Boxing Title Fights
WBA
The first of four major professional boxing organizations - World Boxing Association (WBA) was born in Rhode Island, in 1921, as the National Boxing Association (NBA)
and the first boxing title fight recognized by the new Association being the Heavyweight bout between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier on July 2, 1921.
Jack Dempsey beat his rival by knockout in 4th round and became the first WBA boxing champion.
The NBA was founded to counter the influence of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), that was established one year early. Both organizations crowned different boxing world champions in the same division, leading to discussion about who was the true world champion.
In 1962 organization, with the growth of boxing's popularity world-wide, changed its name to the World Boxing Association.
Dr. Gilberto Mendoza from Venezuela has been the President of the WBA since 1982. Now WBA Central office is in Panama.
IBF
In April, 1983, the members of the United States Boxing Association (USBA) decided regional status of the organization extended to international.
New boxing organization got name United States Boxing Association-International (USBA-I) and Robert W. Lee, Sr., president of the USBA, who lost in his bid to become WBA president against Gilberto Mendoza in 1982, led the USBA-I.
In 1984 USBA-I changed its name to the name it currently operates under, the International Boxing Federation (IBF).
The first sanctioned title fight for the new IBF was Cruiserweight bout between Marvin Camel and Roddy MacDonald on December, 1983 and Marvin Camel became the first IBF World Champion.
In same year the IBF recognized heavyweight boxer Larry Holmes as champion after he relinquished the WBC title.
Now President of the IBF is American Marian Muhammad, who was elected in 2001. IBF main offices are in New Jersey.
WBC
On February 14, 1963 at the meeting of representatives of 11 countries: USA, Argentina, Brazil,Chile, France, Great Britain, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Philippines and Venezuela in Mexico City was created the first really international boxing organization - World Boxing Council (WBC).
New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), rival of the WBA in world boxing, supported new organization and was adopted into WBC in 1970.
On July, 1963, in Chicago, Sonny Liston beat Floyd Patterson by knockout in the 1st round. It was the first sanctioned Heavyweight title fight for the new boxing organization.
In 1983, for boxers' safety, WBC decided to reduce the distance of world championship fights from 15 rounds to 12 and other boxing organizations soon followed.
Among changes proposed by WBC also are the official weigh-in 24 hours prior to each bout and intoduction of new intermediate weight divisions.
In 1975 Jose Sulaiman, a Mexican boxing official of Lebanese-descent, was elected President of the WBC and has remained just that until today.
WBO
The World Boxing Organization (WBO), last of four major professional boxing organizations, that currently recognizing professional boxing world champions.
It was formed in 1988 after scandal at WBA annual meeting in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, when group of Puerto Rican and Dominican businessmen complained existing WBA's questionable rules and ratings systems.
The first championship bout was for vacant super middleweight title between Thomas Hearns and James Kinchen. Hearns won and became the first WBO world champion.
The first holder of WBO heavyweight title became Francesco Damiani, although WBA, WBC and IBF recognized Mike Tyson as the heavyweight champion at the time.
In 1996 the new WBO President became Puerto Rican lawyer Francisco Valcarcel that soon sign deals with the WBA and IBF to hold unification fights between WBO and other boxing organizations.
Due a long personal feud between Francisco Valcarcel and WBC President Jose Sulaiman, the WBC was the last organization, which wrote unification bouts convention.
The Central office of the WBO is located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Boxing Headlines
Images from a new exhibition by Ali's former personal photographer Michael Gaffney
03 Sep 2010 Macklin gets fresh Euro opponentMatthew Macklin will face Georgia's Shalva Jomardashvili for the European middleweight crown on 18 September.
03 Sep 2010 Burns unfazed by Martinez anticsRicky Burns declares himself unfazed by the antics of Roman Martinez at the weigh-in for Saturday's WBO super-featherweight title fight in Glasgow.
02 Sep 2010 Hatton fighting career is 'done'Former light-welterweight world champion Ricky Hatton says he is unlikely to fight again.
01 Sep 2010 Sutherland body exhumed in MeathThe body of Olympic boxer Darren Sutherland is exhumed from a cemetery in County Meath.
01 Sep 2010 Froch set for new world title bidCarl Froch says his fight with Arthur Abraham in October will be for the WBC world super-middleweight title.
01 Sep 2010 Margarito handed 'second chance'Manny Pacquiao says he believes in giving people a second chance after announcing a bout against disgraced Mexican fighter Antonio Margarito.
31 Aug 2010 Jeffries ends Rimmer partnershipSunderland boxer Tony Jeffries parts company with Manchester-based trainer Bobby Rimmer after 18 months in partnership.
30 Aug 2010 Bullish Briggs plans quick finishShannon Briggs vows to make Vitali Klitschko his 32nd first-round victim when they meet for the Ukranian's WBC heavyweight crown on 16 October.
27 Aug 2010 Chisora offers to fight HarrisonBritish heavyweight champion Derek Chisora offers to fight European champion Audley Harrison should the WBA title holder David Haye choose not to.
25 Aug 2010 Kessler withdraws from Super SixSuper-middleweight Mikkel Kessler withdraws from the Super Six tournament because of an eye injury.
24 Aug 2010 Harrison calls for Haye showdownAudley Harrison demands that WBA heavyweight champion David Haye signs to fight him in November.
Source: BBC Boxing





