The first time I remember the issue of three minute rounds for women coming up was in October, 2000. Laila Ali, in her eighth professional bout, at the Palace in Auburn Hills, MI, was fighting Kendra Lenhart. Just moments before the bout was to begin, a spirited discussion took place at ringside. Johnny McClain, Ali's then-manager and husband, pointedly announced that there would be no fight if, as the promoter was insisting, the rounds were to be three minutes in length. Since Ali was the "name" in this bout and because it was being televised, the promoter relented and agreed to the "normal" two minute rounds.

As it happened, midway thru the third round, Lenhart, a strong puncher, caught Ali, along the ropes, with a right hook. Ali has continued to contend it was the hardest she has been ever hit. She was, however, able to survive the round and went on to win a six round decision. Had the round been three minutes, the outcome of that fight and, it could be argued, Ali's career might have been altered significantly.

I bring this up because the issue of three minute rounds for Women's boxing has, once again, made it's, seemingly, periodic, Lazarus-like rise to the discussion stage in the sport. My initial reaction is that of a patient being wheeled into an operating room for heart surgery and worrying whether he needs a haircut.

 The sport of Women's boxing currently teeters on the verge of intensive care and, problems much more critical to the sport, lack of TV coverage, mainstream media neglect of female boxing, and the fact that the top fighters in the sport continue to avoid climbing in the ring with each other, far exceed the need to increase the length of the rounds by 50%. However, I'll concede that that attitude may, likewise, be adjudged as a trite dismissal of an issue that is important to, at least, a certain contingent of fighters, fans and others in the sport of Women's boxing.

One of the most skilled female fighters in the ring and one of the most articulate from the pulpit of promoting the sport has told me that she considers this issue to be one of simple "equality." Do women have the right to fight three minute rounds? Of course, and if state athletic commissions permit it and the fighters agree to three minute rounds then such bouts should be scheduled.

But should all female boxers be required to box three minute rounds in order to establish a sense of equality? Of course not. One needs only to glance at a calendar; we're in the twenty- first century. Women have been at least the equal of men for periods of time longer than most of the population of this country has been alive. And any knuckle dragging, mouth breathers in the boxing community who believe otherwise, are not going to be persuaded about that equality by female boxers boxing three minute rounds. No, those Luddites would probably only be convinced by a message from God and She may be too busy to address the problem.

Moving from the substantive to the senseless, there is also a school of thought that suggests that a reason for promoting three minutes rounds is that the added fighting time will increase the number of knockouts in the sport. This, the "thinking" goes, will increase the popularity of the sport as more bouts end with one fighter being knocked out as her stamina and reflexes decrease as the longer rounds progress. My first reaction to this drivel is that there exists a great deal of similarity with this logic and those politicians who are constantly in full cry to send our country to war. It is always those least likely to have a rifle thrust into their arms who campaign loudest and longest that others undertake war.

Similarly, it is those who long for more knockouts in the sport of Women's boxing that are the least likely candidates for concussions. Taking this absurdity to it's illogical conclusion: If knockouts are the path to popularity for Women's boxing, why have rounds at all. Just ring a bell, and let the fighters fight until one is rendered unconscious. Ridiculous? Absolutely. However, not too far removed from the premise that a sport, currently badly in need of an image transplant, will be improved as the number of concussed boxers increases.

Finally, will female boxers be willing to expend 50% more time in the ring throwing and avoiding punches for, essentially, the same amount of money? That's right, half again as much work for the same pay. Since here's a reality: promoters are going to be very reluctant to increase purses for female bouts just because those bouts are now composed of three minute rounds.

The fact remains that female bouts will, for the most part, continue to occupy the undercard positions on most boxing cards, and promoters, those guys who throw quarters around like manhole covers, are, it seems to me, going to be very reluctant to let loose with any more dollars for those bouts low on the card.

As I've said, those boxers and those state commissions who deem three minute rounds to be beneficial to the sport of Women's boxing have every right to participate in and sanction such bouts. But as I also said, it seems that there are more pressing problems in the sport that have no chance of being solved by three minute rounds. Will three minute rounds garner more television time for the sport? The answer is, probably, No. In fact, it might be argued, that if network "suits," already reluctant to give exposure to women boxers, are faced with female bouts that will take up 50% more airtime, they may reduce the already paltry coverage of the sport.

Would three minute rounds have succeeded in getting Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker in the ring. Not likely. In fact, Martin, with nearly fifty fights, all of the two minute round version, may have looked with a certain amount of askance to suddenly, at a late stage, adjusting to a three minute round in the biggest bout of her career. Would three minute rounds extricate those top fighters in the sport who continue to be reluctant to leave their hometown venues? Would three minute rounds go a long way to getting top fighters in the ring with other top fighters? Those are rhetorical questions.

Johnny McClain didn't think three minute rounds were a great idea and I've come to the same conclusion six years later. However I admit that, one way or another, a three minute round is not going to "break" the sport of Women's boxing. That will come, if it comes, from problems much more serious. However, try as I might, I can't seem to come up with any reason to view three minute rounds as beneficial to the sport, and right now the sport of Women's boxing needs an infusion of solutions, not gimmicks.