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What happens when a boxer misses the required weight for a title fight?

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Floyd Mayweather Jr., wearing black and gold trunks, lands a left punch on Manny Pacquiao, in yellow trunks, during their welterweight title fight in a boxing ring. — boxing Manny Pacquiao (right) and Floyd Mayweather, Jr., in their 2015 welterweight bout; Mayweather won in a unanimous decision.

In professional boxing, if a fighter misses the required weight for a title fight, they are typically granted a short period of time to attempt to reach the stipulated weight limit.1

If the boxer is still unable to make the weight after this additional time, the bout usually proceeds as scheduled. However, if the overweight fighter wins the match, the title at stake is declared vacant.1