They are IMO still a long way off from joining the "big 4" and gaining recognition as every bit as valid and prestigious a major org as even the relative newcomer WBO. There is a growing school of thought, however, placing them nearer the leaders' pack than any of the other pretender outfits (ie WBF)...and I've seen many people surmise they might be close (within a decade perhaps) of reaching Olympus. Well, let's slow down and have a look. This is a snapshot of the IBO titlists as of today, 5/10/2019: Weight class: Champion: Reign began: Days Strawweight ************* This content is protected Simphiwe Khonco (RSA) June 11, 2016 1060 Super Flyweight *************** vacant Flyweight *************** vacant Super Flyweight *************** Gideon Buthelezi (RSA) December 12, 2015 1236 Bantamweight *************** This content is protected Michael Dasmarinas (PHI) April 20, 2018 382 Super Bantamweight *********** This content is protected Paulus Ambunda (NAM) September 29, 2018 220 Featherweight *************** This content is protected Tugstsogt Nyambayar (MGL) January 26, 2019 101 Super Featherweight *********** This content is protected Shavkat Rakhimov (TJK) September 9, 2017 605 Lightweight *************** vacant Light Welterweight ************* Mohamed Mimoune (FRA) January 20, 2018 472 Welterweight *************** Thulani Mbenge (RSA) June 23, 2018 318 Super Welterweight *************** Jarrett Hurd (USA) April 7, 2018 395 Middleweight *************** vacant Super Middleweight *************** Chris Eubank Jr. (UK) February 23, 2019 73 Light Heavyweight *************** Sven Fornling (SWE) December 14, 2018 144 Cruiserweight *************** Kevin Lerena (RSA) September 9, 2017 605 Heavyweight *************** Anthony Joshua (GBR) April 29, 2017 738 Hmm. None of those are bad fighters, but this shouldn't be the list of any bona fide "major" organization's world champions. With all due respect for the Republic of South Africa's boxing scene, do we really believe that it boasts the best talents in four weight classes? Not to mention those famous pugilistic hotbeds Tajikistan, Sweden and Mongolia... Even when it comes to belt holders from legitimate major world players, their guys are probably not topping each of their respective nations' p4p lists. CEJ is among the greatest active pair of Brits? Really? There are several active Filipinos vastly superior to Michael Dasmariñas. Likewise there is a handful of Frenchmen I'd put over Mimoune - even if we restrict our criteria to "born in France" (excluding the likes of N'Dam and Soro) in my opinion Nordine Oubaali trumps him, easily. Jarrett Hurd is among the most dominant in the weak light middleweight division, and his record might be the greatest of those with any momentum or hardware, but there's a h2h argument for Adames, Castaño, and El Niño being the actual uncrowned best...plus, does anyone really believe Hurd is the current p4p best American? Or even top 5??? There is but one IBO champion with a strong (but still not undisputed) claim to being the "man" in his division, and that's Anthony Joshua. One, in thirteen...and he could dump his IBO title in the rubbish bin and nobody would notice or care, tbh.
We already have enough garbage going on with the WBC,WBA,WBO, and IBF, why turn a minor title into a major title and cause more confusion? These belts are becoming more and more devalued with each duck anyway. Soon guys will be fighting for the Million Dollar Belt like it was worn by Muhammad Ali or something. This content is protected
Exactly, that's what baffles me about proponents of the IBO joining the "big leagues" - what do they believe is going to happen next? Fans are going to accept the world championship being fractured even further, now cut into five slices of pie instead of four? Or do they suppose the WBO, for instance, will be "demoted" to make room for it, like it were some kind of zero-sum game?
I mean, kudos for distinguishing themselves from all the other cracker-jack trinkets, I guess - but their goal shouldn't be to ever be fully embraced as "world titles", and they should honestly just stop calling their belts that. In time I believe they could be accepted more as reliable stepping-stones towards a WBC, IBF, WBA, or WBO title shot. Sort of like an intercontinental, OPBF, European, or Pan-African title, etc.
A couple of years ago the IBO looked better as most of the major ABC titles. Now they have the likes of Lerena, Eubank and Fornling as beltholders at the higher weightclasses, and thus seem to have regressed. They had their opening and it didn't take, but maybe in some time they can replace the WBA C or O, instead of joining.
I see people pointing to the WBO as the weakest belt but I'm not sure why that would be, except that they spent their early years as the least prestigious title because they were the newest org. The IBF has made some choices that were stomach-churningly bad over the last 10 years. And meanwhile you have the WBA; the WBA can't even decide who its own champion is in any given weight class with its ridiculous 'Super Champion' status, vs. 'World Champion'. And here's something I must have missed: Gold Champion? How long has that been around? I remember when they used to have a 'WBA Undisputed Champion' but I think that maybe got split into Super/Gold champions. While I'm at it, you have the outrageous bias shown by the WBC toward Mexican fighters, including Jose Sillyman making public bets against fighters involved in WBC title fights. I guess I would love to see a sanctioning org with a little integrity come in and put one or more of these bogus belts out of business. But since that hasn't happened yet, I'm assuming that corruption pays better than integrity.
It would take another generation or two for the WBO to build up the prestige of either the WBA (the oldest/richest in legacy) or the WBC (the most "famous" and coveted by the fighters themselves in the pivotal bridging period from Ali to Mike Tyson & the Four Kings, on through most of the 90's and early aughts, if not the present) but they could maybe overtake IBF within our lifetimes, if they play their cards right (and the IBF doesn't). IBO just have so much catching up to do if they want to displace either the IBF or WBO, however. WBC & WBA are going to be in the mix until they fold, and I don't see that happening anytime on the horizon.
Can't be worse than the This content is protected (e) This content is protected (e) This content is protected (orrupt).
Can you ever see yourself acknowledging the IBO championship as more prestigious a goal for a fighter to go after, instead of the storied "green belt"? For serious?
