What happened to the WBU?

[leforge]

I was wondering has the WBU packed up? When was the last fight for one of its titles.

[My T Sharp]

Think the last fight was that Mongolian who beat Matthews.

Seems to have been replaced by the lightly regarded Commonwealth Title.

[steve689]

Whenever one of their titles was last contested, it was not long enough. Last I heard they were struggling to get an offer for the purchase of their esteemed organisation. Franky has even stopped using their baubles so it seems they might have finally hit the wall.

[leforge]

Simpson V Truscott for commonwealth was good scrap, but that on different promoters show!!

[My T Sharp]

Simpson V Truscott for commonwealth was good scrap, but that on different promoters show!!

You get the odd good scrap but its generally got a sanction a random African opponent policy.

Or you can use it as a side step of the British title like Khan.

[whicker]

I think people are right- WBU has been replaced by Commonwealth fights.

[josh fg]

Simpson V Truscott for commonwealth was good scrap, but that on different promoters show!!

You get the odd good scrap but its generally got a sanction a random African opponent policy.

Or you can use it as a side step of the British title like Khan.

All depends on the fighter Froch fought Adamu to win it and defended against Woolnagh who was a good fighter as I remember.

[gobbles]

Sky introduced a rule of refusing to use WBU/IBO fights, unless in case of IBO it's Hatton.

When Warren went back to Sky, he couldn't use WBU title fights and nobody else promoted one for years

[Bard of Boxrec]

I seem to remember Micky Ward was a WBU champ at some point.. anyone know the story there?

[Cannibal]

I bid 1 pound for the WBU organization. Anyone who wants to fight for the belt can send me a tenner. Profit!

[Adamj1987]

its sounds good to me that its gone - EBF, WBF will go next hopefuly

[Autobarn]

My first guess is that TV just won't approve these minor titles anymore.

As gobbles says about Sky, a couple of posts up. Also Buncey said something on the British titles/WBU titles debate re Lockett, that Setanta don't go for those titles. I think.

The only time I enjoyed seeing WBU fights were the Colin Dunne fights when he had a few wars years ago, and the Shea Neary battles as well.

[The_Don1]

At present the only WBU 'world' champs are Jennings and Choi, good riddance to bad rubbish - does anyone else look back and find it incredible that Hatton defended this belt 15 times?!

The IBO on the other hand...whilst being (yet) another alphabet title actually have some good champs and are reasonably credible.

[Scrap]

I remember Big Jon telling me He had been offered 4 Million for it, should have took it DD

[gobbles]

At present the only WBU 'world' champs are Jennings and Choi, good riddance to bad rubbish - does anyone else look back and find it incredible that Hatton defended this belt 15 times?!

The IBO on the other hand...whilst being (yet) another alphabet title actually have some good champs and are reasonably credible.

Jennings will no longer be WBU champion after the Cotto fight, no one will stick a Choi fight on.

The IBO have got a lot of publicity by giving their title for free to some big fights to allow promoters to by-pass sanctioning bodies, but the strength of a sanctioning body is often not so much about their best champion, as about their weakest. I think they have something like 5 vacant titles and some of their champions are barely known.

[Autobarn]

Nonetheless, there would still seem to be scope for mismatches for stuff like interim/international belts for world titles like the WBO. Lockett vs the Caramac guy wasn't too long ago.

[dondada]

I remember Big Jon telling me He had been offered 4 Million for it, should have took it DD

Zimbabwean dollars? 8)

[DG.]

At present the only WBU 'world' champs are Jennings and Choi, good riddance to bad rubbish - does anyone else look back and find it incredible that Hatton defended this belt 15 times?!

The IBO on the other hand...whilst being (yet) another alphabet title actually have some good champs and are reasonably credible.

IBO

RJJ
Barrera
Lennox Lewis
Richard Williams

[The Hawk]

Sky introduced a rule of refusing to use WBU/IBO fights, unless in case of IBO it's Hatton.

When Warren went back to Sky, he couldn't use WBU title fights and nobody else promoted one for years

Ward beat Shea Neary for the WBU title, but never done anything with it

I think rather than wondering what happened to the WBU, we should be glad it seems as good as gone as it was the most "deliousional" phoeny belt rammed mainly at British Boxing making a mockery of world champions.

Ok the Commonwealth Belt seems to be badly contested at times, but at least it's getting British fighters back at a traditional title with history and the British title is nicely back in the spot light as well. I think that was a really bad period of Boxing when the WBU was getting the run around.

[steve689]

Come clean Hawk, you've gone and bought it haven't you?

[whicker]

does anyone else look back and find it incredible that Hatton defended this belt 15 times?!

No, it just says a lot about the sort of opponents Hatton was given, and explains why he kept an undefeated record until he met Mayweather!

Fight Junior Witter? The logical big domestic rival? Nah, no need, I'm a "World" Champion.

A bit of a "dark age" for British Boxing that was.

[leforge]

Hatton could have been a world champion earlier I reckon, that route was a cash cow though

[Autobarn]

Fave WBU title fights, anyone?

Least fave WBU title fights?

My faves would have to be: Shea Neary v Naas Scheepers, Micky Ward, Andy Holligan; Colin Dunne v Billy Schwer

[leforge]

Hatton V Magee and Tackie I enjoyed. Also Alexander Vtakloo for that knockout!! There were some stinkers with Enzo!

[Autobarn]

Gomez v Kirakosyan was alright as well. Hatton v Oliveira because it was a smart fight that kept Hatton busy for Tszyu without too much risk.

One of the worst would have to be Gomez v Juuko - horrible viewing.