Mexican boxing icon and former two-division world champion Mariana Juárez aka Barby Juárez has thumbed up the proposal and is not opposed to transgender boxers being active, but made it clear that it should be between boxers in the same situation.
After the WBC began to study the possibility of allowing transgender boxing, Mauricio Sulaimán, president of the organization, has been very clear about it and they would not allow a person born a man to face a person born a woman.
“If a decision is made in which transgender people can compete, incredible for them,” Juárez said in a recent interview, “because they should have the opportunity.”
And just as Mauricio Sulaimán has defined the body’s position, the former WBC flyweight and bantamweight world champion supports him.
“They are right,” added the boxer. “White is white, black is black, with much love and respect to all, just as I deserve respect, so do they.”
And she explained, in her opinion, why it would be difficult for a person born a woman to face a transgender woman.
“What biology is, we cannot change the things of genes, force,” Juárez went on, “what I would have against a woman facing a transgender man cannot be like that.”
Thus, while the WBC continues with its study on transgender boxing, of which the universe of athletes is still unknown, the boxer is confident that the best decision will be made.
“Hopefully things are analyzed, that a good decision is made,” she concluded. “And that if he is given the opportunity, let it be against another person in his same situation.”
Sulaimán said the week before that if this program is completed, it would not be one more category to the 18 that the organization already has.
There would be men’s, women’s, and transgender boxing, and there would also have to be categories, perhaps amateur or professional boxing, all taking care of the health of the athletes and, in this case, inclusion.
