Boxing judge
Encyclopedia
A boxing judge is responsible for judging the results of a boxing
match, with as many as three judges typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures.
A boxing match that has not ended in a knockout
, technical knockout (TKO) or disqualification
(DQ), having reached the limit on the preset number of rounds has "gone the distance" and the fighter with the higher score at the end of the fight is ruled the winner. With three judges, unanimous decision
s and split decision
s are possible, as are draws. Because of the open-ended style of boxing judging, fights may end with controversial results, in which one of the fighters may believe they have been "stolen" or unfairly denied a victory. A draw will result if all three judges call the fight even or if one judge favors one fighter, a second judge's card supports the other and the third calls the fight a draw. The March 1999 heavyweight unification bout between Evander Holyfield
and Lennox Lewis
at Madison Square Garden is an example of a draw where all three judges had scored the fight differently, with Eugenia Williams favoring Holyfield, Stanley Christodoulou
favoring Lewis and Larry O'Connell calling the fight a draw. The result led to calls for an immediate rematch between the two fighters. The extremely rare majority draw
results when two out of the three judges call the fight even, which means the fight will be called a draw regardless if the third judge favors one fighter There are some scoring systems used in boxing make it impossible for a judge to award equal points for a match. If a championship bout ends in a draw, the champion usually retains the title.
Boxing had always traditionally been a sport for males, with men performing the officiating. The first female boxing judge, Carol Polis, was appointed in 1973. Eva Shain
, appointed as a judge a year after Polis by the New York State Athletic Commission
, became the first woman to judge a heavyweight title fight, when she was one of three judges officiating Earnie Shavers
fought Muhammad Ali
at Madison Square Garden
on September 29, 1977.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
match, with as many as three judges typically present at ringside to score the bout and assign points to the boxers, based on punches that connect, defense, knockdowns, and other, more subjective, measures.
A boxing match that has not ended in a knockout
Knockout
A knockout is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, Karate and others sports involving striking...
, technical knockout (TKO) or disqualification
Disqualification (boxing)
A disqualification is a term used when a bout is stopped short of knockout or judges' decision because, intentionally, one or both contestants have repeatedly or flagrantly fouled an opponent or violated other rules. The disqualified boxer automatically loses the bout to the opponent...
(DQ), having reached the limit on the preset number of rounds has "gone the distance" and the fighter with the higher score at the end of the fight is ruled the winner. With three judges, unanimous decision
Unanimous decision
A unanimous decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which all three judges agree on which fighter won the match....
s and split decision
Split decision
A split decision is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts and others sports involving striking in which two of the three judges score for the same fighter as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other...
s are possible, as are draws. Because of the open-ended style of boxing judging, fights may end with controversial results, in which one of the fighters may believe they have been "stolen" or unfairly denied a victory. A draw will result if all three judges call the fight even or if one judge favors one fighter, a second judge's card supports the other and the third calls the fight a draw. The March 1999 heavyweight unification bout between Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield
Evander Holyfield is a professional boxer from the United States. He is a former undisputed world champion in both the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions, earning him the nickname "The Real Deal"...
and Lennox Lewis
Lennox Lewis
Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship...
at Madison Square Garden is an example of a draw where all three judges had scored the fight differently, with Eugenia Williams favoring Holyfield, Stanley Christodoulou
Stanley Christodoulou
Stanley Christodoulou is a South African international boxing judge and referee. Christodoulou has judged bouts in his native South Africa, as well as internationally with the WBA, with whom he is involved in leaderships roles dealing with officiating...
favoring Lewis and Larry O'Connell calling the fight a draw. The result led to calls for an immediate rematch between the two fighters. The extremely rare majority draw
Majority draw
A majority draw is an outcome in several full-contact combat sports, including boxing, mixed martial arts, and others sports involving striking. In a majority draw, two of the three judges agree that neither fighter won , while the third judge indicates one fighter being the clear winner on his/her...
results when two out of the three judges call the fight even, which means the fight will be called a draw regardless if the third judge favors one fighter There are some scoring systems used in boxing make it impossible for a judge to award equal points for a match. If a championship bout ends in a draw, the champion usually retains the title.
Boxing had always traditionally been a sport for males, with men performing the officiating. The first female boxing judge, Carol Polis, was appointed in 1973. Eva Shain
Eva Shain
Eva Shain was an American boxing judge who was one of the first female judges in New York and became the first woman to judge a heavyweight championship bout when she was one of the judges at the 1977 fight between Muhammad Ali and Earnie Shavers in 1977 at Madison Square Garden.Shain grew up in...
, appointed as a judge a year after Polis by the New York State Athletic Commission
New York State Athletic Commission
The New York State Athletic Commission or NYSAC, also known as the New York Athletic Commission, regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New York, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, professional wrestlers, seconds, ring officials,...
, became the first woman to judge a heavyweight title fight, when she was one of three judges officiating Earnie Shavers
Earnie Shavers
Earnie Dee Shaver , better known as Earnie Shavers, is an American former professional boxer and is widely considered along with George Foreman as the hardest punchers of all time...
fought Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an American former professional boxer, philanthropist and social activist...
at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
on September 29, 1977.