It’s a fair question: Should someone who judges a professional boxing match have ever stepped into the ring themselves?
I’ve been asked that before – sometimes by fighters, sometimes by fans and sometimes by people who are flat-out angry about a decision. The assumption is, if you’ve never boxed, how can you truly understand what is happening in there?
It’s a valid concern. But here’s the truth: Having been a boxer isn’t necessary to be a good judge – though it absolutely helps.
Understanding from the outside isn’t easy
Most people grow up playing at least one sport. Whether it’s baseball, basketball or football, we’ve thrown a pass, taken a shot or stood in the batter’s box. Even if we weren’t elite athletes, we felt those sports from the inside. That gives fans and referees alike a basic reference point when watching or officiating.
But boxing is different.
The vast majority of people – including some boxing officials – have never laced up a glove, taken a body shot or gasped for air in the middle of a sparring round. The ring is a foreign world. Judging from the outside can feel like watching something through glass.
So while it’s not a prerequisite, having been in there – even just in the amateurs or in the gym – gives a judge insight that is hard to teach.
What ring experience adds
I’m not saying you have to have been a pro. You don’t need a championship belt to score a fight correctly. But if you’ve ever sparred a few rounds or trained seriously, you gain a better understanding of some key things:
- When a fighter is tired: You notice the little tells – the shoulders sagging, the feet getting stuck, the body language slipping.
- When a punch hurts: Not just from facial expressions, but from the way a fighter reacts – or doesn't react.
- When a punch looks good but doesn’t land clean: You’ve been hit with glancing shots and you’ve landed them. You know the difference.
- When someone’s surviving versus controlling: It’s subtle, but lived experience makes that easier to spot.
You also develop a deep respect for what fighters go through – the pain, the risk, the exhaustion and the courage it takes just to show up. That respect can help keep a judge sharp, humble and focused on fairness.
Can fight experience get in the way?
Former pro fighters are an interesting lot. They’ve fought literally thousands of rounds in the gym, the amateurs and the pros. That’s a wealth of experience. But the gym culture is different than the arena and the scoring culture.
Some seasoned fighters can watch a gym war and watch one of the fighters get hit way more than the other and come away believing the fighter who threw less won the “gym” round.
A veteran fighter will sometimes take shots while they are working on something. They may counter less often – but sharper and harder. In the gym, the knowing eyes understand who is getting the better of the round.
On fight night, under the bright lights, sometimes better fighters revert to gym habits. Experienced fighters may view what’s going on through a gym lens, not an official scoring lens, because they know who is doing more complex or significant work.
Sometimes that runs contrary to scoring.
Former fighters have to put on another hat while scoring a fight versus when they watch gym work, because they are two different things.
What can judges without ring experience do?
Let me be clear: Some of the very best judges have never boxed and yet they get all the intricacies of the sport and scoring.
Taking some boxing lessons or classes might improve judging if a judge doesn’t have the experience. Knowing how a proper punch is thrown, the body mechanics and the shifting of body weight can help a judge understand what they are watching while scoring. Balance, footwork and knowing where power comes from can all help a judge do their job.
No need for a broken nose or a cauliflower ear. But understanding and experiencing the mechanics of good boxing can really help.
Skill over experience
That said, I’ve worked with judges who have never boxed a day in their lives – and they are excellent. They study the craft, stay objective and follow the criteria. They know the difference between scoring clean punches and being swayed by the crowd. They don’t need to have fought to see the fight.
The key is discipline, focus and judgment – not gym wars.
Bottom line
Boxing judging is not about who is tougher or who has been in the ring. It’s about scoring each round with consistency and clarity, based on what actually happens.
But if you have boxed – or even just trained seriously – you bring something extra. A better eye for what matters. A deeper respect for the fighters. And a little more empathy for what it takes to leave it all in the ring.
That doesn’t make you a better judge by default. But it doesn’t hurt, either.