World Boxing Council President Maurcio Sulaiman has revealed that his organization has lowed the amount of rounds for all regional title fights.
Any regional title will now be contested at no more than the ten round limit. Only world championship and silver championship fights will be mandated for the twelve round distance.
“The World Council of Boxing (WBC), based on the recommendation of its medical committee, voted unanimously to reduce, from twelve to ten rounds, for all subsidiaries championship fights in the organization. Only world championship and silver championship fights will be authorized for twelve rounds,” Sulaiman told El Heraldo.
“It is recommended, even, eight rounds for regional championships that handle a lower profile based on the level of experience of the boxers. Boxing is a contact sport and can be dangerous if no care is placed to the maximum and measures are taken. Through the years there have been measures implemented to maximize the protection of fighters.
“The most important rule in boxing history was to reduce world championship fights from fifteen to twelve rounds. This change has saved lives and dignified the quality of life of all boxers inside the ring. Fate led my dad to meet Dr. Gerald Finerman, when they were both exercising on a treadmill. The talk led them to know that one was director of an important area of the UCLA hospital , and the other, president of the WBC.
“This is where a brain injury study program sponsored by donations from the WBC was born. These studies yielded valuable information , which in addition to giving the elements to the WBC to change rules, was the basis for further studies of the NFL, and they are the ones that created the care protocol in all the emergency rooms of the hospitals in the world.
“It is now, that 38 years later, the WBC takes the next step to protect developing boxers. International, continental, regional, national, youth titles will be contested over ten or even eight rounds. Medical and statistical studies indicate that an important risk factor is the sudden change for boxers in terms of the number of rounds fought.
“It is very common for prospects to be rushed and taken to fight in greater numbers of rounds in a hasty manner. That is, they climb from four to six, or eight , and then to ten rounds too quickly without getting used to the physical and mental demands of entering those ‘unknown rounds.’ It is necessary to take care, that the fighters mature and rise gradually in terms of the number of rounds that are scheduled.”
–boxingscene.com
