Some facts about 'World Titles'

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

The National Boxing Association (NBA) was formed by representatives from thirteen American states to counterbalance the influence the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) wielded in the boxing world. This often meant that the NBA and the NYSAC crowned different world champions in the same division, leading to confusion about who was the real champion.
In 1962 the NBA, with the growth of boxing's popularity worldwide, changed its name to the World Boxing Association (WBA).

The World Boxing Council (WBC) was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, to form an international boxing organization that would achieve the unity of all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing.The groups that historically had recognized several boxers as champions included the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), the National Boxing Association, the European Boxing Union and the British Boxing Board of Control, but these groups lacked, for the most part, the all-encompassing "international" status they boasted of.

This means that prior to 1962, we still had more than 1 champion Honestly never knew that. Also The EBU & BBBofC... Unified by the WBC?! Is that right?

The WBA, often remarked as the 'original sanctioning body of professional boxing' can be traced back to the original National Boxing Association, organized in 1921. However The NYSAC, who supported the formation of the WBc was founded in 1920! Confused much?

Read on...

In 1983, at the WBA's annual convention, held in Puerto Rico that year, Bob Lee, president of the USBA, lost in his bid to become WBA president against Gilberto Mendoza. Lee and others withdrew from the convention after the election, and decided to organize a new world-level organization. At first, the new group was named the USBA-International but was then named The IBF

The WBO also started after a group of Puerto Rican and Dominican businessmen broke out of the World Boxing (WBA) Association's 1988 annual convention in Isla Margarita, Venezuela over disputes regarding what rules should be applied.

The IBF is preceded by the United States Boxing Association (USBA), a regional championships organization like the NABF, NABC and NABA.

The WBC has nine regional governing bodies affiliated with it, such as the North American Boxing Federation (NABF), the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), the European Boxing Union (EBU) and the African Boxing Council (ABC).

The WBA has FOUR regional governing bodies affiliated with it including but not limited to FEDELATIN, Pan Asian Boxing Association (PABA), European Boxing Association (EBA), North American Boxing Association (NABA).

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Oh, and Colin Hart is on the BBBofC's 'Charity' Committee

[marbleheadmaui]

You're just wrong about pre-1962 there being more than one champion.

Before that, there were two recognized championship bodies. The National Boxing Association and the State of New York. Here's the key thing. 99% of the time they agreed and the other 1% of the time the two champions were matched up as quickly as possible so there wasn't any disagreement.

Even after 1962, the WBC and WBA didn't disagree very often through about the early 1980's. And again, when they did? The two champions were matched together to solve the problem.

From the formation of the IBF things really began to fall apart and sometime in the early 1990's champions began to stay away from each other and the belts became promotional tools instead of signs of great accomplishment.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

Aaah...That sounds better, thanks Marb! I just found one fighter that was never recognised by the NYSAC... Gene Tunney!

Shame about the IBF & WBO though... More so as they were breakaway sanctions of the WBA... I wonder how long the writing was on the wall? Actually I wonder if it was a re-occuring threat over the years? All speculation but i'd be interested to know...
Also, it's a shame about all the regional affiliates... I mean i know about ALL of the regional titles I just never knew ANY of them were affiliated!?

[marbleheadmaui]

Aaah...That sounds better, thanks Marb! I just found one fighter that was never recognised by the NYSAC... Gene Tunney!

Shame about the IBF & WBO though... More so as they were breakaway sanctions of the WBA... I wonder how long the writing was on the wall? Actually I wonder if it was a re-occuring threat over the years? All speculation but i'd be interested to know...
Also, it's a shame about all the regional affiliates... I mean i know about ALL of the regional titles I just never knew ANY of them were affiliated!?

Back in the day when a champ died or moved up or retired susually what happened, noit always, but usually is some sort of tournament would be held. If the top two guys were obvious it was just them, if not the top four guys. There were still periods of confusion but they really were the exception and not the norm.

I like the idea of regional titles. Things like the Euro Championship or British Commonwealth champ or the OPBF (Asia) champ really meant something and were highly valued as tools for indicating who should be challenging for the "world" title.

I don't know how often other bodies used to spring up and threaten the established order pre 1962. I'm just clueless. Nobody thought the WBC was a very big deal nor the WBA initially because they rarely disagreed and even when they did it was clear who THE MAN was.

A simpler time.

[Master]

Good reads lads well done.

[marbleheadmaui]

Aaah...That sounds better, thanks Marb! I just found one fighter that was never recognised by the NYSAC... Gene Tunney!

Shame about the IBF & WBO though... More so as they were breakaway sanctions of the WBA... I wonder how long the writing was on the wall? Actually I wonder if it was a re-occuring threat over the years? All speculation but i'd be interested to know...
Also, it's a shame about all the regional affiliates... I mean i know about ALL of the regional titles I just never knew ANY of them were affiliated!?

It5 just occurred to me why NYSAC never recognized Gene Tunney, Harry Wills and William Mulsood.

Wills was a very prominent black heavy of that time. Nat Fleischer and a series of other boxing folks were pushing for him to get a title crack at Dempsey in the early 1920's. Wills was big and powerful but not quick and in my mind those are the guys Dempsey destroyed. BUT Wills had certainly earned a shot with wins over Langford (old by then) Jeanette, McVea and Fred Fulton among others. Of course promoters were still scared to death to match up a black guy for the crown given the national reaction to Jeffries-Johnson. Muldoon was a famous wrestler and then trainer of fighters who was so highly thought of he became the first commissioner of NYSAC, He refused to sanction any title fight for Dempsey except Wills and that is why neither Tunney fight was held in NY.

[Jimanuel Boogustus]

I like the idea of regional titles. Things like the Euro Championship or British Commonwealth champ or the OPBF (Asia) champ really meant something and were highly valued as tools for indicating who should be challenging for the "world" title.

It's just a shame that because of the number of belts that are out there, you can also have three or four (or more) European champs. Like I say, I knew of the regional belts but just never knew they were affiliated.

I don't know how often other bodies used to spring up and threaten the established order pre 1962.

No what I mean is, I wonder if there were any other internal disputes or power struggles that had happened prior to the 80's to such an extent where other officials from within the WBA had threatened to start their own Sanctioning body.

It just seems a little suspect that shortly after the allegations and scandals that began to emerge from the WBA camp, this new sanctioning body appears. I dunno, just speculating.

[marbleheadmaui]

I like the idea of regional titles. Things like the Euro Championship or British Commonwealth champ or the OPBF (Asia) champ really meant something and were highly valued as tools for indicating who should be challenging for the "world" title.

It's just a shame that because of the number of belts that are out there, you can also have three or four (or more) European champs. Like I say, I knew of the regional belts but just never knew they were affiliated.

I don't know how often other bodies used to spring up and threaten the established order pre 1962.

No what I mean is, I wonder if there were any other internal disputes or power struggles that had happened prior to the 80's to such an extent where other officials from within the WBA had threatened to start their own Sanctioning body.

It just seems a little suspect that shortly after the allegations and scandals that began to emerge from the WBA camp, this new sanctioning body appears. I dunno, just speculating.

As far as I can tell, this crap is all relatively new.