Speaking on the latest episode of the Toe2Toe podcast, Robert Smith, the general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, reveals he wants to bring in women's British title fights soon; He comments on the Conor Benn situation and the podcast features an end-of-year round-up
Saturday 24 December 2022 07:26, UK
The British Boxing Board of Control wants to introduce women’s British title fights in the near future.
The UK has not had professional women's British championship contests before. But that is something which is going to change, Robert Smith, the British Boxing Board of Control general secretary, revealed to the Toe2Toe podcast.
"I'd like to get a British championship fight soon," Smith said. "[That's] what I would like to happen.
"The next step is a British champion or English champion or a Celtic champion and that could be with three-minute rounds."
Three-minute rounds are actually permitted for women as well as men in pro boxing in the UK.
"We allow it. It's the sanctioning bodies who don't," Smith said.
"We have had three-minute rounds. Nicola Adams did a three-minute round fight a few years ago and we allow it."
The latest episode of the Toe2Toe podcast also picks over some of the highs and lows of 2022.
On the episode, Robert Smith also comments on the handling of the situation with Conor Benn's drug test results and his fight with Chris Eubank Jr being called off in October.
"It hasn't worked out how it normally does with regard to adverse findings or positive tests," Smith said. "The legal process is very, very difficult and this is one of the situations where it has not gone how it would normally go. So we've just got to wait.
"We actually said the fight wasn't going to happen," he continued. "I believe we did the best we could under the circumstances.
"What we have here is an adverse finding. We need an explanation. It could be a very valid explanation but I don't know… We've just got to wait and see. I can honestly tell you it's very frustrating for me.
"Speculation I believe is not a good thing."
