In these regulations:

1.1. ‘Company’ means Commonwealth Boxing Council Limited.

1.2. ‘Board’ means the Board of Directors of the Company from time to time and shall include any sub-committee of the Board.

1.3. ‘Commonwealth member/Member of the Commonwealth’ means any independent republic, realm, monarchy, or other independent and sovereign state which is for the time being and from time to time recognised by the Commonwealth Secretariat as being a member of the Commonwealth.

1.4. ‘Controlling body’ means in relation to each Commonwealth member such association (incorporated or unincorporated) or other body as shall be recognised by the Board from time to time as controlling and/or regulating professional boxing in such Commonwealth member.

2.1. The contests shall be known as the Commonwealth Championships or Eliminating or Final Eliminating Contest for the Commonwealth Championship as may be appropriate.

2.2. All contests for the Commonwealth Championships shall be entirely under the control and jurisdiction of the Board and shall be contested over 12 x 3 minute rounds and in accordance with the boxing regulations of the controlling body where the contest takes place.

2.3. Championship contests may be authorised to take place in Commonwealth countries where there is no controlling body and in non-Commonwealth member countries on the following conditions:-

(a) The Championship Rules of the British Boxing Board of Control Limited or the World Boxing Council shall apply in all cases, to be decided by the Board.

(b) The officials, i.e., referees and judges shall be appointed by the Board.

(c) A representative in charge to be appointed by the Board.

In the case of (b) a fee to be determined by the Chairman shall be payable and in both (b) and (c) all expenses are to be paid by the promoter of the contest.

2.4. Sanction fees in such amounts as shall be determined by the Board are to be paid by the promoter of the contest in pounds sterling in cleared funds prior to the contest date to the company. Copies of relevant contracts relating to the contest shall also be provided at the same time.

2.5. In the event of the champion failing to defend the title as laid down by the Board the title may be declared vacant and the Board may nominate two contenders for the vacant title. The obligation on meeting a defence requirement lies with the champion. (Last sentence added by amendment 28th March 2007).

2.6. A champion upon winning the title shall not be called upon to defend within a period of six months unless previously notified by the Board before the first championship contest took place.

2.7. No contest shall be described as being for a Commonwealth Championship or Eliminator until such contest has been sanctioned by the Board, and contestants engaging in such contests do so on the understanding that they agree to and will abide by any decision of the Board. The Board shall have power at any time to authorise a champion to defend his title against a challenger not previously rated, provided that the said championship contest does not interfere with the date set for the defence of the title against an officially named contender. In the event of the title changing hands, the new champion must agree to defend the title against an officially named contender before a date previously set by the Board.

2.8. The Board shall have the power at any time to add to the approved list of contenders any Commonwealth boxer not previously rated who subsequently defeats a rated contender in the relevant weight division or a boxer of known world status and any defence against such contender may be considered mandatory defence. The Board shall also have the power to remove a contender from the ratings where there is deemed to be sufficient and justifiable reason which may include, but which shall not be limited to, a substantial defeat in a contest, suspension of boxing licence by the boxer’s controlling body or medical reason. The Board considers that medical fitness to box and matters of medical policy in relation thereto are entirely for the controlling body (or host federation, where a championship contest takes place outside the jurisdiction of a controlling body, in accordance with regulation 2.3) save where such issue is specifically brought to the attention of the Board in which case the Board may take such steps as it sees fit. (Last sentence added to regulations by amendment 7th December 2011.)

2.9. Return contest stipulations or agreements are prohibited. Champions must not stipulate a return contest in the event of being undefeated, neither must contenders agree to grant the champion a return championship contest in the event of the title changing hands.

2.10. In the event a champion loses a contest to another Commonwealth boxer in a contest that has not been sanctioned as a championship contest for the weight division in which he holds the championship, the championship shall automatically be declared vacant except where the contest has been made at a stipulated weight above the limit for the division in which he is champion or in a contest against a world champion or in a world championship contest.

2.10A The Board may permit a Commonwealth championship to take place as a joint championship contest with a national, continental, or other similar championship sanctioned by another championship sanctioning authority where the Board determines, in its absolute discretion, that such championship merits joint status.

2.10B In the event that a Commonwealth champion is due to compete in a national, continental, or other similar championship contest sanctioned by another championship sanctioning authority and:

a) Such contest is due to take place in the same, a corresponding or a lighter weight division as that in which the Commonwealth championship is held; and b) The Commonwealth champions’ opponent in such contest is eligible to challenge for the Commonwealth championship in accordance with regulation 2.13 then the champion, or the promoter on his behalf, must apply to the Board for sanction as a joint championship contest pursuant to regulation 2.10A.

2.10C In the event that a contest to which regulation 2.10B applies proceeds in the absence of an application to the Board for joint championship status the, subject always to the provisions of regulation 2.10, the Board shall have the right to declare the relevant Commonwealth title vacant irrespective of the outcome of the contest or, provided the Commonwealth champion did not lose the contest, to prescribe the conditions to be met by the Commonwealth champion for the retention of the Commonwealth title.

2.10D Where an application for joint championship status is made by or on behalf of a Commonwealth champion in connection with a contest to which regulation 2.10B applies and such application is refused by the Board, then, subject always to the provisions of regulation 2.10, no penalty shall be applied to the Commonwealth champion by the Board (Regulations 2.10A to 2.10D added by amendment 21st April 2010).

2.10E When a champion’s licence to box is suspended by his licencing authority, regardless of whether or not that authority is a member of the Commonwealth Boxing Council, the Council in its absolute but reasonable judgement shall have the power to declare vacant the championship of the relevant weight division, having regard to the length of any such suspension period or, if no final date is determined, the likely length of such suspension period.

The Council shall also have the power to declare vacant a championship, in circumstance where media reports received and considered by the Hon Secretary, the CBC Board or any individual board member, be they newspaper, television, radio, online sites or any other form of information dissemination, indicate that a future contest for the relevant champion, or other advised circumstance, will inhibit that champion from meeting his ordered Commonwealth championship defence requirements.

Such power shall only be exercised following a vote of the Board or appropriate sub-committee of same, following enquiry by the Hon Secretary of the champion or his authorised representative. Where such enquiry indicates that a Commonwealth championship defence requirement cannot be met, the CBC may exercise such power even if the period by which the champion has been ordered to make a defence, has not yet lapsed.

2.11. No boxer may hold two Commonwealth championships at the same time in different weight categories. The boxer on winning the second title shall within 48 hours declare which one he wishes to retain and the relinquished title shall automatically become vacant. In the event of a Commonwealth champion winning a world championship the Board shall automatically declare vacant the championship

2.12. Weights

The standard weights for Commonwealth Championships are as follows:-

Light-Flyweight 7st 7lbs/108lbs/48.98kgms. and under

(Amended 20th July 2021)

Flyweight 8st 0lbs/112lbs/50.80kgms. and under

Super Flyweight 8st 3lbs/115lbs/52.16kgms. and under

(Amended 30th April 2008)

Bantamweight 8st 6lbs/118lbs/53.52kgms and under

Super Bantamweight 8st 10lbs/122lbs/55.34kgms and under

Featherweight 9st 0lbs/126lbs/57.15kgms and under

Super Featherweight 9st 4lbs/130lbs/58.97kgms and under

Lightweight 9st 9lbs/135lbs/61.24 and under

Light Welterweight 10st 0lbs/140lbs/63.50kgms and under

Welterweight 10st 7lbs/147lbs/66.68kgms and under

Light Middleweight 11st 0lbs/154lbs/69.85kgms and under

Middleweight 11st 6lbs/160lbs/72.58kgms and under

Super Middleweight 12st 0lbs/168lbs/76.20kgms and under

Light Heavyweight 12st 7lbs/175lbs/79.38kgms and under

Cruiserweight 14st 4lbs/200lbs/90.72kgms and under

(Amended 28th March 2007)

Heavyweight any weight

2.13. Qualification A contestant for Commonwealth Championships or eliminators must have been born in a Commonwealth member or be a naturalised citizen of a Commonwealth member.

2.14. If a champion fails to make the weight for a championship match in the allotted time he will forfeit the championship. However, in the event that the challenger has made the stipulated weight, the contest shall proceed under championship conditions subject to the consent of the challenger, the promoter and the controlling body of the country in which the contest is to take place. In the event that the challenger wins the contest he will be recognised as the champion. In the event of any other result the championship will be declared vacant.

The company will present to all champions a championship belt immediately after championship contest or as soon as is practicable afterwards. The belt will become the personal property of the champion subject to the strict requirements that he will bring the belt to each subsequent championship defence in which he is participating. The champion shall wear the belt into the ring prior to each defence and in the event of his losing the contest the belt will be presented to the winner by a nominated representative of the company. The belt will then be returned to the former champion immediately after the contest and in due course the new champion will be supplied a belt of his own. Each champion will be eligible for one belt only in each weight division of which he is the champion.

The board shall be entitled to amend, remove or add to these regulations from time to time as it shall decide and to decide on any matter not specifically provided for in these regulations.