When a boxing fight has a lot of action, there is nothing like it. The energy that fills a room when opponents feed off each other and the crowd is electric. A fight that ends in a knockout results in chaos.
What if a fight goes to the end? How does a judge determine how to score him if he’s close? Why did they give it a draw? A result can be praised or leave fans with many questions.
Boxing has had a long history of great fights, some with questionable results.
To help you better understand how judges score fights, The Jugo Mobile put together a quick reference sheet on scorecards and point systems.
What are the rules of boxing?
Since the late 19th century, the Marquis of Queensberry Rules have been the general model for boxing rules. Recently, The Association of Boxing Commissions has created updated guidelines for boxing.
A boxing match consists of three-minute rounds (two for women), and the number of rounds depends on the level of the fighter. Originally 15, the maximum number of rounds a fight can last is currently 12 (10 for women).
Scoring in each round is based on the following:
- Effective aggression: The aggressor in the fight constantly throws punches while avoiding his opponent’s key blows.
- Speaking of avoiding, defending It is also an important factor
- Clean and effective shots They are key in a fight. A fighter can attempt an offensive attack through combinations, but will not be able to land his shots due to the aforementioned defense of an opponent.
- Ring generalship: A fighter who asserts his will and style throughout the fight.
How boxing fights can be decided
There are several ways to end a fight. The simplest forms of conclusions for a fight include:
- Decision: When time expires, the judges must determine a winner.
- KO/TKO: When the fighter cannot continue due to a knockout or fall. Regarding a TKO victory, the referee will stop the fight if he believes that a fighter can no longer defend himself from blows or if he receives an excessive amount of damage.
- Retirement: When the fighter or his corner determines that they cannot continue.
- Medical strike: A medical professional will determine if a fighter is unable to continue. This will be due to a bad cut, injury or other extreme circumstances.
If a fight does not end by knockout, then it is up to the judges to score the fight. Depending on the scoring criteria, there are a few results that can come from the judges:
- Victory by unanimous decision: All three judges agreed that the fight went to one fighter over the other (10-9, 10-9, 10-9).
- Victory by majority decision: Two judges rated one fighter’s fight, while one saw it as a draw.
- Split decision victory: Two judges scored the fight for one fighter, while the other favored the fight for the other.
- Draw by majority decision: Two judges were unable to decide on a winner, while the other judge chose one competitor as the winner.
- Split decision draw: One judge has one fighter as the winner, another has the other fighter as the winner and the third judge calls the fight a draw.
How is a boxing fight scored?
A fight is scored using the 10-point system. Unless there is a serious foul, a judge must decide the winner of the round and award them 10 points afterwards. The other side, who has difficulty during the fight, will receive a score of nine, resulting in a score of 10-9.
There are times when a fighter is so dominant/a fight is one-sided that a judge will score it 10-8 in favor of one competitor. If a fighter is knocked down by a punch, a judge may score the fight 10-8.
How many judges are there in a boxing fight?
There are usually three judges in each fight. Judges are delegated by the athletic commissions (Nevada State Athletic Commission, New York State Athletic Commission, etc.).
Judges can be from the same designated area as the wrestler. However, in title fights a judge could be from a neutral site. If one competitor is from the United States and the other from England, there may be judges from Canada, Mexico and France. This is to avoid bias, if any.
To be chosen for a fight, you must have a license. You can register through a local sanctioning body. You must also have a deep knowledge of the sport.
An applicant must be familiar with American Boxing Commission scoring and register through USA Boxing or your state boxing commission.
For USA Boxing, there are levels to improve your status. You must first register each calendar year and complete a certification course. After a test, if you pass it, you will be allowed to participate in the USA Boxing National Tournaments.
Examples of controversial scores in boxing.
While great fights elevate the sport, there are times when boxing gets in its own way. Controversial results often occur without a real reason for the scores.
During the first fight between Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin in 2017, it looked like Golovkin would be called the winner. Instead, the fight was declared a draw. By CompuBox, Golovkin connected on 218 of 703 shots (31% connection rate), while Canelo connected on 169 of 505 (33% connection rate). Dave Moretti scored 115-113 for Golovkin, while Don Trella scored 114-114.
Adalaide Byrd, a well-known controversial judge, scored the fight a wide 118-110 in favor of Canelo, shocking the boxing world. Nevada State Athletic Commission Executive Director Bob Bennett attempted to defend her after that fight.
“Adalaide, in my opinion, is an exceptional judge,” said Bennett, via ESPN. “She has been in over 115 title fights. She does a lot of our training. She takes a lot of the younger judges under her wing and gives them instructions as a judge. I was one of them when I was a judge. Judge for two years and a half Unfortunately, Adalaide was a little broad, obviously, I’m not going to make excuses tonight. I think she’s an exceptional judge, but like in any business, you have a bad day, you have a bad day.
In 1993, Pernell Whittaker fought Julio César Chávez for the WBC welterweight title. Whitaker outshot Chavez 311-220 and landed 130 punches. by The Ring. When the fight score was announced, one judge had the fight in Whitaker’s favor, while two judges scored the fight 115-115. A majority tie, there was great outrage and speculation about how the two judges arrived at those scores.
One of the most famous examples of controversial scoring occurred at the 1988 Olympics, when Roy Jones Jr. lost to South Korea’s Park Si-Hun in the final. Jones lost a 2-3 decision despite landing 86 punches to Park’s 32. An investigation later revealed that the judges dined and drank with the South Korean organizers before the fight, but it was not decided whether that was a major factor. Two of the judges were suspended, but the decision was never overturned.
