How long is a boxing match? Well, in short, it “depends”. Like most things in sports. But in this guide you’ll find everything you need to know about how long boxing rounds, matches and entire camps last, varying by competition level, age, gender and more.
Boxing is an unforgiving sport, and under the lights, a few minutes can seem like a lifetime as you’re hoping to hear the final bell, but it can also become a total blur afterwards thanks to the crazy rush of adrenaline.
Here’s all you need to know. Skip to…
How Many Rounds in a Boxing Match?
How Long is a Round in Boxing?
What was the longest boxing match in history?
Related article: Choosing the Best Boxing Gloves for You
How Long Does a Professional Boxing Match Last?
A professional, championship-level boxing match is scheduled to last 12x 3-minute rounds, with 1-minute rests between rounds to hydrate and receive advice from their training team (also known as a ‘corner’).
In total, this equates to 48 minutes in total if a boxing match goes the distance, if you include breaks between rounds. If you exclude breaks, there are 36 active minutes of fight action.
How Many Rounds Are in a Professional Boxing Match?
Championship level professional boxing matches (the majority of fights you’ll see on the TV) have twelve rounds, but lower level fights can last either four, six, eight or ten rounds as well.
Four and six round boxing matches, in professional boxing, are primarily learning fights for inexperienced fighters to get a taste of the pro ranks and hone their skills as they climb the rankings.
High-level fights can be fought over ten rounds, but the length of the fight must be agreed between both parties beforehand.
But shorter boxing matches can be just as entertaining as the elite-level 12 rounders, just check the fight below out, Conor Benn vs Cedrick Peynaud, if you want proof.
How Long is an Amateur Boxing Match?
Although they may be beginning to look increasingly similar, with amateur boxing getting rid of headguards in recent years, professional and amateur boxing are totally different sports.
Amateur boxing in the Olympics contain three rounds for men and four rounds for women (a minute shorter in length). This may vary from year to year.
In local, non-elite level amateur competitions, most bouts will also typically last three rounds, depending primarily on the age of the boxers.
How Long is a Round in Boxing?
In the professional game, boxing rounds last three minutes, with one minute rests between each round.
This is the case in men’s, and some women’s bouts, but the majority of professional women boxing matches will last two minute rounds.
Are amateur boxing rounds the same length as professional?
The length of an amateur bout depends on the level it is fought at, as it can differ, but amateur boxing rounds can be less than three minutes, while men’s professional boxing rounds will always be three minutes.
In the Olympics, male competitors compete over 3×3 minute rounds, while female Olympic bouts last 4×2 minute rounds (due to lack of headguard research).
In non-elite level amateur fights, senior boxers can compete over 3×2 minute rounds. However, the length of fight typically depends on the experience, age, and gender of the boxers.
Boxing trainers at the gym you attend should be able to help you get an idea of the length of bout you would be competing in, so if you want specific advice, be sure to ask them and others in the gym.
How Long Does a Boxing Camp Last?
Professional boxers go through what they call a ‘camp’, an extensive period of training where they prepare for their bout.
Boxing camps can last anywhere between six and twelve weeks, and the length generally depends on A) the level of the fight, and B) how fit the boxer stays between fights and out of camp.
For example, Anthony Joshua’s camp for his second world championship defence lasted 10 weeks.
What Was the Longest Boxing Match Ever?
The longest gloved boxing match in history happened on April 6th, 1893, when Andy Bowen and Jack Burke fought 110 rounds over seven hours and 19 minutes.
It happened in Louisiana and lasted from 9pm until the next morning, with the “Lightweight Championship of the South” and a purse of $2,500 at stake, which the two eventually split. Talk about an anti-climax. I wonder what type of boxing gloves they had on… and I hope they had their hands wrapped!
Anyway, back to today.
We hope to have answered your questions about how long a boxing match lasts, as well as the rests, rounds and camps.
You might like our other boxing guides:
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