The Boxing Authorites And Formation Of The Alphabet Soup

Just read a pretty interesting artical about how the alphabet soup of the world titles boxing now has came about.

Dont have a link to it or anything as i've just read it in a fairly old magazine but i'll retype it for u guys as i think some maybe interested. Bit long but a good read.

*Note* this isn't my article I've read it in a mag that goes along with with
"A Marshall Cavendish Collect. The Fights, The Facts, The Action.".. It's also a pretty old mag!

The Boxing Authorities

In the early days of the sport, there was only one 'undisputed' champion at any given weight. But this era ended in the 1960's, and in recent years, three widely accepted boxing authorities and several smaller ones have each named their own titleholders. As a result, it is now rare for anyone to unify a division by holding all recognised versions of the title.

The First Authority

The first body to bring order into boxing was the National Sporting Club formed in London in 1981. The NSC formalised the weight classes and recognised champions at each weight, to whom they awarded the famous Lonsdale belts. Originally, the NSC was a private club, which gave way in 1929 to the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC) which was formed largely of NSC members, and which still controls British boxing.

No Decision in the USA

At the turn of the century, boxing in the USA was subject to numerous differing laws. These included the Frawley Law, which regarded matches as exhibitions and did not allow points decisions to be granted – hence the many ‘No Decision’ bouts on the records of boxers.

American Controls

In 1920, the boxing department of the New York State Athletic Commission was set up. Its purpose was to enforce the new Walker Law, which allowed boxing provided it was run by an official commission. Although many US states and cities formed there own commissions, the NYSAC gradually assumed great influence by recognising national and world champions, and favouring boxers who were licensed by themselves as challengers.

The Authorities Split

In 1921, the other states banded together to combat the undue influence of the NYSAC. They formed the National Boxing Association which in 1927 began to recognise its own world champions. As the two bodies began to differ, the convention of two world champions – those of New York and the NBA – began.


Undisputed Champions

Although there were often different titleholders in the lighter divisions, in the heavyweight class, the rival authorities tended to agree about who was the true champion. Only after Joe Louis retired in 1948 was there any argument about who was the true titleholder. Even then apart from a few months in 1950 when Britain and Europe recognised Lee Savold, there was no real dispute until the 1960’s


The WBA Is Formed

In 1962, the NBA sought to become a more universal body by reforming as the World Boxing Association.


The WBC Joins

The formation of the WBA prompted many bodies around the world to form a rival organisation. These included the BBBC in Britain, the European Boxing Union and others. In 1963 the came together to form the World Boxing Council with a working agreement with the NYSAC. Thus the American rivalries were continued.


The Heavies Split

The formation of the WBA and WBC coincided with the period of Muhammad Ali’s rise to heavyweight dominance. When he beat Sonny Liston in 1964, he became the undisputed champion. But a few weeks later, the WBA withdrew recognition over a contract dispute and the titles were split. Ali succeeded in re-unifying it in 1967 by beating WBA champion Ernie Terrell. The undisputed title then passed onto Joe Frazier and George Foreman before Muhammad Ali regained it in 1974, before losing it again to Leon Spinks in 1978, after which it was split again.



The Rise of the IBF

In 1983, the International Boxing Federation was formed, supported mainly by authorities in Australia and the Far East. It introduced new weight classes at the light end of the scale, yet seemed likely to have little influence outside the Far East. But when the worlds top heavyweight Larry Holmes defected from the WBC to become the IBF champion in 1984, its authority was established.


The One and Only

Since the institution of the IBF, only Mike Tyson has managed to lay claim to all recognised heavyweight ‘championship’ at once, at feat that likely become increasingly unlikely in the future.

The New Authorities

In the late 1980’s the World Boxing Organisation was formed, and by 1989 had champions in most weight divisions. It is taken less seriously then the other authorities, and is hardly recognised in America. From time to time other bodies establish ‘world champions’ but none has had much success yet. Nevertheless true fans are dismayed at the virtual disappearance of undisputed champions – in most weights nowadays there are three or for pretenders.