USA Boxing recently decided to shake things up by welcoming transgender fighters to throw their hats in the ring in the gendered divisions they resonate with. This bombshell dropped officially on January 1, 2024, but had been simmering in the pot since its initial concoction in August 2022.
Christy Martin, a titan in the female boxing world, couldn’t mask her disbelief when she chatted with Fox News Digital. “It’s like you’re tossing a man in the ring with a woman,” she exclaimed. Martin isn’t just any critic – she’s a legend, the first lady of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame as of 2016, with a trophy case featuring inductions into six other Halls of Fame, including the prestigious International Boxing Hall Of Fame. Hanging up her gloves in 2012, Martin left the scene with an enviable record of 49 victories, 7 defeats, and a whopping 31 knockouts.
Martin voiced a dark prediction: “Our bodies are built differently. Bone density, muscle mass… you name it. I fear someone’s going to end up more than just bruised.” The new rulebook of USA Boxing throws open its doors to both transgender men and women to duke it out in their biological divisions, with some strings attached:
– Athletes must declare their gender as male or female, aligning with their gender reassignment surgery.
– Regular hormone checks are on the cards every quarter for a solid four years post-surgery.
– Transgender women need to show testosterone levels under 5 nmol/L for a 48-month lead-up to their first bell ring.
– For the transgender men, keeping testosterone levels above 10 nmol/L is a must during their time in the male corner.
Martin also highlighted how this move might throw a wrench in the works for female boxing’s growth. “We’re already scrapping to find opponents. Imagine training your heart out only to find you’re up against a former dude. That’s not going to sit right with many,” she argued.
The former champ didn’t just stop there. She flipped the script to the men’s division, where transgender men could be stepping in. “Everyone’s busy talking about men turning into women, but what about the other way round? If transgender women are beefing up their testosterone, aren’t they sort of ‘juicing’? That’s a no-go in our book,” Martin pointed out.
“The vibe I’m getting? It’s not a thumbs-up,” Martin shared about the general sentiment in the boxing community on this issue. She relayed concerns from dads of female boxers, saying they’d never let their daughters spar with a transgender opponent. “Look, I’m all for people choosing their paths, including transitioning. But choices have consequences, especially in something as physical as boxing. When you choose to transition, maybe giving up competitive sports should be part of that choice,” she concluded, emphasizing the unique stakes in a sport where physicality is everything.