Do you crave the return of the 15 rounder?

[Maxy]

Looking at the the excellent thread by Romulus, it got me craving the return of true world championship boxing. I don't know if many others miss those days, don't know how many on here witnessed those days, but a 15 round world title fight was the defining test of a fighter.

It was abolished for safety reasons, which is bollocks. It robbed Hagler, for instance, of a victory over Leonard (I happened to have watched that fight tonight, so it's relevant in my mind), and it has genuinely taken away from the age old adage that we are "entering the championship rounds", ie, 13-15. These days the championship rounds are anything after the 10th! That is lame, that is wrong.

I long for the reinstatement of 15 round fights. Do you agree? Are you against the idea? Why? Let's talk about it.

[BrutalBodyShots]

Yes I'm all for 15 rounders.

[boxingcritic]

I'd love to have 15rounders back. I think one of the main reasons they dropped it was for TV.

Trivia Question: Who fought the very last 15round fight?

[Fitz]

It would be cool if a fighter could at least negotiate a 15 round fight and put it in the contract and get his opponent to agree to it.

[Romulus9]

boxingcritic Wrote:I'd love to have 15rounders back. I think one of the main reasons they dropped it was for TV.

Trivia Question: Who fought the very last 15round fight?

I know Paez-Grove I was right toward the end.

Eric Holland and Jose Flores was a 15 rounder in New Mexico in '97, for the highly acclaimed WBB strap.

I remember the IBO still doing 15 rounders in the mid-90s too, in states like Colorado because they just didn't care. Vinny Pazienza and Dan Sherry was scheduled for 15.

Even if two fighters agreed to it, and I'm sure there are plenty who would, most state commissions have it written into the bylaws that a fight can be twelve rounds at most. I do miss the 15 rounders. Those last three rounds really proved to be the truth in a lot of fights through the years. And you never heard much of anything until Mancini-Kim. Had Benny Paret died in round 13 instead of round 12, there wouldn't have been an outcry to cut distances to 12 rounds. It just so happened that Mancini was a well-known commodity and the Kim fight was on CBS in the middle of the day.

Eventually, I'd like to see a return to 8 oz. gloves across the board and 15 round title fights. That's just me. And I get all of the arguments, usually from people outside of the sport. But this is boxing, not a golf tournament. Sometimes bad things happen. I sat here in front of the TV and watched Randie Carver collapse after ten rounds, and die a few days later, thanks to a series of headbutts from Kabary Salem. Fight duration had nothing to do with it. Glove size didn't either. Inside of the construct of the sport, I wish we'd go back to what worked when the sport was at the top.

[boxingcritic]

I thought Holyfield fought the last 15round fight.

[ViperSniper]

I thought that Tim Witherspoon possibly fought the last official 15 rounder?


..Who fought the first 12 round world title fight then?

[BrutalBodyShots]

Nice post Rom.

I think the big question to answer is whether or not there are significantly less boxing related medical issues over the course of the last 20 years compared to say the 20 years before that - you know, get a real comparison of 12 rounders vs 15 rounders. Just shooting from the hip, I wouldn't think that there's a big difference so I don't see the problem with going back to 15 rounders.

[Method]

I do. I crave it.

[Maxy]

I like Rom's idea...8oz gloves and 15 rounders. It'll bring back a lot more excitement, no doubt about it. The WBC changed to 12 rounders first and it took a few more years for the WBA and IBF (who changed last) to do the same. I always thought the IBF having 15 round fights helped them establish themselves when most people were against yet another boxing organization.

I know I watched Dave McCauley lose by KO in round 13 to Fidel Bassa for the WBA flyweight title in '87 and the rematch, less than a year later was fought over 12 rounds. I watched Rocky Lockeridge outpoint Harold Knight in an excellent 15 round bout in '88, for the IBF super featherweight title, but when he next boxed, just 3 months later, it was a 12 round bout for the same belt. Great fight that actually against Tony "The Tiger" Lopez.

Changing the rules due to the Kim fatality was a mistake though in my opinion. Speaking purely from a British perspective about near fatalities, Rod Douglas (L TKO9), Michael Watson (L TKO12), Gerald McClellan (L KO10), Spencer Oliver (L TKO 10), Paul Ingle (L TKO 12), and actual fatalities Johnny Owen (L KO12), Bradley Stone (L TKO10), Steve Watt (L TKO10) and James Murray (L KO12) all indicate that there is more danger of a serious injury the longer a fight goes on, but only the Owen fight was actually scheduled for 15 rounds. Another fighter, Young Ali died after his bout with Barry McGuigan. He was knocked out in the 6th round.

Today the surgeons ringside in England are far better equipped and knowledgeable to deal with a potential tragedy, and if their expertise was matched overseas for all world title fights, I'm sure a return to 15 rounders wouldn't result in more ring tragedies.