The distance (boxing) 19, 1987. While the International Boxing Federation, which had recently broken away from the WBA, continued to hold onto the position there was no documented medical evidence to show a 15-round fight is more dangerous than a 12-round fight, they eventually voted to shorten their championship distance to 12 rounds as well on June 3, 1988. The last heavyweight 15-rounder title fight was on October 16, 1987 between Mike Tyson and Tyrell Biggs. The last middleweight 15-rounder title fight was a World Boxing Board title match on June 7, 1997 in which Jose Alfredo Flores won a split decision over
Shoot Boxing – S-Cup 1996 fought under MMA Rules, and a 'Special Fight' fought under Kyokushin Karate Rules (75kg/165lbs weight class). In total there were twenty fighters at the event, representing eleven countries. The four elimination fight winners would qualify for the semi final stage of the Shoot Boxing World Tournament 1997 - to be held the following year. Defeated elimination fighter Dany Bill would also be invited to take part in a 'Super Fight' against up and coming shoot boxer Kenichi Ogata. The event was held at the Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Tokyo, Japan on Sunday, 14 July 1996. S-Cup 1997 Finalists Shoot Boxing