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Iron Mike: A Mike Tyson Reader
Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon
Oscar de la Hoya: The Golden Boy
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.
Current WBA World Champions
Heavyweight
David Haye, United Kingdom
Cruiserweight
Guillermo Jones, Panama
(regular champion)
Steve Herelius, France
(interim champion)
Light heavyweight
Beibut Shumenov, Kazakhstan
Super middleweight
Dimitri Sartison, Germany
Middleweight
Felix Sturm, Germany
(regular champion)
Gennady Golovkin, Kazakhstan
(interim champion)
Super welterweight
Miguel Angel Cotto, Puerto Rico
(regular champion)
Nonuhiro Ishida, Japan
(interim champion)
Welterweight
Vyacheslav Senchenko, Ukraine
(regular champion)
Souleymane M'baye, France
(interim champion)
Super lightweight
Amir Khan, United Kingdom
(regular champion)
Marcos Maidana, Argentina
(interim champion)
Lightweight
Miguel Acosta, Venezuela
Super featherweight
Takashi Uchiyama, Japan
(regular champion)
Jorge Solis, Mexico
(interim champion)
Featherweight
Yuriorkis Gamboa, Cuba
(regular champion)
Celestino Caballero, Panama
(interim champion)
Super bantamweight
Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym, Thailand
Bantamweight
Anselmo Moreno, Panama
Super flyweight
Hugo Fidel Cazares, Japan
(regular champion)
Nonito Donaire , Philippines
(interim champion)
Flyweight
Daiki Kameda, Japan
(regular champion)
Luis Concepcion, Panama
(interim champion)
Light flyweight
Giovanni Segura, Mexico
(regular champion)
Juan Carlos Reveco, Argentina
(interim champion)
Minimumweight
Roman Gonzalez, Nicaragua
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.
Current IBF World Champions
Heavyweight
Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine
Cruiserweight
Steve Cunningham, USA
Light heavyweight
vacant
Super middleweight
Lucian Bute, Romania
Middleweight
Sebastian Sylvester, Germany
Junior middleweight
Cornelius Bundrage, USA
Welterweight
Dejan Zaveck, Slovenija
Junior welterweight
Devon Alexander, USA
Lightweight
Miguel Vazquez, Mexico
Junior lightweight
Robert Guerrero, USA
Featherweight
Orlando Salido, Mexico
Junior featherweight
Steve Molitor, Canada
Bantamweight
Yonnhy Perez, Colombia
Junior bantamweight
Juan Alberto Rosas, Mexico
Flyweight
Moruti Mthalane, South Africa
Junior flyweight
Luis Alberto Lazarte, Argentina
Mini flyweight
Nkosinathi Joyi, South Africa
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.
Current WBC World Champions
Heavyweight
Vitaly Klitschko, Ukraine
Cruiserweight
Krzysztof Wlodarczyk, Poland
Light heavyweight
Jean Pascal, Canada
(regular champion)
Chad Dawson, USA
(interim champion)
Super middleweight
Mikkel Kessler, Denmark
Middleweight
Sergio Martinez, Argentina
(regular champion)
Sebastian Zbik, Germany
(interim champion)
Super welterweight
Sergio Martinez, Argentina
Welterweight
Andre Berto, USA
Super lightweight
Devon Alexander, USA
Lightweight
Humberto Soto, Mexico
(regular champion)
Antonio DeMarco, Mexico
(interim champion)
Super featherweight
Humberto Soto, Mexico
(regular champion)
Vitali Tajbert, Germany
(interim champion)
Featherweight
Elio Rojas, Dominican Republic
Super bantamweight
Toshiaki Nishioka, Japan
Bantamweight
Fernando Montiel, Mexico
Super flyweight
Vic Darchinyan, Armenia
Flyweight
Pongsakle Wonjongkam, Thailand
Light flyweight
Omar Nino Romero, Mexico
Strawweight
Oleydong Sithsamerchai, Thailand
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.
Current WBO World Champions
Heavyweight
Wladimir Klitschko, Ukraine
Cruiserweight
Marco Huck, Germany
Light heavyweight
Juergen Braehmer, Germany
Super middleweight
Robert Stieglitz, Germany
Middleweight
Sergio Martinez, Argentina
Junior middleweight
Sergiy Dzinziruk, Ukraine
(regular champion)
Alfredo Angulo, Mexico
(interim champion)
Welterweight
Manny Pacquiao, Philippines
Junior welterweight
Timothy Bradley, USA
Lightweight
Dmitry Pirog, Russia
(regular champion)
Michael Katsidis, Australia
(interim champion)
Junior lightweight
Roman Martinez, Puerto Rico
Featherweight
Juan Manuel Lopez, Puerto Rico
Junior featherweight
Wilfredo Vazquez Jr., Puerto Rico
Bantamweight
Fernando Montiel, Mexico
(regular champion)
Eric Morel, Puerto Rico
(interim champion)
Junior bantamweight
Omar Andres Narvaez, Argentina
Flyweight
Julio Cesar Miranda, Mexico
Junior flyweight
Giovanni Segura, Mexico
(regular champion)
Ramon Garcia Hirales, Mexico
(interim champion)
Mini flyweight
Donnie Nietes, Philippines
Boxing Headlines
03 Sep 2010 Muhammad Ali: The Champ
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