Label Every Boxing Data Table With Dates Readers Understand
Label a boxing data table with its sources, coverage cutoff, verification date and last substantive update so readers can tell what changed and when.
Show a boxing data table’s sources, coverage cutoff, verification date and last substantive update as separately labeled lines immediately below the table. Do not rely on a vague label such as “Updated 2026”: it cannot tell readers which records support the numbers, whether a recent bout is included or whether an editor merely rechecked unchanged data.
Choose the table’s coverage and maintenance status; the tool shows which labels to publish.
Table Date-Label Builder
Select the description that matches the table. Replace bracketed text with documented facts before publishing.
Publish These Lines
Data through: [exact cutoff date or event].
Sources: [named and linked records].
Last verified: [date the check was completed].
Do not add “Table updated” when a source check found no substantive change. Keep the page’s publication or significant-update date separate.
Basis: W3C DCAT distinguishes temporal coverage from revision dates; Australian Government table guidance places source and interpretation notes below the table.
Give Each Date One Meaning
Four labels cover the questions readers commonly have about a published data table:
| Label | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Data through | Cutoff for included events or records | September 26, 2026 |
| Sources | Records supporting the table | Nevada commission scorecards and WBC records |
| Last verified | Latest completed check against the sources | September 27, 2026 |
| Table updated | Last substantive data or method change | September 20, 2026 |
These dates are not interchangeable. W3C’s DCAT specification treats a dataset’s publication date, revision date and temporal coverage as separate descriptions.
Data through identifies the information universe covered by the table. It might be a calendar date, the latest completed Games or a named event. It does not say when an editor checked the records.
Last verified records a completed source check. Use it only when someone has actually reviewed the relevant records. A page save, automated deployment or unrelated copy edit is not verification.
Table updated records a substantive change. Adding a row, correcting a score, revising a calculation or changing the recognition criteria qualifies. Rechecking sources and finding no change does not.
Sources should identify the records used, not merely describe them as “official.” The note should name and link the commission scorecard, results document, sanctioning-body record or event report that supports the table.
Not every table requires all four labels. A static historical table may need sources, its coverage period and the page publication date. Add last verified only after a completed check. Add table updated when readers need to distinguish a substantive table change from a later verification that changed nothing.
Use source issued or source revised only when the source itself states that date. If an official record is undated, do not infer its publication date. Identify the record and state when it was verified instead.
Put The Note Immediately Below The Table
A compact note can use this format:
Data through: September 26, 2026.
Sources: Named and linked official records; see the source ledger for row-level citations.
Last verified: September 27, 2026.
Table updated: September 20, 2026.
Method: Includes recognized world-title reigns; interim titles excluded.
The Australian Government’s table guidance says tables should be self-explanatory and may need notes below them to explain how to interpret the information and where it came from. It specifically advises keeping source and interpretation notes out of the table caption.
Use the caption to identify the table, such as “Recognized heavyweight title reigns by champion.” W3C accessibility guidance explains that a caption functions like a table heading and helps users find and identify a table. A caption should not become a paragraph of source history and maintenance details.
Keep the source and date note adjacent to the table. If readers must search the page for an update policy, they cannot readily determine whether the numbers in front of them are current.
Define The Cutoff For The Table’s Subject
A page-level “Last updated” date does not establish the table’s coverage. The page could have received a spelling correction while its dataset retained an earlier cutoff.
Define data through according to what the table measures:
- For championship reigns, give the date on which each reign’s status was evaluated.
- For Olympic medals, name the latest completed Games included.
- For quickest knockouts, give the latest contest date considered under the stated criteria.
- For scorecards, identify the latest bout represented.
The verification date answers a different question: when did an editor last search or check the cited records? Keeping those dates separate is particularly useful on living record pages such as heavyweight title reigns by champion, WBC champions by weight class and boxing’s quickest knockouts.
If coverage is not continuous, do not imply that it is. “Includes bouts through September 26” suggests the publisher assessed the relevant universe through that date. A selective list should instead describe what was searched or what qualified, with its limits in the method note.
For example, a table based only on available commission scorecards should say so. A date attached to that selective collection must not imply that every commission, jurisdiction or bout was reviewed.
Link The Records That Support The Values
“Official records” names a source category, not a citation. Readers should be able to trace a consequential result, score or title classification to the record used.
For a short table, link sources in the note or in the relevant rows. For a large table, link the note to a source ledger or methodology section with row-level or grouped citations. The connection between a value and its supporting document should remain clear.
A practical source hierarchy for boxing tables is:
- the relevant commission result or scorecard for a bout’s official result and scores;
- the sanctioning body’s records for its title recognition or status;
- a reputable secondary record when the primary record is unavailable.
The hierarchy depends on the field being documented. A commission scorecard may establish the official scores without establishing how a sanctioning body classified the title. A sanctioning-body page may establish its championship recognition without reproducing the controlling official scorecard.
When sources disagree, identify the disputed field and state which value the table uses. Do not merge conflicting records into an unexplained number or imply that one authority establishes facts outside its role.
Separate Verification From Substantive Changes
Do not reset every table date after a minor edit. The labels should preserve the table’s actual maintenance history.
Use table updated when a change affects the data, classification or method. Examples include adding a new bout, correcting a judge’s score, changing title-recognition criteria or revising a calculated total.
Use last verified when the cited records were checked, including when that check found no reason to alter the table. If a verification does uncover an error and the table is corrected, both dates may be the same.
Keep the article’s original publication date separate from these table-level dates. At page level, the template should display a clearly labeled Published or Last updated date near the byline. Google’s byline-date guidance recommends consistency between visible dates and structured metadata. It also says page dates should describe publication or a significant update rather than the date of the event discussed.
A data page can legitimately contain several dates, but each needs an unambiguous label. Google also advises reducing other visible dates if its systems repeatedly select the wrong byline date. That is another reason to use descriptive phrases such as Data through and Last verified rather than placing unlabeled dates around the table.
Check The Note Before Publication
Before publishing or revising a table, confirm that:
- the caption identifies the table rather than carrying its source history;
- data through gives an exact, honest cutoff or coverage period;
- a selective dataset describes its scope instead of implying continuous coverage;
- consequential values are traceable through direct citations or a source ledger;
- source issue and revision dates appear only when the source states them;
- last verified represents a completed check;
- table updated represents a substantive data, classification or method change;
- disputed values and inclusion rules are explained beside the table.
If one of those facts is unknown, use an explicit placeholder while drafting and omit or qualify the claim before publication. Do not convert a missing source date, incomplete search or unperformed verification into a precise-looking date.