Emily Shire at The Daily Beast thinks it’s a terrible idea for UFC champion Ronda Rousey to go head to head in the ring with boxing champion Floyd Mayweather. Why? Because Mayweather has a history of domestic abuse (he’s been convicted of violence against women five times, though only served one sentence) and, as Shire writes:
“A future fight between Rousey and Mayweather wouldn’t strike a blow for equality—but would likely underscore how appalling violence between men and women really is.”
Rousey thinks differently. She’s been going after Mayweather, notoriously slamming him fresh off her win of the ESPY award, “I wonder how Floyd feels being beaten by a woman for once.”
After defending her title by knocking out Beth Correia in 34 seconds almost two weeks ago, Rousey recently commented, “in a no rules fight, I believe I can beat anyone on this planet…” and that includes Mayweather.
Shire writes that, “such a fantasy matchup satiates our desire to see an abusive man beaten by a woman, while also proving a modern-day goal that men and women can be equals in all spheres of life—including the ring… but what exactly would be accomplished? Nothing…”
Of course it wouldn’t accomplish anything! As Shire claims later in her article – when she made light of tennis star Billie Jean King’s “Battle of the Sexes” win over fellow tennis star Bobby Riggs:
“King’s victory was emotionally satisfying and inspired many women…However, her win also didn’t fix the wage gap, improve access to birth control, or rectify many of the other challenges facing women.”
Wow. So, in order to be called a “true victor” over a man, a woman’s “victory” should also in effect fix the wage gap, improve access to birth control and/or solve other challenges women face? Spoken like a true feminist!
Although The Daily Beast has issues with a Rousey/Mayweather fight, ironically they have no issues if she were pitted against transgender MMA fighter Fallon Fox. Though Shire was quick to point out Rousey’s “transphobic” comments from 2013:
“Supporting Rousey as any kind of feminist pioneer, as King was, isn’t easy when she has a history of making transphobic comments.”
Rousey said (of Fox), “She can try hormones, chop her pecker off, but it’s still the same bone structure a man has…”
Shire continued, even scoffing at Rousey’s skepticism:
“While Rousey has somewhat tried to distance herself from her attack on Fox, she still is remarkably skeptical about the place for trans-athletes, telling HuffPost just a few months ago they should be evaluated and permitted to fight on a “case-by-case basis.”
Oh, but let’s not forget – Fallon not only won her last two fights, but she beat her last opponent so badly that she “suffered a concussion, a broken orbital bone and required seven staples in her head.”
The Daily Beast can’t have it both ways. They can’t argue against a Rousey/Mayweather fight and make claims of sexism and male violence towards women, yet find it ok to fight a transgender MMA fighter who has a completely different genetic makeup and literally left her last opponent in stitches (not to say that Rousey wouldn’t do the same, if not more to Fox…I have no doubt).
In reality, there’s no difference between either match for Rousey. Mayweather and Fox are both men who fight women -- but only one gets paid to do it.
