WBC to introduce separate category for transgender boxers in 2023

WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has revealed that the sanctioning body plans to introduce a transgender category in 2023.

Debates surrounding this topic have been rampant in the combat sports community, citing the difference in strength and performance between males and females. Sulaiman announced the unprecedented move by the WBC and emphasized that trans fighters will only face other trans fighters who were born of the same gender.

The president of the green belt organization told Telegraph UK:

"We will never allow a transgender born a man to fight a woman, but are creating rules so trans boxing can take place."

The president explained that it was time to go for “safety and inclusion” in the sport. He added further:

“We are going to put out a global call for those who are are interested in 2023 and we will set up the protocols, start consultation and most likely create a league and a tournament”

The iconic WBC green belt at Taylor v Serrano Press Conference

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WBC’s transgender boxing category

The sanctioning body plans to use an "at birth" rule, which means that fighters will only face opponents that were assigned the same gender at birth. Male-born fighters will only be able to face another fighter that was also born a male. The same rules applies to all genders in the category. Sulaiman elaborated on this via an audio message he gave to ESPN, read below:

"The World Boxing Council, through its medical committee and technical committee, reached a determination after studies and an important talk during the WBC annual convention, an absolute and total confirmation was reached to not allow fights between people born men against people born women regardless of their current gender”.

Claressa Shields v Savannah Marshall

The Boxing Commission believes that these rules will ensure fights are fair and avoid mismatches in boxing. Fights between men and women would be avoided in this method, the organization's president further said:

“That is the main determination to not allow fights between men and women for the protection that we have always had of women's boxing”

The WBC is said to be “creating a set of rules and structures” for transgender boxing. A “universal registry” of fighters will begin in 2023, as per Sulaiman. Following which, a league and a tournament will be in place for transgender fighters to compete against each other on a global level.