(DEC 28) As 2025 comes to a close, the Women’s Boxing Archive Network (WBAN) highlights a historic year of progression characterized by record-breaking visibility and mainstream acceptance. A defining milestone was the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy closer in July, which headlined a high-profile Netflix card at Madison Square Garden. This event set a new standard for the sport, drawing nearly 6 million global viewers and achieving a record $2.63 million gate for a female sporting event at the venue.

Beyond professional headliners, the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool further solidified the sport's global structure, featuring over 540 participants from 68 nations and crowning new champions like India's Jaismine Lamboria and Minakshi Hooda.

In November 2025, the highly anticipated biographical sports drama Christy made its theatrical debut, featuring an outstanding performance by Sydney Sweeney as the legendary boxing pioneer Christy Martin. Released nationwide on November 7, 2025, the film chronicled Martin's groundbreaking rise to fame in the 1990s as "The Coal Miner’s Daughter" and her harrowing survival of an attempted murder by her abusive coach-turned-husband, Jim Martin.

Biggest non-boxing event for women’s boxing took place on April 4-5, 2025, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The two-day International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame event was a powerful celebration, kicking off by honoring 13 pioneering "Women Cops Who Box," recognizing their dual contributions to law enforcement and the ring, before culminating in the following night of honoring our induction of the Class of 2025 and special Award Recipients, all while Las Vegas Mayor proclaimed April 5, 2025, as officially “Women’s Boxing” day in the City of Las Vegas. showcasing a landmark moment for women in sports and public service,

The "Wrap" for 2025 also showcases a surge in specialized events and talent development that point to a robust future. WBAN celebrated major professional achievements, naming Gabriela Fundora as a defining figure after her successful undisputed flyweight title defenses and recognizing Katie Taylor as the European Fighter of the Year.

The amateur circuit saw significant growth through targeted tournaments such as the Beautiful Brawlers 12 and the East Coast Women's Tournament, while WBAN introduced history-first "Mini-Belts" to honor rising stars. With the release of the biographical film Christy and the announcement of the 2026 International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame inductees, 2025 stands as a pivotal year where women's boxing transitioned from a peripheral attraction to a central, commercially viable pillar of combat sports.

Gabriela Fundora: Named the 2025 Fighter of the Year by WBAN, Fundora dominated the flyweight division with two successful undisputed title defenses, both ending in seventh-round knockouts against Marilyn Badillo (April) and Alexas Kubicki (September).

Claressa Shields:solidified her status as becoming the first boxer, male or female, to achieve undisputed status in three different weight classes.

Ellie Scotney: The undefeated British star became the unified super-bantamweight champion by securing WBO and WBC titles in 2025, capped by a victory over Yamileth Mercado on a high-profile Netflix card.

Alycia Baumgardner: Retained her undisputed super featherweight championship in a hard-fought battle against Jennifer Miranda in July, further cementing her position in the pound-for-pound top 10.

Caroline Dubois: "Sweet Caroline" maintained her unbeaten streak and successfully defended her WBC lightweight title, making a notable American debut with a victory over Camila Panatta in late 2025.

Tiara Brown: In a major upset, Brown defeated Skye Nicolson via split decision in March to become the new WBC World Featherweight Champion.

Yokasta Valle: Rebounded from previous losses by defeating Marlen Esparza via split decision in Cancun in March 2025.

Camila Zamorano: The 17-year-old Mexican prodigy won the WBC World Atomweight title in October, signaling a new generation of talent.

2025 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships: Held in Belgrade, Serbia, Team Russia led the medal count with four golds, followed closely by Kazakhstan with three.

Elite Women's Boxing Tournament: In Hyderabad, India, Olympic medalist Lovlina Borgohain secured gold in the 75kg division, while Nitu Ghanghas claimed the 48kg crown.

World Boxing Championships: In Liverpool, American Yoseline Perez earned a silver medal in the 54kg division after a standout performance throughout the tournament.

International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame celebrated its 12th anniversary with the "Night of the Stars II" in Las Vegas, honoring elite athletes who paved the way for the historic commercial and athletic successes of 2025.

Besides Claressa Shields, two other female boxers achieved undisputed champion status in 2025: Tina Rupprecht and Cherneka Johnson.

Tina Rupprecht (Atomweight): Rupprecht became the undisputed atomweight champion on April 5, 2025, after defeating Sumire Yamanaka. She held the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles until her retirement in October 2025.

Cherneka Johnson (Bantamweight): Johnson achieved undisputed status in the bantamweight division on July 11, 2025, by defeating Shurretta Metcalf via TKO in round 9 on the undercard of the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano trilogy fight. She successfully defended her new unified titles once in December 2025.

Claressa Shields made history in 2025 by becoming the first boxer, male or female, to become an undisputed champion in three different weight classes when she claimed the heavyweight titles in February 2025.

So it IS a rap for 2025, and we are looking forward to 2026.  We have our next International Women's Boxing Hall of Fame event scheduled for Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Orleans Hotel & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.   For information and tickets go to:  https://iwbhf.com/tickets.htm

WBAN / IWBHF
WBAN Instagram
WBAN Facebook

WBAN / IWBHF WEBSITES
www.womensboxing.org
www.wbanmember.com
www.floridaboxing.com
www.iwbhf.com
WBAN's Group Facebook