Pro fighters, female athletes react to new USA Boxing transgender policy

USA Boxing has announced that it has adopted a new policy regarding transgender athletes and it has a lot of fighters up in arms.

The new policy will allow for male boxers who have transitioned to female, to fight in the women's division in 2024, under specific conditions. Some of those conditions in include "declaring their new gender identity, completing gender reassignment surgery and regular hormone testing," the Daily Mail reported.

When the news was announced, several professional fighters spoke up about the new change.

"I've always been a strong supporter of the program and am grateful for the opportunities it has provided me," Herring tweeted after the newswas announced. "However, I have concerns about the inclusion of transgender individuals in women's boxing. This is not about being against the trans community, it's about ensuring FAIR and SAFE competition. Biological male athletes, even after hormone therapy, often maintain physical advantages that can pose safety risks and create an uneven playing field for natural born female athletes. Experts have highlighted the potential for unfair competition and safety concerns in multiple scenarios. It's important to have a thoughtful and evidence based discussion on this issue to ensure the integrity and safety of women's sports. I feel like this move is trying to “fit in” or please that community, without even looking to see what’s fair to little girls and women."

Former WBO junior lightweight champion Jamel Herring gave his thoughts.

MMA fighter Leah McCourt also chimed in.

"Please don’t let this madness continue in 2024. No one in their right mind thinks this is normal or ok," she tweeted.

Boxer Ebanie Bridges tweeted, "This is wrong on so many levels. 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."

It wasn't just fighters who responded. Martina Navratilova, GOAT tennis star called the decision "beyond irresponsible." Swimmer Riley Gaines called the ruling a "slippery slope."