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Women's boxing landed on the biggest stage -- again -- and it delivered

On her way to becoming the undisputed champ, Claressa Shields unleashes a flurry of punches in Round 1. (0:43)

Claressa Shields stood inside the ring in the middle of the O2 Arena in London on Saturday night, her eyes looking around at the British crowd that had just watched her assert why she is the greatest women's fighter of all time. She got emotional.

All that had happened, both in the ring and in the lead-up to it, may have been hitting her then. The enormity of what she had helped carry to fruition. For years now, since she was an amateur, really, Shields has been the face of women's boxing in the United States.

Almost every fight she's been in has had some level of history attached to it, and whether one likes or dislikes her, she and Katie Taylor have been the standard bearers for women in the sport over the past half-decade -- Taylor in Europe and Shields in America.

On Saturday night, in front of a sellout crowd, Shields and her opponent, Savannah Marshall, might have pushed their sport to another level.

"It's not just a special moment for me," Shields said. "It's a special moment for women's boxing."

For the second time this year, women's boxing landed on the biggest stage and outperformed the expectations of a highly anticipated fight. What Taylor and Amanda Serrano did for boxing at New York's Madison Square Garden back in April -- a hyped fight exceeding the most grandiose of hopes -- Shields and Marshall did the same in Great Britain.

The Shields-Marshall main event, which Shields won by unanimous decision to become the undisputed middleweight champion for the second time in her career, started at a rapid pace. Punches came fast from every direction for the majority of the two-minute rounds they fought. It didn't stop for the entirety of 20 minutes of action.

There was an atmosphere and energy set before the fight even began, from when the two fighters walked into the ring. That was clear from the get-go for the main event, when the O2 Arena fans belted out Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" in unison before the co-main event and then when Marshall walked out to "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)" by the Eurythmics.

While Marshall might have lost the fight, the dreams of a generation of women boxers might be coming to fruition because of what she and Shields did. Even from a continent away, watching on television, one could feel the kinetic juice the arena had. The power. The passion. Madison Square Garden was rocking in April for Taylor-Serrano when they walked out for the main event. Shields-Marshall might have topped it.

"It's absolutely amazing that two women have sold out the O2. It's unbelievable." Savannah Marshall

It felt exactly like a high-energy sporting event should, including when Shields walked out moments after her British opponent -- embracing the moment and her role in all of this -- wearing trunks and gloves with the semblance of the American flag on them. At the top of the platform before her walk to the ring, which started with "The Champ is here" being said over and over again before she engaged in a choreographed dance, with backup dancers, to Yung Wun's "Tear It Up."

The moment was a classic, put on by a woman who knew she had to both bring the show and be the show. Then Shields stepped in the ring and delivered round after action-packed round to a crowd growing livelier and more anxious by the moment.

"It's absolutely amazing that two women have sold out the O2," Marshall said. "It's unbelievable."

For months now, Shields has been saying she believed this fight would show that women -- and women's boxing -- could sell. It's the second time she has headlined a card primarily with women's fighters on it -- the first, last year in her hometown of Flint, Michigan, had two male fights on it early in the card and was on a much smaller stage, albeit a pay-per-view event with her as a headliner, beating Marie-Eve Dicaire to become the undisputed junior middleweight champion.

There was no question Shields could sell at home, but going across the ocean as the A side to a fight in which she'd be the disliked one, the booed one, showed her staying power. Shields-Marshall became the worthy showcase women's boxing had hoped it would be and, frankly, needed it to be.

Alycia Baumgardner unifies the junior lightweight belts with a split-decision victory over Mikaela Mayer.

Mikaela Mayer-Alycia Baumgardner, the co-main event for the unified junior lightweight championship, had its own buzz as well. That fight could have potentially been a main event on its own. Instead, it became the No. 2 fight on the card and was close enough to be a split decision for Baumgardner. The fight could have been scored a draw or decided for either fighter. While it wasn't the slugfest many expected, it was a good, close, interesting fight. The type of fights women's boxing can build on, too.

Taylor-Serrano, a meeting of two future Hall of Famers, had set the expectation for big-time women's fights. Shields-Marshall showed women's boxing has the real chance to sustain, to be more than one big splash of boxing but a growing sport. That can be built on, fight after fight, big night after big night.

It showed what can happen -- and men in boxing should pay attention to this -- when top fighters do more than talk, but instead back up their chatter and social media sniping with actual signed contracts and fights worthy of setting aside a day to watch -- and not taking years to do it.

It's giving the fans what they want. It's building on the noise and following it up with tangible results. And it's what women's boxing has done to not only elevate itself within the sport, but what it should continue to do in order to truly thrive.

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Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano fight results, highlights: Taylor earns split decision in instant classic

The two champions left it all in the ring on saturday night inside madison square garden with the irishwoman coming out on top.

Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano had a lot to live up to in their meeting on Saturday night, which was carrying the mantle of " the biggest fight in the history of women's boxing ." The fight exceeded even the highest expectations, with Katie Taylor winning a split decision in a wild war in front of a rowdy crowd from Madison Square Garden in New York City to retain her status as the undisputed lightweight champion.

The fight was anything but easy for Taylor as Serrano amped up her pressure starting in the third round of the contest, negating Taylor's early success that had come off of movement and carefully-selected moments of engagement. By the fifth round, Serrano's shots were badly hurting Taylor, nearly scoring a knockdown that may have changed the course of the fight.

Rather than hitting the deck, Taylor dug deep and managed to survive the scare, clinching to get back to her corner and start to regain her composure.

AMANDA SERRANO CATCHES FIRE 😮 #TaylorSerrano pic.twitter.com/1ooevhuTjE — DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 1, 2022

Serrano's punch output would begin dropping following her dominant Round 5. As Taylor fully recovered, she became the dominant fighter, getting the better of exchanges and landing clean, hard combinations as Serrano was forced to chase the champion down.

Despite the more clinical work of Taylor to wrestle control of the fight from Serrano, both women ended the final round by standing and trading in a wild final exchange that saw both women give and receive massive punches as the Irish and Puerto Rican fans roared their approval.

Most of the rounds -- of which there were only 10, two-minute rounds due to boxing's antiquated rules for women -- could have gone either way on the scorecards, leaving a lot of questions as to who would earn the decision victory after the final bell sounded.

After both women celebrated together, the scorecards were read, giving Taylor cards of 97-93 and 96-93 while Serrano took one 96-94 card. Taylor has now successfully defended her status as four-belt champion six times, though none bigger than her showing in the biggest fight in the history of women's boxing.

WHAT A FINISH. WHAT A FIGHT. 🔥🔥🔥 We're going to the scorecards 🔢 #TaylorSerrano pic.twitter.com/imn871S77g — DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 1, 2022

After the fight, both women as well as their respective promoters, Eddie Hearn for Taylor and Jake Paul for Serrano, agreed that a rematch needed to happen, and likely needed to happen in Ireland.

As for Saturday night, Taylor summed up the thoughts of the fighters and fans alike following her victory.

"What a fighter Amanda Serrano is. I think we're both winners here tonight. Look what we've just done, selling out Madison Square Garden in the biggest fight in women's boxing history," Taylor said. "What a fight, what a win, what a night."

Serrano, though disappointed to not get the decision, expressed hope that this could be the tipping point for bigger events in the sport for women.

"They say nobody wants to see women, this place is jam-packed," Serrano said. "We put on a hell of a show. Katie's a great champion, she's undefeated, she's undisputed champion. I'm truly honored to share the ring with you. Best versus the best, you don't see that much. I'm just so overwhelmed. Look at this crowd! Women can sell, women can fight, and we put on a hell of a show!"

Can't get enough boxing and MMA? Get the latest in the world of combat sports from two of the best in the business.  Subscribe to Morning Kombat with Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell  for the best analysis and in-depth news, including instant analysis of both Taylor vs. Serrano and Stevenson vs. Valdez at the end of the night below.

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USA Boxing Women's Championships

Jul 22, 2023 - Jul 29, 2023 | Toledo, OH, USA

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2023 Women's Championships News

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Bout Sheets and Results

Event photos, toledo in photo, women's championships in video, 2023 usa boxing women's championships finals highlights.

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Thursday Championship Highlights

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Training Tuesday!

Took a little break from competition to host some open workouts and show some high performance workouts!

2023 USA Boxing Women's Championships Day 1 Highlights

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GIRLS PSYCHED UP

Kenya women boxers warn rivals ahead of new delhi tour, iba world women's championships will take place in new delhi, india, from march 14–24..

•The 10-day annual women's premier international spectacle will feature a stellar cast of 12 Kenyan fighters, all of whom have their sights set firmly on a gold haul.

•Among those who have made the cut is Emily Juma who has voiced assurance that she will put on a strong display in Delhi.

Hit Squad boxers have sounded war drums ahead of the IBA World Women's Championships, which will take place in New Delhi, India, from March 14–24.

After pounding the bag ferociously in heightened preparations at the Mathare Depot for the previous two months, the Kenyan boxers will begin evaluating their potential on the international front this week.

The 10-day annual women's premier international spectacle will feature a stellar cast of 12 Kenyan fighters, all of whom have their sights set firmly on a gold haul.

Among those who have made the cut is Emily Juma who has voiced assurance that she will put on a strong display in Delhi.

The flyweight fighter lavished her instructors with praise, noting they have done a fantastic job in molding her for the difficult challenge ahead.

"When it comes to the technical part of the game, I believe the training we receive with the national team is at a higher level," Juma stated.

"We have endless opportunities to practice various skills, including the quarter turn. We have practiced how to dodge punches and move out of the way when the opponent is aggressive."

Juma reckons she can easily maneuver her way to the podium with the kind of expertise she has already acquired in training.

"So far, so good. We are working hard to achieve our potential. Our performance in India will be an accurate reflection of our level of preparedness. Our training is on spot, and we are embracing every coaching suggestion," Juma said.

Bantamweight fighter, Amina Martha, echoed Juma's sentiments, reiterating their desire to assert authority on the global stage.

"Going by the preparations, I believe we are now well prepared for the task ahead," Martha said.

"I feel I'm well prepared for the competition and I'm expecting the best results ever," she added.

Pauline Chege, a flyweight, has issued a warning to her competitors in the championships, claiming that she has sharpened her claws enough to pummel them senseless.

"We have a lot of faith in the instruction we have received. The coaches are committed to removing any kinks that may stand in the way of our quest for the podium, and we are confident we will return home with medals "said Chege.

"I've picked up some new skills while playing for the national team, and I'm ready to use them to perform well in India," she added.

On her first outing on the international stage, welterweight Frizzah Anyango thinks she has what it takes to win a medal.

"Being a part of the procedure makes me extremely happy. All of my teammates, the coaches, and the environment offered a new beginning because everything was brand-new. Also, I acquired some fresh knowledge that I think will be helpful in my quest for a title."

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International Edition

(JUNE 18)  The International Boxing Association (IBA) has opened the bidding process for World Boxing Tour (WBT) events for 2023-2024. During that period there will be six key WBT events which are planned to offer points towards Olympic qualification. The events are expected to be spread between continents, ensuring fair opportunities to earn a chance to box at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

IBA President Umar Kremlev said: �For many years, IBA has delivered World Boxing Championships for men, women and youth. The World Boxing Tour was designed to expand the opportunities we make available for boxers around the world to participate in international tournaments featuring the best boxers. We are excited to partner with National Federations to deliver the World Boxing Tour and help turn the dreams of boxers worldwide into reality.� A hosting outline has been provided to IBA National Federations, featuring WBT requirements, financial expectations, governance models and more, while highlighting the benefits of hosting. This will also enable potential hosts to be more actively engaged in the bid process from an earlier stage and to better understand the WBT events as a platform which creates shared value by facilitating exchanges between athletes, spectators, media and organizers. IBA Secretary General Istvan Kovacs added: �When developing the World Boxing Tour, we had to consider not only IBA�s or the boxers� needs, but also benefits for the hosts. With our model, hosts can expect a straightforward bidding process, supported event delivery, a partnership approach to rights and responsibilities, reasonable expectations, and significant measures aimed at sustainability and legacy.� The newly designed hosting requirements and draft of the competitions calendar which has been reviewed, revised and approved by the IBA Athletes� Committee and the IBA Competitions Committee were distributed among all National Federations.  

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The World Boxing Tour aims at establishing a competition system that is unified, which will provide new and consistent opportunities for boxers, and with consistently high standards.

The Tour’s tournaments will allow boxers to compete against their counterparts from different continents more regularly, therefore enhancing and improving skill levels and overall experience.

The Tour’s tournaments will contribute to the new IBA ranking system, which will allow boxers to collect valuable points in each tournament. These points will help define not only the most successful boxers at the end of the year, but also the most successful National Federations, having generated the highest results throughout the season.

The World Boxing Tour is composed of a series of tournaments that are classified into four categories: the Diamond Belt, Golden Belt, Silver Belt and Bronze Belt tournaments.

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