Boxing Decisions: We Ring Off The Unanimity Of Judges' Calls
Contents
- 6 Possible Bout Decisions By Judges
- 1. Unanimous Decision
- 2. Majority Decision
- 3. Split Decision
- 4. Draw
- 5. Majority Draw
- 6. Split Draw
- Other Boxing Results
- Technical Decision
- No Contest
- Knockout (KO)
- Submission
- Disqualification
- Watch This!
- Frequently Asked Questions
- How many boxing decisions are there?
- How do they decide who wins in boxing?
- Are boxing matches arranged?
- Conclusion
- Sources
Photo by National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
There's more to a blue corner or red corner win than a ring announcer will tell you. Why? Every ringside has a set of three judges who decide the winner when both fighters survive all the rounds without getting disqualified or knocked out.
The judges…
They watch the action, score each fighter per round, and sum up the score to find a winner. Each judge does this individually without influence from the others. The points they note on their scorecards lead to any of the six boxing decisions we will discuss below.
As we explain these decisions, we'll also tell you other ways a fight may end besides what judges rule.
6 Possible Bout Decisions By Judges
As mentioned above, they evaluate a fighter individually without sharing their thoughts. Therefore, the decisions and opinions of judges don't always match the expectations of fans and pundits.
Eventually, the score awarded by a judge leads to the following calls:
1. Unanimous Decision
When this is the outcome of a match, all three judges have scored the fight for the same boxer. It's a 3:0 result, and it's the most common type of decision. The judges don't have to agree on every round, only on the overall winner.
An example is the 2014 welterweight title rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Maidana.
After 12 rounds, the judges scored it 116-111, 116-111 and 115-112 for Mayweather. Mayweather had won their first fight earlier that year by majority decision (117-111, 116-112, 114-114). We'll explain that decision below.
2. Majority Decision
Based on the example above, the decision arises when two judges score more for one fighter, and the third judge scores it differently, giving an even result. Hence, the win is by a 2:1 score. In our example, two ruled a Mayweather Jr. win, while one judge ruled it a draw.
3. Split Decision
Under this decision, one fighter gets the nod from two judges, and the third judge scores the fight higher for the other fighter.
The Saul Alvarez and Erislandy Lara fight is an example of a split decision, as two judges scored 115-113 and 117-111 for Alvarez, while a third scorecard favored Lara with 115-113.
4. Draw
In a unanimous draw, all three judges score the fight even. It's rare, but it happens.
5. Majority Draw
A fight ends in this decision when two judges say it was a draw, and the third judge decides that one fighter won.
For example, if two judges score a fight 114-114 and the third scores it 115-113 for one boxer, the result is a majority draw.
6. Split Draw
When judges determine it's a split draw, one judge scores highly for one fighter, the second judge rules a different fighter won, and the third one scores it even. For instance, the 2015 fight between Andy Lee and Peter Quillin ended in 113-112 for Lee, 113-112 for Quillin, and a 113-113 draw.
Other Boxing Results
When you look at bout results through the years of the sport, you realize not all of them ended in decisions by a team of judges because matches also end via:
Technical Decision
A technical decision happens when a fight is stopped early because of a foul injury, such as a cut from an accidental headbutt. The judges' scorecards up to that point decide the winner.
Under the Association of Boxing Commissions' unified rules, an accidental foul that stops a bout after four completed rounds goes to the scorecards. If the stoppage comes before four rounds are complete, the result is a no decision. If the cards are even, it's a technical draw.
This is different from a corner retirement, where a boxer or his corner decides not to continue between rounds. That counts as a technical knockout loss, not a decision.
No Contest
If a fight ends prematurely for reasons outside the normal scoring, such as an early accidental-foul stoppage, it can end as a no contest (or no decision). This ruling means there's no winner, and the bout didn't end in a draw.
In the previous centuries, when boxing was illegal in many places, police sometimes broke fights up. A result can also be changed to a no contest later, for example after a failed drug test.
Knockout (KO)
Photo by U.S. Department of Defense Current Photos, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
A knockout happens when a boxer is knocked down by legal punches and can't get up and continue before the referee's count of 10. If the referee, ringside doctor or the boxer's corner stops the fight because the boxer can't safely continue, it's a technical knockout.
Submission
Photo by MC2 Elliott Fabrizio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Boxing has no submission holds, but a boxer can quit. If a boxer refuses to continue or his corner throws in the towel, the opponent wins, and the result is usually recorded as a technical knockout or corner retirement.
Disqualification
A match ends in disqualification when the referee rules a boxer out for a serious intentional foul, repeated fouls or unsportsmanlike conduct. The judges' scorecards don't apply in such a case.
Knock-Out Point: There are only two calls that really excite any boxing match. Know them here -- TKO vs KO.
Watch This!
Frequently Asked Questions
How many boxing decisions are there?
As we listed these decisions earlier, there are six outcomes after judges score a boxing bout. These are unanimous decision, draw, split draw, majority draw, split decision, and majority decision.
There are other ways a match can end beyond the judges having the final say.
Most of these ways, such as a technical knockout or disqualification, rely on the referee's or ringside doctor's judgment. Some of these may engage the decision of a judging panel to find a winner or call it even.
How do they decide who wins in boxing?
The boxing scoring system explains how judges score fighters and the effect of these scores on the judge's decisions at the end of a match.
Boxing uses a 10-point system, known as the 10 Point Must System. The winner of each round gets 10 points and the loser 9 or fewer, usually 8 if he was knocked down. If a round is even, both get 10.
Are boxing matches arranged?
No, they're not predetermined, as many assume, more so for high-level bouts. There might be some attempts at match-fixing in low-level tiers; however, that's illegal too.
Match-fixing can involve bribing judges or referees, or a boxer agreeing to lose.
The most notable recent case was the 2016 Olympics, where an independent investigation found that officials of the sport's then-governing body, AIBA, manipulated the results of some bouts by choosing compliant referees and judges.
Conclusion
As we have learned, a lot happens ringside to decide who wins a match. The decision comes from a judging panel only when the contestants complete the rounds without getting a disqualification or KO punch.
If the match ends early, the result comes from a knockout, technical knockout, disqualification or technical decision instead. Even a ringside doctor can stop a fight.
Sources
- Unified Boxing Rules, Association of Boxing Commissions
- Mayweather decisions Maidana again, ESPN via ABC7
