In contrast to the 12-round championship distance for men, women’s fights now average two minutes with ten rounds. Three-minute rounds should be used in women’s boxing, according to trailblazer Jane Couch from Lancashire, who will be admitted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
“Even in my day, three-minute rounds was always around. Layla McCarter boxed 12 threes a few times in Vegas. So I think if you want equality then you should be doing the same really and if you want the same sort of money and the same status as the men,” said Couch in media reports.
“When Layla was boxing in America she would regularly box three-minute rounds and sanctioning bodies backed her. I just don’t see why there can’t be three-minute rounds when everyone’s banging the drum for equality, well then do it,” she added.
Couch(28-11, 9KOs), a five-time world champion has a wealth of knowledge on the topic since she forced women’s boxing to become lawful in the UK by winning her legal case against the British Boxing Board of Control.
“I mean [now] it’s not illegal to box three-minute rounds. If both opponents agree to three-minute rounds [do it]. I’ve got it here, now I’ve got it legal so get pushing it forward and moving it on,” said Couch.
Couch left behind a legacy that includes the thriving status of women’s boxing in the UK. For her, getting admitted into the Hall of Fame represents the ultimate validation of the struggles she had during her 14-year career as a boxer, which came to an end in 2008.
“I still can’t really believe it now. It’s amazing. It made up for all the hard times really, I think. It was just thinking to yourself well you got the MBE for services to boxing and now you’re in the Hall of Fame, even though they wouldn’t let you box, it’s sort of like a victory,” said Couch.
“I was trying to tell everybody all those years ago that women’s boxing was big. They just wouldn’t listen. I was right all along,” she added.
Now that female boxing is becoming more popular, it’s time to bring Jane Couch back into the fold and see what the first female boxing champion has to say about the sport she helped build.
