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The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) have noticed a level of controversy around the stoppage and scoring of this weekend’s Carl Froch-George Groves IBF title fight at super-middleweight (12st).
While we understand that Mr Groves and his team are disappointed with the conclusion of the fight and the scores the judges had recorded, we wanted to put our criteria on the record. It is fair to say that a Carl Froch fight needs to be scored differently for a number of reasons:
1. Carl Froch is a “warrior”
2. Carl Froch has an “iron chin”
3. Carl Froch is an “international superstar”
4. Carl Froch is the “champion” and any opponent must “take it” from him
We ask that referees and judges keep these issues in mind during a fight. We accept that for the casual hardcore fan however, these reasons may cause confusion as to the specific assessment our judges make during Mr Froch’s fights. To support you, and to offset any suggestion of impropriety (as the Board is and always will be above reproach or su****ion) we have compiled this quick guide to how to score a Carl Froch fight.
The criteria
1. If Carl lands more punches in the round, or the more damaging punches, he wins the round 10-9
2. If Carl’s opponent lands more punches, or the more damaging punches, Carl wins the round because “that’s how he fights”
3. If Carl is boxing on the back foot behind his jab, this is an example of his versatility and he wins the round
4. If Carl’s opponent is boxing on the back foot behind their jab, this is an example of them running away from Carl’s power, and Carl wins the round
5. If Carl punches legal, but non-scoring, areas like arms and gloves, Carl wins the round because he’s doing damage that will “pay off down the stretch”
6. If the opponent punches legal, but non-scoring, areas like arms and gloves, this is because Froch’s defence is “underrated” and his opponent is wearing himself out
7. If Carl knocks his opponent down, he wins the round 10-8 and gains additional “warrior” points* to spend throughout the remainder of the fight
8. If the opponent knocks Carl down and he gets up, this is down to his “iron chin” and Carl receives “warrior” points to spend throughout the remainder of the fight. He loses the round 10-8, but gains additional “iron chin” points. These points can be used to halt the referee from stopping the fight in your opponent’s favour – even if you have taken a career-altering beating.
Using these criteria, you can see it was correct that there was only a two-point margin in Mr Groves favour. It also explains why Howard Foster opted to stop the fight, since the amount of “iron chin” and “warrior points” Mr Froch had accumulated during the prior eight rounds left too large a gap for Mr Groves to overcome. It was the right thing to do because, as you know, the Board’s paramount concern is fighter safety.
We hope this helps with any further discussions you may engage in on this topic.
Yours,
The Board
*”Warrior” points are a relatively new addition to the BBBoC’s scoring criteria and deserve some clarification. We created them to ensure that fighters like Carl Froch, who fight with scant regard for defence or their health, have the opportunity to win fights against more skilled opposition.
For every clean shot or knockdown Carl suffers, or wild swing that he misses, he gets additional credit. He can then use these points to even up the scorecards, overlooking that unfair “defence” criterion, or in some cases encourage the referee to halt the fight in his favour when he lands any series of punches. The opponent’s condition is not a valid concern at this stage, since “warrior” points overrule any concerns about “fitness to continue”
The British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) have noticed a level of controversy around the stoppage and scoring of this weekend’s Carl Froch-George Groves IBF title fight at super-middleweight (12st).
While we understand that Mr Groves and his team are disappointed with the conclusion of the fight and the scores the judges had recorded, we wanted to put our criteria on the record. It is fair to say that a Carl Froch fight needs to be scored differently for a number of reasons:
1. Carl Froch is a “warrior”
2. Carl Froch has an “iron chin”
3. Carl Froch is an “international superstar”
4. Carl Froch is the “champion” and any opponent must “take it” from him
We ask that referees and judges keep these issues in mind during a fight. We accept that for the casual hardcore fan however, these reasons may cause confusion as to the specific assessment our judges make during Mr Froch’s fights. To support you, and to offset any suggestion of impropriety (as the Board is and always will be above reproach or su****ion) we have compiled this quick guide to how to score a Carl Froch fight.
The criteria
1. If Carl lands more punches in the round, or the more damaging punches, he wins the round 10-9
2. If Carl’s opponent lands more punches, or the more damaging punches, Carl wins the round because “that’s how he fights”
3. If Carl is boxing on the back foot behind his jab, this is an example of his versatility and he wins the round
4. If Carl’s opponent is boxing on the back foot behind their jab, this is an example of them running away from Carl’s power, and Carl wins the round
5. If Carl punches legal, but non-scoring, areas like arms and gloves, Carl wins the round because he’s doing damage that will “pay off down the stretch”
6. If the opponent punches legal, but non-scoring, areas like arms and gloves, this is because Froch’s defence is “underrated” and his opponent is wearing himself out
7. If Carl knocks his opponent down, he wins the round 10-8 and gains additional “warrior” points* to spend throughout the remainder of the fight
8. If the opponent knocks Carl down and he gets up, this is down to his “iron chin” and Carl receives “warrior” points to spend throughout the remainder of the fight. He loses the round 10-8, but gains additional “iron chin” points. These points can be used to halt the referee from stopping the fight in your opponent’s favour – even if you have taken a career-altering beating.
Using these criteria, you can see it was correct that there was only a two-point margin in Mr Groves favour. It also explains why Howard Foster opted to stop the fight, since the amount of “iron chin” and “warrior points” Mr Froch had accumulated during the prior eight rounds left too large a gap for Mr Groves to overcome. It was the right thing to do because, as you know, the Board’s paramount concern is fighter safety.
We hope this helps with any further discussions you may engage in on this topic.
Yours,
The Board
*”Warrior” points are a relatively new addition to the BBBoC’s scoring criteria and deserve some clarification. We created them to ensure that fighters like Carl Froch, who fight with scant regard for defence or their health, have the opportunity to win fights against more skilled opposition.
For every clean shot or knockdown Carl suffers, or wild swing that he misses, he gets additional credit. He can then use these points to even up the scorecards, overlooking that unfair “defence” criterion, or in some cases encourage the referee to halt the fight in his favour when he lands any series of punches. The opponent’s condition is not a valid concern at this stage, since “warrior” points overrule any concerns about “fitness to continue”
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