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The World Boxing Council Rules and Regulations govern professional boxing championship bouts, in full agreement with the local boxing commission where the contest is held. Violating these championship rules may be a cause for disqualification and/or suspension, fine, other disciplinary action of the boxer and/or loss of the bout. Only managers with legal contracts, and/or those with written authorization of the boxer they represent, can sign the World Championship Rules and Regulations. No boxer can claim lack of knowledge of the World Championship Rules and Regulations.
The contracts and the medical exam reports must be in order before the beginning of the bout. For every fight from the Minimum up to the Welterweight division, the eight (8) ounce gloves are used. For every bout from the Superwelterweight up to the Heavyweight division, the ten (10) ounce gloves must be used. The bandage must be of crepe or gauze, and their length shall be enough to protect the boxer's hands. The adhesive tape shall be no more than 2.5 meters long and 2.5 centimeters wide for each hand. Antidoping tests are mandatory for every WBC certified title match. A boxer is not permitted to use any substance during or prior to the bout that would make him psychologically or physically superior or inferior to his opponent.
The title bout has twelve rounds of three minutes each, with one minute of rest between the end of one round and the beginning of the next, which is indicated by the sound of the bell. Scorecards are independent for each round. Three judges will each score the bout, and a non-scoring referee. The judges will score only the result of the round; any point deducted by the referee will be subtracted by the WBC representative in the master score sheet. If a boxer is legally knocked outside the ring, the downed boxer is given twenty seconds to return to the ring, without any assistance from his corner. If the boxer fails to return to the ring unassisted in twenty seconds, the bout will be stopped and he will lose by TKO. In this case, the referee must order the standing boxer to the farthest neutral corner, and the boxer must remain there until the referee orders him to resume boxing.
The bell cannot save a boxer who has been knocked down except in the last round when the bell indicates the end of the fight. If a boxer is knocked down by a clean punch at the end of a round, the referee will continue the count, and will declare him the loser by knock out if he does not get up unassisted before the count of ten seconds.
All fouls recognized by boxing authorities are penalized by warnings from the referee and point deduction(s), at the discretion of the referee, after two warnings.
Some common fouls:
1. Hitting below the belt
2. Use of elbows, shoulders or forearms.
3. Butting with the head.
4. Hitting in the back of the head.
5. Striking the kidneys or back.
6. Hitting with the inside of the glove.
7. Hitting with the back of the hand.
8. Striking with the knees, feet or any part of the legs.
9. Holding the ring ropes to hit with the other hand.
10. Hitting the opponent when part of his body is out of the ropes.
No boxer is allowed to box at any time without a mouthpiece. The referee has the authority to:
1) Instruct and supervise the corner men in their duties and responsibilities during the match, and
2) Supervise all medical care of the boxers.
The referee has the authority to inspect and confiscate any substance, material or equipment used in a corner, which he believes might violate the Rules and Regulations.
World champions are recognized in the existing weight divisions with the following limits:
| Division |
Pounds |
| Minimumweight |
105 |
| Lightflyweight |
108 |
| Flyweight |
112 |
| Super Flyweight |
115 |
| Bantamweight |
118 |
| Superbantamweight |
122 |
| Featherweight |
126 |
| Superfeatherweight |
130 |
| Lightweight |
135 |
| Superlightweight |
140 |
| Welterweight |
147 |
| Superwelterweight |
154 |
| Middleweight |
160 |
| Supermiddleweight |
168 |
| Lightheavyweight |
175 |
| Cruiserweight |
200 |
| Heavyweight |
over 200 with no upper limit |
The ratings are established by the World Boxing Council (WBC) each month, in each weight division from No. 1 to No. 30, and appoints an outstanding boxer or boxers monthly and annually. |
