What is Coxing?

The Ultimate Guide to Coxing: The New Era of Cockfighting

Cockfighting is a sport born in ancient times which involves two roosters placed inside a ring and are made to fight each other until one of them is subdued, whether due to injury or death. In the present, cockfighting is still being done the same old way where roosters have sharp spurs or gaffs attached to their legs and use that to injure or kill their opponents. 

It is this aspect of cockfighting that has made numerous countries around the world outlaw cockfighting, stating that it is a form of cruelty against animals. Despite that, there are still regions in the world where cockfighting is celebrated as part of tradition and culture. 

Recently, a new kind of cockfighting called “coxing” has emerged. Referred to as the new era of cockfighting, coxing still involves two roosters in a pit but with no bloodshed. Know more about coxing in this article.

What is Coxing?

Coxing is a portmanteau of the words cock and boxing. Just like traditional cockfighting, coxing requires two roosters to fight inside a pit until one is declared the winner. The difference with age-old cockfighting is that in coxing, while only one is a winner, both cocks survive the match. 

This is because coxing fights do not use spurs. Instead, coxing uses digital gloves attached to the rooster. Additionally, the roosters are required to wear protective vests. The cocks fight and are awarded points based on their hits against their opponent. 

With the use of digital gloves to count hits as well as the added protective gear, both cocks do not sustain life-threatening injuries. Therefore, coxing is a much more humane approach to cockfighting.

How Does Coxing Work?

Coxing is similar to boxing in the way that it uses a scoring system to determine the winner of the match. The roosters are also weighed and categorized by division to decide on each other’s opponents. Below you’ll find the rules and mechanics of coxing.

Matching

In coxing matches, there are three categories by division: stags, bull stags, and cocks. Roosters are weighed by the management and then matched according to their division. Tags and numbers are then attached to the legs of the birds to identify them and ensure that rooster owners do not swap their roosters for another. If anyone is found swapping out their roosters, penalty charges will be applied.

Rooster owners also have to dress their gamefowls in the mandatory cockfighting vest. The vests can be purchased from the management and must always be worn by the roosters during fights to ensure that they do not sustain any injury. 

For scoring, digital gloves are attached to the birds’ legs. When the rooster hits their opponent, the digital gloves count that as a score.

Gameplay

Just like in traditional cockfighting, the players (and their respective roosters) in each match are assigned a side: pula or puti (red or white.) Each player is allowed one assistant inside the pit before a fight, alongside the referee. 

If there are any technical problems encountered before a match, the fight is declared canceled. On the other hand, if technical problems such as broken gloves, power failure, and similar situations, arise in the middle of a game, the referee’s decision will prevail or will be followed.

Under acceptable reasons, the players are allowed to back out before the first round begins. These reasons can include a cock limping due to gloves, if a cock does not want to fight, if a cock has medical issues, and the like.

Each game has a maximum of three rounds, and the duration of each round is 60 seconds. There are also 30-second breaks after each round, with no extension time allowed. The moment the roosters are released in the pit prior to the start of the game, players and entrants are no longer allowed to stop the fight. Only the referee can do so for valid reasons.

Scoring and Point System

Coxing utilizes digital gloves to keep score. The digital gloves must be checked and tested before every round, and the rooster owner must confirm the checks and testing before the fight. The gloves must also be checked by the management for legitimacy. 

The digital gloves record the force of the punches in Newtons, where 100 grams is equal to 1N. The winning goals of the matches are dependent on the division. 

This digital system decides the winners. However, if there are unforeseen or unavoidable events or if technical problems occur, only the referee’s decision will be followed.

Rules

Coxing has its own set of rules as well. Once the matches start, the following rules should be followed:

• No food, liquid, or any power-boosting time should be given to the entry cock.
• No swapping or changing of digital gloves.
• Except for the referee, no other person or representative from each entrant will be allowed inside the pit.
• Both entrants are allowed to double-check the gloves of their fighters before the fight. Once both have agreed that the gloves are accurate and satisfactory, the match shall begin.

Cowardice or Cock Running

There can be cases where the entrant cocks attempt to run from their opponents. This is called cowardice or cock running. 

If such a thing happens before the first round of the match, the game will be canceled. In cases where cock running happens after one of the roosters makes points in a round, the digital system decides the winner. 

If both cocks have no points in a round and one rooster runs, the other rooster that remains in place will be declared the winner by the referee.

Down Cock or Unconscious Cock

When a cock becomes unconscious during a match but points have already been acquired, the decision of the digital system will prevail. Touching the down cock is prohibited.

Online Betting in Coxing

Cockfighting and gambling go hand-in-hand, and coxing is no different. Online betting in coxing has several rules:

• The minimum bet is PHP 100. There is no maximum bet.
• The main bet must be made before the start of the match.
• Aside from the main bet, bettors have the option to make bets for the first and second rounds. These must be done before the start of the game. 
• If a bettor wishes to only bet for the second round, they must do this before the first round.
• In case a third round occurs, the result of the third round will be the result of the main bet. Bettors are not allowed to move their bet to another fighter. The bet can be increased but cannot be decreased, and betting simultaneously on both roosters in a match is prohibited.
• In case of a draw decision made by the digital system, the bets will be automatically returned to the accounts of the bettors.
• In case there is no second or third round due to cock cowardice or any other reason, the decision of the referee will prevail.

Final Note

Coxing or cock boxing is a new take on cockfighting. It may be contemporary, but it is steadily gaining popularity. With its tagline of “One winner, Two survivors,” coxing is a more humane approach to cockfighting. 

By using protective vests for the roosters and digital gloves instead of spurs or gaff, both roosters come out of their fights unscathed.