Big-punching Palace supporter Richard Riakporhe will get his long-awaited shot at world glory in front of his fellow Eagles on Saturday, 15th June, attempting to claim the WBO World Cruiserweight Championship title of Chris Billam-Smith.
Fight night at Selhurst: Beginner’s guide
With a massive night of boxing approaching in south London, it’s time to get to know your challengers from your champion, your undercard from your uppercut...
Here are some of the key words for you to throw about on the night…
The Beginner’s Boxing Glossary
General
- Bell – Signals the start and end of each round.
- Below the belt – An illegal punch below the waistband of a boxer’s trunks.
- Bout – A word used for a boxing match.
- Body work – Targeting an opponent’s mid-section to wear them out or wind them.
- Canvas – the floor of the boxing ring.
- Card – The full programme of fights scheduled for the evening.
- Challenger – A boxer preparing to fight the champion.
- Champion – The current holder of the title.
- Combination – A series of punches thrown in succession.
- Corner – Between rounds, the boxer will receive advice from his ‘corner’, which is his coaches and others in his camp.
- Lineal Champion – Effectively, the man who beat the man who beat the man. A boxer who beats a fighter who last won the title.
- Main Event – The last and biggest fight on the card.
- Mouthguard – A piece of equipment to protect a fighter’s teeth.
- Orthodox – A right-handed fighter
- Pound-for-pound – Discussing a fighter’s ability regardless of weight category.
- Promoter – The manager who arranges boxing matches, e.g Eddie Hearn.
- Purse – The amount of money each boxer will earn for the fight.
- Ringside – The seats surrounding the ring.
- Rope-a-Dope – A defensive strategy on the ropes, popularised by Muhammad Ali.
- Saved by the bell – If a fighter is about to be knocked out, but the round ends.
- Southpaw – A left-handed fighter, or a fighter whose left hand is dominant.
- Spar – How fighters prepare for a bout, using protective headgear in the gym.
- Undercard – The bouts before the main event of the evening.
- Uppercut – A punch thrown upwards aimed at an opponent’s chin.
Scoring
- Go the distance – When a fight reaches the end of the 12th round without a winner being declared.
- Go to the cards – If neither fighter is knocked out and the fight isn’t stopped after 12 rounds, it will ‘go to the cards’, meaning the three judges will decide the winner based on their scoring cards.
- Majority decision – A fighter winning by earning the highest score from two of the three judges.
- Split decision – When two of the three judges score the fight for one fighter, and one goes for the other.
- Split decision draw – When one judge goes for one fighter, another for the other and one for a draw.
- Technical Knockout (TKO) – The ending of a fight by the referee before the end of the 12 rounds, if the referee determines one fighter unable to continue.
- Unanimous decision – All three judges deciding the same fighter won the bout.
Weight classes
Each class has a maximum weight limit, with the fighters ‘weighing in’ in the days before the bout to ensure they are the right weight for their class.
- Flyweight – 112 pounds (51 kg)
- Super Flyweight – 115 pounds (52 kg)
- Bantamweight – 118 pounds (53.5 kg)
- Super Bantamweight – 122 pounds (55 kg)
- Featherweight – 126 pounds (57 kg)
- Super Featherweight – 130 pounds (59 kg)
- Lightweight – 135 pounds (61 kg)
- Super Lightweight – 140 pounds (63.5 kg)
- Welterweight – 147 pounds (67 kg)
- Super Welterweight – 154 pounds (70 kg)
- Middleweight – 160 pounds (72.5 kg)
- Super Middleweight – 168 pounds (76 kg)
- Light Heavyweight – 175 pounds (79 kg)
- Cruiserweight – 200 pounds (91 kg)
- Heavyweight – Unlimited