A technical decision is a term used in
boxing
Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...
when a fight has to be stopped because of a headbutt.
In mixed martial arts, a technical decision occurs when a fighter is rendered unable to continued by a foul and the majority of the final round has already been completed.
MMA
Boxing
Boxing referees must pay close attention to the action between fighters, especially when they are fighting close to each other, because if a fighter is cut, the referee must decide whether it was caused by a punch or a head collision. Only the referee can make that decision.
Most head collisions in boxing are unintentional, especially when both boxers are trying for a
knockout
A knockout (abbreviated to KO or K.O.) is a fight-ending, winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, karate, some forms of taekwondo and other sports involving striking, ...
and/or fighting at close range. An intentional head butt is considered a flagrant foul that can result in disqualification of the offender.
In the case of a cut to the head, the referee must consult the ringside physician as many times as the referee thinks necessary, whether or not the referee decides the cut was caused by a punch. If the doctor decides that the fighter cannot continue, the referee must stop the fight. If the referee decides that a punch caused the cut, the other boxer wins by technical knockout. If the referee decides it was produced by an unintentional headbutt, then so long as the fight has gone the required distance under the rules in effect for that fight, the judges at ringside must hand over their scorecards (including scores for the incomplete round), and the fighter ahead on points wins by technical decision.
If an intentional foul causes an injury where the contest is allowed to continue, but the fighter is unable to continue in a subsequent round, special rules are imposed once the fight has reached official status. If the fighter who is unable to continue is ahead on points, he wins. If the fighter is behind or tied, the fight is declared a technical draw because the fighter who deliberately fouls is ineligible to win.
The rules governing the required distance for a fighter to be declared a winner by technical decision vary by federation. Some require the fight to be in at least the fourth round; others (and most championship fights) require the fight to be past the halfway point (i.e., five rounds for a 10-round match; six rounds for a 12-round match). If a fight is stopped because of an unintentional headbutt without reaching the required distance, it is automatically declared a
technical draw
A technical draw is a term used in boxing when a fight has to be stopped because a fighter is unable to continue from an accidental injury (usually cuts) or foul.
Draws occur when the bout goes to the scorecards, and the officials cannot determin ...
. Generally, every country where boxing is practiced accepts the four round or the halfway point as the right distance for a fight to be won or lost by technical decisions.
A unique case happened between world champions
Daniel Santos and
Antonio Margarito
Antonio Margarito Montiel (born March 18, 1978) is a Mexican-American former professional boxer and cheater who competed between 1994 and 2017. He held multiple welterweight world championships, including the WBO title from 2002 to 2007, the ...
: ''both'' of their fights ended in technical decisions, which is very rare in boxing. Their first bout was declared a draw, as it had gone only one minute before being stopped, and Santos won by a ten-round split technical decision in their rematch.
One of the most controversial technical decisions in boxing history occurred in May 1994, when
Julio César Chávez
Julio César Chávez González (; born July 12, 1962), also known as Julio César Chávez Sr., is a Mexican former professional boxer who competed from 1980 to 2005. A multiple-time world champion in three weight divisions, Chávez was liste ...
regained the
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation ...
Light Welterweight title over his previous conqueror,
Frankie Randall
Frankie Billy Randall (September 25, 1961 – December 23, 2020) was an American professional boxer who competed from 1983 to 2005. He was a three-time light welterweight world champion, having held the WBA and WBC titles between 1994 and 199 ...
. Large percentages of both members of the media and the
Pay Per View
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program ...
public had Randall ahead by a substantial amount when the fight was stopped in the eighth round by a cut on Chávez's head, but the judges viewed the fight otherwise, giving the fight to Chávez by a split technical decision. Boxing magazines such as ''
The Ring The Ring may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*The Ring (franchise), ''The Ring'' (franchise), a Japanese horror media franchise
Literature
* ''The Ring'', a 1967 novel by Richard Chopping
* ''The Ring'', a 1988 book by Daniel Keys Moran
* ''The R ...
'' and ''
KO'' criticized the judges, particularly judge
Ray Solis, for scoring the fight for Chávez.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Technical Decision
Boxing rules and regulations