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Under what conditions can a boxing match end in a draw?
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boxing
Manny Pacquiao (right) and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in their 2015 welterweight bout; Mayweather won in a unanimous decision.
In professional boxing, a match ends in a draw when the scoring officials determine that neither contestant has earned a victory based on the scorecards. Specifically, a draw occurs under the following conditions:
- All three judges award identical scores to both contestants.
- Two of the three judges award identical scores to the opponents, regardless of the third judge's score.
- Two of the three judges award the decision to opposing contestants, while the third judge’s scorecard is evenly divided between the two fighters.1
It is important to distinguish a draw from a "no contest," which is declared a nullity due to premature and inconclusive circumstances, such as an injury caused by an accidental clash of heads early in the bout.1