USA Boxing, the national governing body for amateur boxing in the US, has announced that they will allow transgender athletes to compete in their competitions. This change, specific to the US amateur boxing scene, does not impact professional boxing or other countries with their own established amateur boxing systems. Nevertheless, it could potentially set a precedent for broader changes in the sport.
Transgender individuals, both women and men, can participate in competitions if they meet specified criteria. These criteria are centered around the athletes’ testosterone levels and the stage of their transition toward male or female. USA Boxing has implemented rules to ensure fair competition, makung boxers over the age of 18 eligible to compete, provided they meet the necessary criteria.
While this marks a change for USA Boxing, transgender athletes have been part of the boxing landscape. A few months ago, Canadian amateur boxer and transgender athlete Mya Walmsey gained attention when her opponent, Katie Bissounette, refused to compete against her, citing concerns about Walmsey’s transition potentially providing an unfair advantage.
In professional boxing, American male boxer Patricio Manuel, formerly known as Patricia Manuel, is the first and only transgender athlete to compete in professional boxing. Fighting as a super featherweight, Manuel made his professional debut in 2018 and has fought thrice since then, most recently in 2023.
Manuel started transitioning from female to male in 2014 following his last amateur match in 2012. Manuel notably fought future female boxing stars such as Natasha Jonas and Tiara Brown during his amateur career as a female boxer.
While amateur boxing in the USA has not yet seen its first transgender athlete, the recent rule change opens the possibility for such occurrences from this year onwards. In addition to USA Boxing, the official amateur boxing governing body of British Columbia in Canada has also allowed transgender athletes to compete, as revealed in the Bissounette-Walmsey incident.
The status of transgender athletes in international amateur boxing competitions remains unknown, with no specific rules currently permitting their official participation.
