AboutLian Shoemake Expertise I can answer questions regarding rules for both pro and amateur boxing; upcoming bouts; fight analysis/predictions; various other questions. I am an experienced amateur boxing official with USA Boxing (14 years) and I have completed a yearlong professional officials` clinic with the California State Athletic Commission.
Question I have often heard that in a championship bout, the challenger must win a convincing decision in order to take away the championship.
My question: If, at the end of the fight, on the judges' score cards, the challenger has won a very close decision, how do the judges change their votes to give the decision to the champion?
Answer Hi Brad,
Thanks for the question.
I've always taken issue with boxing announcers - many of whom should know better - who make the statement that a challenger has to win "convincingly" to take a title.
The fact is, that judges turn in individual score cards after each round. Next time you see a bout on television, watch the referee at the end of the round. He or she will collect cards from each judge and hand them to the commissioner or inspector at ringside, who keeps a running tally of the scores throughout the bout.
Therefore, judges do not have the ability to change scores at any time after the referee has collected them.
The other fact is that once the bell rings to begin a championship fight, there really is no champion at that point; that's what the fight is supposed to determine!
So given your scenario above, if the challenger has won a very close decision at the end of the fight, then he or she would become the new champion.
I hope this helps, Brad.
Thanks again for writing!
