BOXING CHAMPIONSHIPS RULES
Article 1 – Introduction
- These regulations shall be extended to all WMMAFC Boxing Championships and the Championship bouts shall be governed by the WMMAFC boxing rules in full agreement with the affiliated member in charge.
1.1. Subject to the following, any Boxer shall be permitted to issue a challenge for the title of World, Intercontinental, Continental, Champion. Such challenges in the case of eligible Boxers must be made through the Affiliated National Association by which the challenging Boxer is licensed.
Article 2 – Role of WMMAFC
2.1. The International Championships shall be controlled by the WMMAFC through the WMMAFC Council which shall be responsible for conducting such Championships in accordance with these Regulations.
Article 3 – Eligibility
To be eligible to take part in a contest for an International Championship a Boxer must :
3.1. be at least 18 years of age; and
3.2. be domiciled and a national of a European Country ;
3.3. have boxed at least five of his last ten fights in Europe.
3.4. be licensed by an Affiliated National Association; and
3.5. be approved by the WMMAFC Council.
3.6. not holding any World Title of any Federation.
Article 4 – Mandatory Defences
4.1. A European Champion shall defend his title in a contest with the Official Challenger within six months of having won it or having defended it successfully;
4.2. Should the Official Challenger be unable or unwilling to engage in a contest against the International Champion, the Champion shall defend his title against the highest-ranked person available in the last Ratings.
4.3. The terms of a mandatory defense can be extended from 6 to 9 months on the request of the Champion subject to the Council agreement.
4.4. The period of time of any postponement granted for any mandatory defense that goes beyond the regulatory time period of 6 months has to be cut from the following defense period.
Article 5 – Voluntary Defences
An International Champion may defend his European title voluntarily only against a Boxer in the current ratings and save in so far as a voluntary defense does not prevent the International Champion from fulfilling his obligations in relation to the mandatory defense of his title. The promoter or the boxer (Champion or Challenger) withdrawing from the championship contest after the signature of the contracts shall be sanctioned by the fine of EURO 3.300.(*)
5.1. The Champion loses his title and the Promoter or the Boxer – the one who made the mistake and who’s responsibility is engaged, pays the fine of EURO 3.300 (*)
5.2. The Challenger or his Promoter – the one who made the mistake and who’s responsibility is engaged, pays the fine of EURO 3.300 (*).
(*) will be kept in a benevolent fund
Article 6 – Championship Arrangements
6.1. Mandatory Defences
6.1.1. Following nomination by the Classifications Commission of the Official Challenger or, where necessary, a substitute, the two Boxers who are to box for the title and the Promoter approved by the WMMAFC Council to promote the contest shall have three months within which to make the necessary arrangements for the contests to take place.
The said Promoter shall notify the WMMAFC Council of the arrangements and send to it copies of the contracts which he has entered into with both Boxers.
6.1.2 The boxers’ purses are always net of all taxes and the boxers are entitled to receive their purses according to the purse bid or according to the agreement of the fight. The promoter shall pay to the WMMAFC the sanction fee of 5% of the total of the two boxers’ purses with a minimum of Euro 4.700 from fly to super-feather; Euro 4.850 from light to middle and Euro 5.000 from super-middle to heavy.
For the EU and EE-EU the minimum of Euro 2.000 for all the divisions
For the Women, the minimum is Euro 1.000.
6.1.3. The contracts must be authorized in writing by the Affiliated National Association by whom the Boxers are licensed. The contracts must be lodged with the WMMAFC Council at least 30 days before the date of the contest failing which the WMMAFC Council shall have the discretion to stop the contest taking place;
The contest must take place before the expiration of the six months period.
6.1.4. Except with the written authorization of the WMMAFC Council neither an International Champion nor a Challenger for his title, whether Official or otherwise, shall box less than 28 days before he is due to box for an International title from the date of opening of the purse or from the date of a signed agreement if the fight is scheduled by agreement.
6.1.5. A contest for an International title whose date and venue have been arranged cannot be postponed save in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the WMMAFC Council.
6.1.6. Save as provided in paragraph ( 6-1), where a mandatory defense of the International title, whose date and the venue have been arranged, cannot take place for whatever reason then the WMMAFC Council may, at its absolute discretion, put out a contest for that International title on such terms as it deems fit.
6.2. Voluntary Defences
6.2.1. An International Champion wishing to defend his title voluntarily must first obtain the approval of the WMMAFC Council. The full record of the prospective challenger shall be submitted to the WMMAFC Council for approval;
(ii) If the WMMAFC Council approves the voluntary defense the International Champion shall not engage in a voluntary defense of his title against any other opponent prior to the approved contest;
6.2.2. A voluntary defense, which date and place have been accepted by WMMAFC Council can not be postponed, if the reason is the unavailability of the Challenger.
The Champion can defend against another rated opponent on the accepted date if a substitute can be found
6.2.3. If a proposed voluntary defense is not approved by the WMMAFC Council, any contracts which may have been entered into between the Boxers, the Managers, and any Promoters shall be null and void;
6.2.4. For the avoidance of doubt, the successful voluntary defense of his title by a European Champion shall not have any effect on his obligations in relation to the mandatory defense of his title;
6.2.5. If the International Champion loses his title in a voluntary defence, the new International Champion has to meet his Official Challenger before being allowed any voluntary defence and this within a period of three (3) months from the date when the new Champion won the title.
6.2.6. An International Champion who wins the title in a voluntary defence must make a mandatory defence of his title prior to any voluntary defence.
6.3. General
6.3.1. If, between the date when the Official Challenger has been nominated by the Classifications Commission and the time limit by which the contest must take place , the following shall occur :
(a) When the International Champion is beaten, he shall be deprived of his International title and his opponent shall qualify to meet the Official Challenger in a contest for the International title
(b) When the Official Challenger is beaten in a contest, then, unless otherwise determined by the Classifications Commission at its complete discretion, he shall be replaced by the highest-rated and available contender who accepts to be the next Official Challenger.
Article 7 – Purse Offers
7.1. In the event that no contracts are lodged with the WMMAFC Council within three months of the Official Challenger having been nominated, the General Secretary of the WMMAFC shall notify all Affiliated National Associations forthwith that Purse Offers are requested for a contest between the relevant European Champion and the Official Challenger.
7.2. All payments must be done in Euro
7.2.1. The affiliated National Association of the Country in which the contest takes place shall be responsible for ensuring that the purses are paid irrespective of whether the contest has been put out for purse offers and will also be responsible for ensuring that the sums due to be paid are transferred, where necessary, out of the jurisdiction. Payment to both Boxers must be completed immediately following the contest, according to the terms of the contracts.
7.3. Purse Offers shall be sent to the General Secretary of the E.B.U. within 21 days of a request for purse offers having been notified to affiliated National Associations. The purse offers can be accepted by the General Secretary directly from the Promoter with the approval of his Federation.
All purse offers shall be submitted through Promoters by affiliated National Associations and shall be sent by special delivery.
– the General Secretariat will not accept the notice of the agreement among the involved parties if such notice is not accompanied by the required contracts;
– the General Secretariat will accept the purse bids only if the Federation of the promoter sends the declaration to have received the deposit of the bond (art.7/7 of the Championship Regulations);
– The purse bids for all the International Championships shall be sent to the WMMAFC General Secretariat only by post. All purse offers transmitted by fax and not delivered in a sealed envelopes shall be considered null and void.
The purse offers shall specify a maximum period between 60 and 75 days within which the contest shall be promoted. In submitting a purse offer, the Promoter accepts the travel and accommodation expenses of three persons (boxer, manager, and trainer) shall be paid by him for three days for visiting Boxers.
7.4. If either
7.4.1. No purse offers are received within the time limit specified
7.4.2. The purse offer or offers received are considered by the WMMAFC Council, at its absolute discretion, to be of a reasonable amount; the General Secretariat than calls for a new purse bid procedure by notifying affiliated National Associations. In such circumstances, the WMMAFC Council may direct that purse offers are to be submitted within such period as it deems fit.
When purse offers are called for the second time, the short terms shall be of 15 days and the very short terms shall be of 7 days.
7.5. No contest will be approved by the WMMAFC Council unless it is to be promoted by a Promoter licensed by an affiliated National Association.
7.6. Purse offers shall be inclusive of all ancillary rights and, specifically, shall include the possible televising, broadcasting or screening of the contest by film or other means. The sum to be received by the visiting Boxer or Boxers shall be free of all taxes (whether federal, national or municipal).
7.7. When submitting a Purse Offer to the General Secretary, the Affiliated National Associations shall attach a letter bearing the following text (failing such a declaration, the bid will be considered null and void) :
DECLARATION CONCERNING PURSE OFFERS
Our Association declares to have received a bond of EURO 6.500 from Promoter as warranty of his promotion of the contest versus. This bond will be confiscated by the WMMAFC if, for whatever reason, the Promoter does not promote the contest.
7.8. The promoter winner of the purse offers shall have between15 and 30 days to specify the date of the contest. He shall organise the contest between 60 and 75 days from the date of opening of the bids but not before 21 days from such a date, unless agreement of the involved parties.
7.9. If a promoter winner of purse offers withdraws from the promotion of the contest, the General Secretary will ask the second bidder if he accepts to conform his bid to the first one. If he refuses, the new purse offers will be called forthwith in very short terms.”
7.10. The contender (champion or challenger) who withdraws from a mandatory EBU contest, except for reason independent from his will:
-after that the purse offers have been awarded or;
-after the contest has been agreed by the parties and approved by the General Secretary;
shall be fined by the amount of EURO 3.300 (Euro 1.650 for the EU contests) and shall no longer be eligible as an official challenger for the period of 6 full months. In the case he does not comply with such a decision, he will be removed from the EBU Ratings until the fine has been paid.
Article 8 – Purse Money
8.1. In the event of an International Championship being submitted for Purse Offers, such purse shall be divided as follows: · 60% to the Champion · 40% to the Challenger
8.2. In the event of the title being vacant, the Purse shall be divided on the basis of 50% for both Boxers.
Article 9 – Officials
9.1. Contests for International Championship at whichever venue they are held shall be controlled by a Referee (non-scoring) and by three neutral Judges, whose decision shall be final.
9.2. The President in accordance with the General Secretary shall appoint a Supervisor who shall act as overall supervisor of the arrangements for each International Championship Contest. He will act as the Official in charge of all matters concerning the WMMAFC in relation to each such contest save for deciding the winner.
9.3. The President in accordance with the General Secretary shall nominate the Referee, Supervisor and Judges for International Championship Contest.
9.4. The Referee, Supervisor and Judges must be contacted by a representative of the Affiliated National Association immediately on their arrival at the town where the contest is taking place. The Referee, Supervisor and Judges if possible shall not stay at the same hotel as the Boxers.
9.5. In all cases the Timekeeper will be a Licence holder of and appointed by the Affiliated National Association in the Country where the contest in held.
9.6. At least two ringside seats in the front row shall be reserved for members of the WMMAFC Council at European Championship contests. The Affiliated National Association in the Country where the contest takes place shall make the necessary arrangements with the Promoter.
Article 10 – Referees for European Championship Contests
10.1. Every year Affiliated National Associations shall forward through the General Secretary of the WMMAFC to the Officials Commission a current list of Referees which the affiliated National Associations consider competent to officiate at contests under the auspices of the WMMAFC.
10.2. Prior to certifying that a Referee is recognised by the WMMAFC, the Secretary General must be in possession of a “curriculum vitae” of each candidate clearly recording his experience as a boxing official.
10.3. Referees having been appointed to officiate in an WMMAFC contest and considered to have been unsatisfactory may be removed from the list of Referees recognised by the WMMAFC after consideration of the case by the Officials Commission approved by the WMMAFC Council acting on the report of the Supervisor present at the contest.
10.4. Referees shall not be permitted to referee after they have reached the age of 65 years and 70 years for the judges. They terminate the current year.
11.1. Referees, Judges and Supervisors shall be entitled to payment of their traveling expenses from airport to airport. All hotel accommodation shall be paid by the Promoter.
The expenses for all Ring officials and Supervisor must be paid from the Promoter to the Supervisor at the official weigh-in.
11.2. The expenses for all Ring officials are as follows:
The WMMAFC, External – WMMAFC, and Women Championships rates are as follows:
WMMAFC Championships (1 Referee + 3 Judges):
Officials: € 700,00 – Supervisor: € 700,00
Championships of the Continental & External-Continent (1 Referee + 3 Judges):
– Officials: € 400,00 – Supervisor: € 400,00
Women WMMAFC Championships 1 Referee + 2 Judges: ( Council Berlin 2020 )
Officials: € 300,00 – Supervisor: € 300,00
If a Champion or a Challenger refuses to abide by the decision of the WMMAFC Council concerning the arrangement of a Championship contest, for whatever reason, he may be :
12.1. Deprived of his title
12.2. Be declared ineligible to challenge for a Continental Championship until the expiration of six months from the date he is notified by the WMMAFC of his ineligibility.
A Continental Champion shall lose his title in the following ways :
13.1. If he is beaten in a contest within the limit of the division.
13.2. If he is defeated in a contest taking place under Championship conditions and recognized as such by the WMMAFC
13.3. If he does not submit to the weighing-in formalities which shall take place the day before the contest; (see Art.4.3. of the “Boxing Rules).
13.4. If he defends or endeavors to defend his title outside the jurisdiction of the WMMAFC.
13.5. If a disciplinary measure of suspension or for any other suspension’s matter, is requested either by the Federation where the boxer is affiliated or by the WMMAFC, preventing the Champion to defend his title in the due time.
13.6. If owing to sickness, accident or any other reason he is unable to box and, without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing, or where he is unable or unwilling to participate in a contest for a European title whose date and venue has been arranged, the WMMAFC exercises its discretion to put out a contest on such terms as it deems fit.
13.7. If he surrenders his title due to being overweight or for any other reason.
13.8. If his conduct as a Boxer is regarded by the WMMAFC Council as being improper.
13.9. If he participates in a contest for his national title and loses it.
13.10. If he fails a drug test.
13.11. If he is beaten in a contest made at the Championship weight for the division in which he is Champion by a boxer whose citizenship, nationality, and/or boxing licence qualifies him as a possible contender for a WMMAFC Championship.
13.12. If the Champion has lost his title for one of these reasons, the highest rated boxer in the current Ratings, after the Official Challenger who confirms acceptance of the position will be appointed challenger to meet him in a contest for the vacant title.
14.1. The President in consultation with one Vice-President and one Council member shall have the power to propose to suspend a Boxer for any alleged breach of WMMAFC rules. He shall then preside at a commission with 3 members of the Council as a Committee plus a member from the Boxer’s Federation to decide about the proposition. The Boxer shall be entitled to be present and to be represented at any hearing.
15.1. The WMMAFC Council shall endeavor to standardize a set of Championship Rules which will be recognized by all the countries whose Affiliated National Association is affiliated to the WMMAFC. Such rules shall be recognized by each Affiliated National Association which shall also procure that its licensees recognize such rules.
16.1. No Boxer may be permitted to hold an International title in two weight categories simultaneously. A Boxer on winning a second title shall decide which one to retain and the vacated title shall immediately be declared vacant.
17.1. The Champion or Challengers due to box for a title are forbidden to guarantee a return bout in the event of a title changing hands.
17.2. Any clause of this nature in a contract shall be declared null and void.
17.3. Except in special circumstances (as may be decided by the WMMAFC Council) two Boxers are not allowed to box each other consecutively in Championship contests.
18.1. In the event that a Continental Champion or an Official Challenger is appointed to box for a World Championship (and such a contest prevents his fulfilling his obligations to engage in a mandatory defense of his Continental title) then he must relinquish his position.
19.1. A championship belt will be awarded to the winner of the Continental title.
20.1. The WMMAFC championship and boxing rules may at any time be adapted to special and exceptional circumstances by a 2/3 majority of the WMMAFC Council.
Unanimously approved by the Board during the meeting in Berlin on May 23 2018 and amended by the Council in Paris on 10th October 2019 and in Hamburg in 2020