Claressa Shields claimed the WBC heavyweight title last weekend with a stunning second-round knockout. However, it wouldn’t have been possible without a previous dispute.
A shocking story regarding a fight involving a gender complaint rocked boxing due to the ongoing trans debate. World Boxing News covered a massive story about a champion who faced accusations of being born a man. The woman at the center of those allegations was former multi-time world title challenger Carlette Ewell.
She accused ex-foe and WBC ruler Alejandra Jimenez of covering up the fact that she was born male. The shocking allegations occurred after Jimenez took Franchon Crews-Dezurn’s WBC super-middleweight crown in 2020.
WBC chiefs are still yet to confirm a route for trans fighters to box despite stating they would introduce a separate category in the wake of the incident.
In an amazing sub-story, Jimenez dropped from a reign at heavyweight to battle Crews-Dezurn. But after the victory, many detractors – including Ewell, raised questions. Losing against Jimenez for the WBC top division crown three years earlier via stoppage, Ewell is adamant something is up with the Jimenez backstory.
“I’ve been in Alejandra’s presence and fought her. She sounds like a man, and she has features of a man,” stated Ewell. “[We think] She could have had a sex change to a woman. If she did, it doesn’t appear that nothing can be done about her competing as a woman.”
Later, updating her claims, Ewell posted extracts from a Wikipedia page that had been doctored to include unproven transition statements.
“I found what I was looking for. Yes, Alejandra was born and transitioned to a woman. We were absolutely correct. You would know because you are all men. We both said I was fighting a man on April 1, 2017, for the WBC Heavyweight Championship.”
Those Wikipedia claims were later erased and replaced by claims from Jimenez that she suffered from hypothyroidism. That didn’t stop Ewell from believing her claims to be true one hundred percent. She even added a message to Crews-Dezurn, saying, ‘She more than likely didn’t have any Visa issues from the delay of when you all were first to fight because she was born a man.
“Her hormones and body mass had to be calculated to determine how much weight she needed to lose within a specified time within a year or longer to prevent health issues. You better know her team knows this. So does the WBC. Everyone is keeping hush-hush because it’s about the dollars and having Alejandra fight Claressa,” Ewell concluded on links to Jimenez battling Shields—the new champion—for the title years ago.
That never happened due to a failed drug test by Jimenez, who never fought professionally again. However, ‘La Tigre’ has always denied the unsubstantiated claims about her gender origins.
Jimenez appealed to have her achievements as a WBC heavyweight and WBO/WBC super middleweight champion recognized. It follows her decision to retire from the sport entirely in 2022.
“Today, on the International Day against LGBTOdio in Sports, I assume this space is hostile to us as sexual dissidents. However, we continue to raise our voices so that it becomes a safe space for everyone,” she said.
“I demand an objective investigation, with a gender perspective and a human rights approach that allows me access to justice. I also want comprehensive reparation for the damage caused to me. Above all, I want the guarantee that no other woman or person in sport and boxing will return to live what I lived for, having a dissident and diverse gender expression.
“We request the intervention and pronouncement [from CONAPRED – Consejo Nacional Para Prevenir la Discriminación] to guarantee a life free of violence for women and sexual dissidents.
“We will not stop until the sport is transformed and my name is claimed as a world champion boxer.”
Following Jimenez’s retirement, the WBC changed the weight stipulation for heavyweight from 200 pounds plus to 175 pounds. Shields then became the face of the weight class.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
