‘Girls need to stick together’

Boxing champions Ebanie Bridges and Amanda Serrano were among those to rip over its policies regarding transgender female fighters and their participation against women.

USA Boxing says a fighter who transitioned from male to female can compete in the female category under several conditions spelled out in the rulebook:

The boxer identifies as a female and has completed gender reassignment surgery. The fighter has undergone quarterly hormone testing and gives the organization documentation of hormone levels for a minimum of four years. The fighter’s testosterone levels have been below 5 nanomoles per liter 48 months before their first fight, the fighter’s total testosterone level must remain below 5 nmol/L through their eligibility to compete against females and the conditions will be monitored and tested at the fighter’s expense with a 12-month suspension for failing to meet the standards.

Bridges, who has about the idea of fighting a trans woman, was outraged about USA Boxing’s decision.

Ebanie Bridges during a press conference at Aspire, Leeds. Picture date: Thursday December 8, 2022. (Tim Goode/PA Images via Getty Images)

“This is wrong on so many levels,” the former IBF bantamweight champion wrote on X. “I will never agree to this… it’s bad enough having trans women breaking records in other sports like track and field, swimming and power lifting but it’s a bit different to them breaking our skulls in combat sports where the aim is to HURT YOU not just break a record…however I think it’s wrong in ALL SPORT… I have nothing against trans but can’t be skewing the line in sport…. You don’t see reference or debates for transmen in sport… cos it’s not a threat…

“It ain’t just about the test levels what about their bone density and a heap of other biological factors. Cutting ur bits off and adding boobs won’t take back the masculine maturity your body has gone thru before you decided u are now a woman.”

Bridges said the solution was to have a transgender division in the sport.

Amanda Serrano faces off against Heather Hardy during the third round of their fight at the American Airlines Center on August 05, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

“I don’t care about ‘political correctness’ it’s politically incorrect to have a man fighting a woman.. and idc that’s exactly what it is… this society is too soft.. this is our health and safety. The girls need to stick together or women’s sport in 50 years will be filled with male born champions,” she added.

Serrano, who is the unified featherweight champion, weighed in.

“Make it make sense! Women who were born women can’t compete against women under the same rules as men according to the WBC….BUT men can identify as a woman, transition and then fight us women?” Serrano wrote on X.

Claressa Shields attends Women’s Sports Foundation’s Annual Salute To Women In Sports at Cipriani Wall Street on October 12, 2023 in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images for WSF)

“All I want is equal opportunity for all. Our bodies. Our decision.”

Two-time Olympic gold medalist also reacted.

“this is idk……. Not the right decision,” she wrote.