Boxing has played host to many changes over the years, including how many rounds a Championship fight lasts.
The current boxing generation have only ever known 12-round Championship fights whereas the likes of Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier all fought 15-round contests for much of their career.
That was the case until 1982, when the World Boxing Council (WBC) voted for the right to the cut the number of rounds by three.
Their decision wasn’t taken lightly, however, as one tragic incident influenced the huge change.
Why are boxing fights 12 rounds?
1982 was the year where Championship fights were changed forever after a fatal incident which saw one boxer die.
Duk Koo Kim fought WBA lightweight champion Ray Mancini in a 15-round bout in November 1982.
It was the first time the Korean had fought this many rounds but suffered several injuries in the 14th, leading to referee Richard Green to wave an end to the contest.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and Kim collapsed before falling unconscious. He then died in hospital four days later.
Not everyone agreed with 12-round boxing fights
Following the tragic incident, the WBC moved quickly to change the rules and held a vote one month later, where they proposed to change the rules.
An overwhelming majority voted in favor to drop the number of rounds from 15 to 12 and not long after, several boxing federations, including the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Association (WBA), also followed suit.
Implemented in order to reduce the risk of injury in the sport, it was a move that was initially met with anger.
Heavy-hitters such as Larry Holmes criticized the decision, stating: “It will cut down on injuries for a lot of fighters, but it will take away from the true champions. A true champion can go 15 rounds.”
Despite initial concerns, it’s a fight that has paid off and the likes of Mike Tyson and more recently Oleksandr Usyk, Dmitry Bivol and more have all delivered memorable 12-round contests.