How Many Rounds Are There in Boxing? A Complete Guide to Fight Formats

By Matt Astbury

If you have watched different boxing competitions, you probably know that the number of rounds in them can vary. It is very easy for a beginner to get confused in this system. In fact, understanding the basics, you can immediately determine the duration of the fight. In this article, you will find all the necessary explanations.

Overview of Boxing Round Systems

Modern rules didn’t come into being overnight. To better understand them, let’s dive a little into history.

Initial Rules

For three-quarters of the 19th century, boxers fought under the primitive rules of the “London Prize Ring.” In essence, a fight was perceived as a confrontation until an early victory (until a knockout). The rules were conditional, and the lack of sanctioning bodies (versions in boxing) was a consequence of the vagueness of the regulations. Fighters entered a duel, where one of the opponents was doomed to a knockout. There was no third option. The round ended after one of the boxers fell. Fights could last for several hours.

First Structure

The transition to the postulate of the Marquis of Queensberry was not quick. The process stretched out over several decades. At the transitional stage, there was a need for structuring. How many rounds were there in professional boxing in the early stages of formation? Answering this question is not as easy as it seems at first glance. As a rule, fighters agreed on the number of rounds in advance. This could be a fight with regulations of 10, 15, 20 or 25 rounds. The first championship fight with a fixed 20-round schedule took place on June 9, 1899.

The number of rounds in boxing was structured in 1920 after the adoption of the “Walker Act.” Professional boxing was transformed into a legal sport. The rules of the regulations fixed the figure of 15 rounds (for a championship fight). The number of rounds was selected experimentally by studying previous history. There are exceptions to any rule. For example, the championship fights between Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney were 10 rounds (1926 and 1927). There were exceptions in the other direction as well. In 1942, the championship fight between Joe Louis and Abe Simon was 20 rounds.

Current System

The situation with 15 rounds changed in 1982. Ray Mancini, the WBA lightweight champion, knocked out Kim Duk Koo, No. 1 WBA, in the 14th round. The challenger died after the fight. The death of the Korean boxer served as a reason for changing the format of championship fights. Representatives of the World Boxing Council (WBC) were the first to propose reducing the regulations to 12 rounds. In 1987, their colleagues from the WBA and IBF joined them. The transition process was not quick. In 1983, the first championship fight in the 12-round format took place. Now, the number of rounds largely depends on the level and class of the competition; we will talk about this in detail in the next section.

How Many Rounds in Different Types of Boxing Matches?

It is impossible to answer this question without knowing what specific competition we are talking about.

Professional Boxing – Title Fights and Regular Bouts

Check on 1xbet site, and you’ll probably notice different formats for boxing bets. In professional boxing, the maximum duration of fights is 12 rounds of three minutes. This format is usually regulated for rating and championship fights. In non-status fights, where nothing is at stake, and the fighters’ reputations are almost unknown, the fight can last at least four rounds, but also 8-10 rounds. Beginning professionals usually start with 6-round fights. The duration of the rounds is also strictly regulated. The fight lasts for three minutes with one-minute breaks.

Amateur Boxing – Shorter and Faster

Until 2010, amateur boxing had four two-minute rounds with a one-minute break in between. Then, AIBA decided to go back to the old three-minute round format to reduce the number of rests and, most importantly, to increase the spectacle and intensity of the fights. Considering how many years have passed since the innovation, everyone seems happy.

The number of rounds differs for men and women. Men have three rounds of three minutes, and women have four rounds of two minutes. The duration of breaks remains the same.  The scoring system is also somewhat different from professional boxing. In amateur competitions, scoring is more focused on technique and the number of effective strikes rather than the number of knockdowns.

How many rounds are there in boxing at the Olympics?

Martial arts are an integral part of the Olympic Games, but boxing only became part of the program in 1904, debuting at the games in St. Louis. In Olympic boxing, each fight takes place in three rounds, each lasting 3 minutes. There is a break of no more than 3 minutes between rounds. At the end of each round, five judges outside the ring evaluate the performance: the winner gets 10 points, and the loser, depending on how much he resisted, is awarded from 7 to 9 points. At the end of the final round, the winner is determined either by unanimous decision (when all judges give preference to one) or by split decision (if someone does not agree with this decision).

It is impossible to talk about rounds without mentioning the differences between the rules of Olympic boxing and professional boxing. Previously, boxers competed in the Olympics wearing protective helmets to avoid dangerous blows (we are not talking about the mandatory mouthguards for everyone). In 2016, it was decided to hold men’s fights without helmets: it turned out that the risk of concussion in a helmet was higher than without a helmet (at the same time, women will still compete in helmets).

Special Boxing Events – Exhibition and Celebrity Fights

Exhibition fights are not part of the competition. Usually, their purpose is to draw attention to a particular event or give fans the opportunity to see their favorite stars again. These fights are not regulated by special rules, but by default, the opponents do not try to harm each other. Most often, boxers use larger gloves. They can also dress as they wish. The main goal of exhibition fights is entertainment, not cruelty.

There are also no specific rules regarding the duration of such fights. They usually last from 4 to 8 rounds. However, everything depends on the boxers’ personal agreement regarding the event. In addition, the duration of the rounds can also be shortened. In general, exhibition fights have more relaxed rules in order to expose the health of the boxers to minimal risk.

Of course, things don’t always go according to plan. For example, in an exhibition fight between Floyd Mayweather and John Gatti III, which was supposed to go eight rounds, an unexpected brawl occurred. In the end, no one was hurt, but the fight was stopped. Floyd Mayweather also distinguished himself in an exhibition fight with Mikuru Asakura, in which the boxer knocked out his opponent in the second round.

Conclusion

So, to understand how many rounds there will be in a match, you need to know the class and level of the competition. The exception is exhibition and demonstration fights. However, in them, the number of rounds is announced in advance according to the agreements reached.