fighters in women’s boxing have fought this year. Katie Taylor, the best- selling fighter, has not engaged so far in 2024. But her scheduled July fight against Amanda Serrano was postponed. It will now take place in November.

No one sells more tickets than Ireland’s Taylor as seen in her two contests against Chantelle Cameron that took place in Dublin, Ireland last year. Attendance exceeded more than 50,000 each card. The Irish 2012 Olympic gold medalist is the top or one of the top earners in women’s boxing.

Serrano just performed in front of a crowd hovering around 18,000. Her partnership with Jake Paul has become a lucrative arrangement and has produced excellent exposure for women’s boxing. Serrano shares the wealth and has a protégé in Krystal Rosario who just performed this past weekend in Florida.

Exposure is everything.

This coming November, in Texas, expect Serrano and Taylor to meet again in a rematch of their record-setting event that took place in New York City in April 2022. Clash number two could exceed their previous record in pay-per-views and attendance.

Other 2024 top performers were Seniesa Estrada and Yokasta Valle who fought each other in the co-main event this past March in Phoenix to more than 7,000 fans. Their fight for the undisputed minimumweight world championship was shown on ESPN and could be the Fight of the Year.

It’s been a very slow year for women’s boxing in terms of actual exposure. Many promotion companies with women in their ranks seem to be holding back. Mexico, in particular, has really scaled back in televising female fights.

Will this year’s Olympics boost women’s boxing?

A dozen years after female boxing made its inaugural appearance in the Olympics, the needle has moved up a few notches but exposure is still the name of the game. Promoters could do more. The talent is out there.

 

More Fight News

Australia

Mariah Turner (6-1) knocked out Sawanya Srisawat (6-3) in the sixth round on Thursday July 25. The featherweight fight took place in Woolloongabba.

 

Colombia

Elise Soto (5-0) knocked out Julia Cassiani (5-2) in the second round on Saturday July 26. The featherweight fight took place in Cucuta.

Sofia Rebolledo (5-1) knocked out Winnyar Lopez (1-9) in the second round on Saturday July 26. The super bantamweight bout took place in San Juan de Uraba. Also, flyweight Paola Rincon (8-3) knocked out Mileydis Mercado (0-4) in one; and light flyweight Dari Hernandez (2-1) knocked out Melissa Banquet (0-2) in two.

On Monday July 29, welterweights Bexcy Mateus (5-0) and Katerin Tobon (4-2-1) meet eight rounds at Santa Marta.

 

Czech Republic

On Saturday Aug. 3, flyweights Fabiana Bytyqi (20-1-2) and Judit Hachbold (5-19) meet six rounds at Usti nad Labem.

 

France

On Saturday Aug. 3, flyweights Clothilde Del Ben (6-3) and Ayisat Oriyomi (6-0) meet six rounds at Gargesles Gonesse.

 

Ireland

Cheyanne O’Neill (2-0-1) won by decision after six rounds versus Tessa van Stenus (1-2) on Friday July 26. The welterweight match was held in Dublin.

 

Japan

Honoka Kano (8-1-2) beat Mont Blanc Miki (6-7-1) in six rounds on Monday July 22. The Japanese atomweight title fight was held in Tokyo.

 

New Zealand

Emma Nesbitt (4-1) defeated Laite Nanovu (0-2) by knockout in the third round on Thursday July 25. The light flyweight fight was held in Auckland.

 

Philippines

Althea Shine Pores (5-0-1) defeated Maria Pinili (6-1) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday July 27. The light flyweight fight was held in Tagbilaran City.

 

South Korea

Hye Su Jang (3-0) defeated Joo Young Kim (1-1) by decision after four rounds on Saturday July 27. The flyweight fight was held in Incheon.

 

Spain

Cathaysa Delgado (6-0) won by decision after six rounds versus Evelin Camporeale (3-14-1) on Saturday July 27. The super bantamweight fight was held in Palma de Mallorca.

 

Thailand

Iesha Auyeung (2-0) knocked out Kodchakon Thiai (0-1) in the sixth round on Sunday July 28. The bantamweight match was held in Pathum Thani. Also, Pornpimon Pongpaew (4-3) knocked out Ratchanee Boonmee (0-5) in the fourth round of a light flyweight fight.

Balaussa Muzdiman (5-0) knocked out Jittamat Phomta (5-5) in the first round on Thursday July 25. The bantamweight fight was held in Bangkok. Also, minimumweight Chutinan Khonghoi (5-5) knocked out Sukanya Wangarsa (1-6) in two; light flyweight Jianping Ouyang (6-1-1) beat Natthanan Sangiachit (3-1) in six; and super bantamweight Amonrat Mitsiriwat (1-0) won by split decision over Somwang Sawinchai (4-12-1) after four.

 

United Kingdom

Raven Chapman (9-0) won by unanimous decision over Yohana Sarabia (10-1) on Saturday July 27. The featherweight fight was held in London.

Jordan Barker (8-3) beat Katherine Quintana (0-30-1) in six rounds on Saturday July 27. The super lightweight match was held in Houghton le Spring.

Jayne Bardauskas (1-0) beat Kerry Orton (0-11) in six on Saturday July 27. The lightweight match was held in Sheffield.

On Saturday Aug. 3, lightweights Caroline Dubois (9-0) and Maira Moneo (14-1) meet 10 rounds for IBO title at Barnsley.

 

USA

Claressa Shields (15-0) knocked out Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (7-2) in two rounds on Saturday July 27. The light heavyweight and heavyweight world title match took place in Detroit, Michigan. Also, super lightweight Samantha Worthington (9-0) knocked out Edina Kiss (16-21) in the second round; plus heavyweight Danielle Perkins (5-0) beat Christianne Fahey (2-2) in six.

Stephanie Han (9-0) defeated Miranda Reyes (7-3-1) in eight rounds on Saturday July 27. The lightweight match was held in El Paso, Texas. Also, flyweight Yadira Bustillos (10-1) beat Amy Salinas (6-6) in eight.

Hannah Rapp (3-0) beat Jessica Radtke (1-1) in four rounds on Saturday July 27. The super featherweight fight was held in Wittenberg, Wisconsin.

Iyana Verduzco (2-0) defeated Colleen Davis (3-2-1) by decision after six rounds on Friday July 26. The featherweight match was held in Commerce, Calif. Also, super bantamweight Chantel Navarro (1-0) beat Wildalys Rivera (0-3) in four.

Krystal Rosado-Ortiz (4-0) knocked out Veronika Dmitriyeva (1-2) in four rounds on Friday July 26. The bantamweight fight was held in Orlando, Florida.

Stacia Suttles (1-0) beat Kalindra Faria (1-2) by knockout in the first round on Friday July 26. The super lightweight fight was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey.