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
Goody Petronelli out to be Hagler's final fight. Petronelli trained others who would fight in world title bouts: World Boxing Organization super middleweight champion Steve Collins; Hagler’s brother, United States Boxing Association middleweight champion Robbie Sims, who lost to Sumbu Kalambay in 1988 for the WBA championship; and Malawian light heavyweight Drake Thadzi, who lost to Virgil Hill in a WBA title bout in 1995. Petronelli also trained his brother’s son, Tony, who won the North American Boxing Federation light welterweight title in 1976; New England super featherweight champion Mike Cappiello; Massachusetts middleweight champion Mike Culbert; and Kevin McBride, whose TKO victory