What does majority decision mean in boxing? What is the difference with split decision?

Ryan Garcia stunned the boxing world by defeating WBC super lightweight champion Devin Haney in one of the most anticipated fights of the year at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center in New York.

Garcia knocks Haney down three times in New York

“KingRy” was given only a slim hope of winning the fight by most experts but ended up victorious after a superb performance which saw him knock Haney on three separate occasions.

Majority decision vs split decision in boxing

Overall, Garcia was awarded a memorable victory by virtue of majority decision. That takes place when two of three judges agree on which fighter won the match, with the third judge ruling that neither was victorious (it was a tie).

The first two judges’ scores at Barclays Center were 114-110 and 115-109 in Garcia’s favour, with the third marking the fight down as a 112-112 draw.

“Majority decision” shouldn’t be confused with “split decision,” which takes place when one judge believes the opposite fighter was the winner from the other two.

Haney holds onto WBC super lightweight belt

The defeat is Haney’s first in his professional career and also marks the first time he has been floored in the ring.

The San Francisco native won the WBC super lightweight belt in December last year against Regis Prograis to became a two-weight world champion. He was previously the undisputed lightweight champion before moving up a weight.

Despite Garcia’s victory, he doesn’t become the new champion after missing the weight for the fight on Friday. Somewhat controversially, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has revealed on social media that Haney will keep his belt despite the loss, contrary to what many believed would be the case.