WBN no longer recognize World Boxing Association as a sanctioning body

[Ruthless-RKO]

WBN no longer recognize World Boxing Association as a sanctioning body



World Boxing News has made the decision, which turned out not to be a tough one, to remove the World Boxing Association’s recognition as a sanctioning body.

Due to circumstances dating back to 2013, Vice-President and soon-to-be President Gilberto Mendoza promised WBN he would eradicate the unpopular ‘regular’ belts.

Mendoza was adamant he would move to crown one sole champion per division. It didn’t happen.

Things became a lot more cloudy with the addition of the WBA Gold championship a few years on.

Add to that the situation regarding the heavyweight division. Plus, with the inconsistency in rankings and titles, WBN has moved to act.

Stripping Manny Pacquiao of his belt and calling it ‘Champion in Recess.’ At the same time, adding Bermane Stiverne to their Top 15 ratings was the last straw.

Pacquiao was helping his country fight the pandemic as a senator and was due to fight in 2021. The WBA should have understood this matter.

As for Stiverne, ranking a heavyweight without a win for five years as the eleventh best in the world is an unforgivable and wrong decision.

There are several other examples before this. Too many to name.

WORLD BOXING ASSOCIATION REMOVAL

All WBA belts will now be removed from the WBN Champions list and unifications will not be recognized if it involves a WBA belt and only one of the other three major bodies.

Undisputed will only be acknowledged if it’s between the WBC, IBF, and WBO championships. The latter still has work to do to be on par with the WBC and IBF.

A future scenario could arise where WBN will consider only the World Boxing Council and International Boxing Federation. Conversations remain ongoing.

The WBO have gradually added more belts to their roster over the years, with the WBO Global now seemingly gathering worrying pace with promoters.

A WBC addition of the ‘Franchise’ status has also raised more questions than answers. Hopefully, that will disband when Canelo retires.

At present, only the IBF seems to be getting it right.

Boxing media, fans, and those with a real passion for the sport will fully understand this development. The sport deserves better than it’s currently getting.

Unless people stand up against circumstances that are not for the good of boxing, nothing will change. It will get worse.

That’s why WBN has become the first boxing media outlet to declassify the WBA in all forms on its platform.

WBN is the most visited independent boxing news website in the world.

We hope others follow our lead on this matter and take a stand against the long-running debate.

**Should the WBA remove excess belts and show progress on rankings in the future, WBN is willing to look at reversing the decision.

[Ruthless-RKO]

https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2021/01/30/boxing-world-champions-wbn-three/

The bold decision by WBN to no longer recognize the WBA as a sanctioning body means today’s boxing world champions drop dramatically.

WBA had ‘super’ and ‘regular’ straps, the latter of which WBN declassified in May 2019, which meant over 70 boxers called themselves a world champion.

As boxing moves on with just three bonafide organizations, the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, and World Boxing Organization rulers remain.

In total, there are 43 on the male side of the sport.

Here’s a full rundown of the current rulers.

BOXING WORLD CHAMPIONS

200 LBS + -HEAVYWEIGHT

ANTHONY JOSHUA – IBF / WBO Champion
TYSON FURY – WBC Champion

200 LBS – CRUISERWEIGHT

ILUNGA MAKABU – WBC Champion
MAIRIS BRIEDIS – IBF Champion
VACANT – WBO

175 LBS – LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

ARTUR BETERBIEV – IBF / WBC Champion
VACANT – WBO Champion

168 LBS – SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT

CANELO ALVAREZ – WBC Champion
CALEB PLANT – IBF Champion
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS – WBO Champion

160 LBS – MIDDLEWEIGHT

GENNADIY GOLOVKIN – IBF Champion
JERMALL CHARLO – WBC Champion
DEMETRIUS ANDRADE – WBO Champion

154 LBS – SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT

JERMELL CHARLO – IBF / WBC Champion
PATRICK TEIXEIRA – WBO Champion

147 LBS – WELTERWEIGHT

ERROL SPENCE – IBF / WBC Champion
TERENCE CRAWFORD – WBO Champion

140 LBS – SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT

JOSE RAMIREZ – WBC / WBO Champion
JOSH TAYLOR – IBF Champion

135 LBS – LIGHTWEIGHT

TEOFIMO LOPEZ – WBO / IBF Champion
DEVIN HANEY – WBC Champion

130 LBS – SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT

MIGUEL BERCHELT – WBC Champion
JOJO DIAZ – IBF Champion
JAMEL HERRING – WBO Champion

126 LBS – FEATHERWEIGHT

GARY RUSSELL JR – WBC Champion
SHAKUR STEVENSON – WBO Champion
JOSH WARRINGTON – IBF Champion

122 LBS – SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT

LUIS NERY – WBC Champion
MURODJON AKHMADALIEV – IBF Champion
STEPHEN FULTON JR – WBO Champion

118 LBS – BANTAMWEIGHT

NAOYA INOUE – IBF Champion
JOHN RIEL CASIMERO – WBO Champion
NORDINE OUBAALI – WBC Champion

115 LBS – SUPER-FLYWEIGHT

JUAN ESTRADA – WBC Champion
JERWIN ANCAJAS – IBF Champion
KAZUTO IOKA – WBO Champion

112 LBS – FLYWEIGHT

KOSEI TANAKA – WBO Champion
JC MARTINEZ – WBC Champion
MORUTI MTHALANE – IBF

108 LBS – LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT

KEN SHIRO – WBC Champion
ELWIN SOTO – WBO Champion
FELIX ALVARADO – IBF Champion

105 LBS – MINIMUMWEIGHT

PANYA PRADABSRI – WBC Champion
DEEJAY KRIEL – IBF Champion
WILFREDO MENDEZ – WBO Champion

FRANCHISE – WBC – ALL WEIGHTS

CANELO ALVAREZ – 160 to 175 pounds
TEOFIMO LOPEZ – 135 pounds

WOMEN – UNIFIED

JESSICA MCCASKILL – Welterweight
KATIE TAYLOR – Lightweight
CLARESSA SHIELDS – Super welter / Middleweight
FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN – Super Middleweight
TERRI HARPER – Super featherweight
JELENA MRDJENOVICH – Featherweight

WBN will now recognize those aiming to become undisputed for claiming WBC, IBF, and WBO straps.

[Perseus]

Would like to see other media, the hall of fame and networks that broadcast boxing do the same.
More importantly boxers need to stop fighting for these belts. If nobody wants the belt it will simply cease to exist.

[DrDuke]

A good move. Everybody must follow this. And then diminish WBC.

[Rocky-]

https://www.wbaboxing.com/wp-content/up ... anuary.pdf

WBA Super Champion
WBA World Champion
WBA Gold Champion
WBA Champion in Recess
WBA Interim Champion

The WBC created a honorary diamond belt so the WBA invented a comedy gold belt lmao...

"As of December 2019 for example, they simultaneously recognized a WBA Super champion (Anthony Joshua), WBA champion (Manuel Charr), WBA interim champion (Trevor Bryan) and WBA Gold champion (Robert Helenius) in the heavyweight division. There have even been instances where different WBA world champions have defended versions of the same title, in the same weight class, on the same date in different events."

[Jeff_lacy_ko]

Now if espn and ring follow suit.....

[Ruthless-RKO]

Now if espn and ring follow suit.....

I don’t the the Ring do anyway. They have their own rankings and own belt anyway.

[Syntax Error]

What about all the other bullshit organisations with their dodgy ranking systems and comedy belts?

Why single out the WBA?

[margaret thatcher]

none of the others are nearly as bad when it comes to the whole 'super' 'regular' 'interim' crap and proliferation of 'world titles'

and the hw situation lol


Stiverne hasn't won a fight in 5 years and has been KO'd in his last 3. but then suddenly got a top wba ranking.

wba 'champs' Bryan hadn't fought in 3 years, Charr in 4

Oquendo was ranked by the WBA without having fought in 6 years

Charr and Oquendo are both suing the WBA now.

A total mess



and they also randomly downgraded alberto machado from being super champ, so they could give it to tank davis for beating a patsy



all of them are bad but i rate the wba the worst for the shenanigans

[gregregegg]

look WBA sucks, but at least all there shit belts are easy to ignore, WBA super champ is the only champ, easy. WBC however with there franchise shit is far more difficult to ignore, Its created the horror show of "is lopez undisputed" which no matter what side you are on in that question, you have to admit there is no rock solid agreement.

[Onetimeonly]

Never heard of wbn, don't care about wba.

[Onetimeonly]

Now if espn and ring follow suit.....

I don’t the the Ring do anyway. They have their own rankings and own belt anyway.

No fighter ever grew up dreaming of being the magazine champion.

[Finkel]

This is great news for boxing.
Well done WBN.


Looking through the list of champions on the boxrec page the majority of WBA champions are unified with another belt. It not such a positive move for the lower weight class boxers, but it is for a sport quickly becoming a side show due to sanctioning body shananigans

[Perseus]

What about all the other bullshit organisations with their dodgy ranking systems and comedy belts?

Why single out the WBA?

Because driving off all of them at once isn't realistic.
Start with the worst of the bunch.
Some of the WBA stupidity comes from desperation, they are on the verge of irrelevance in the sport. There are plenty of available belts, if the WBA goes away it's not really a big change in the sport.
If the majority of boxing media shuns the WBA networks won't be far behind and the WBA will be obsolete shortly afterwards.

[Onetimeonly]

What about all the other bullshit organisations with their dodgy ranking systems and comedy belts?

Why single out the WBA?

Because driving off all of them at once isn't realistic.
Start with the worst of the bunch.
Some of the WBA stupidity comes from desperation, they are on the verge of irrelevance in the sport. There are plenty of available belts, if the WBA goes away it's not really a big change in the sport.
If the majority of boxing media shuns the WBA networks won't be far behind and the WBA will be obsolete shortly afterwards.

It's the fighters that could make the change. Networks would never not use world title during a telecast. The media is meaningless in boxing now.

[margaret thatcher]

id forgoten about the wba's love affair with beibut shumenovs oil money too lol

[Ruthless-RKO]

id forgoten about the wba's love affair with beibut shumenovs oil money too lol

And they recently downgraded Pac.

[claudevsq]

https://www.worldboxingnews.net/2021/01/30/boxing-world-champions-wbn-three/

The bold decision by WBN to no longer recognize the WBA as a sanctioning body means today’s boxing world champions drop dramatically.

WBA had ‘super’ and ‘regular’ straps, the latter of which WBN declassified in May 2019, which meant over 70 boxers called themselves a world champion.

As boxing moves on with just three bonafide organizations, the World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, and World Boxing Organization rulers remain.

In total, there are 43 on the male side of the sport.

Here’s a full rundown of the current rulers.

BOXING WORLD CHAMPIONS

200 LBS + -HEAVYWEIGHT

ANTHONY JOSHUA – IBF / WBO Champion
TYSON FURY – WBC Champion

200 LBS – CRUISERWEIGHT

ILUNGA MAKABU – WBC Champion
MAIRIS BRIEDIS – IBF Champion
VACANT – WBO

175 LBS – LIGHT-HEAVYWEIGHT

ARTUR BETERBIEV – IBF / WBC Champion
VACANT – WBO Champion

168 LBS – SUPER-MIDDLEWEIGHT

CANELO ALVAREZ – WBC Champion
CALEB PLANT – IBF Champion
BILLY JOE SAUNDERS – WBO Champion

160 LBS – MIDDLEWEIGHT

GENNADIY GOLOVKIN – IBF Champion
JERMALL CHARLO – WBC Champion
DEMETRIUS ANDRADE – WBO Champion

154 LBS – SUPER-WELTERWEIGHT

JERMELL CHARLO – IBF / WBC Champion
PATRICK TEIXEIRA – WBO Champion

147 LBS – WELTERWEIGHT

ERROL SPENCE – IBF / WBC Champion
TERENCE CRAWFORD – WBO Champion

140 LBS – SUPER-LIGHTWEIGHT

JOSE RAMIREZ – WBC / WBO Champion
JOSH TAYLOR – IBF Champion

135 LBS – LIGHTWEIGHT

TEOFIMO LOPEZ – WBO / IBF Champion
DEVIN HANEY – WBC Champion

130 LBS – SUPER-FEATHERWEIGHT

MIGUEL BERCHELT – WBC Champion
JOJO DIAZ – IBF Champion
JAMEL HERRING – WBO Champion

126 LBS – FEATHERWEIGHT

GARY RUSSELL JR – WBC Champion
SHAKUR STEVENSON – WBO Champion
JOSH WARRINGTON – IBF Champion

122 LBS – SUPER-BANTAMWEIGHT

LUIS NERY – WBC Champion
MURODJON AKHMADALIEV – IBF Champion
STEPHEN FULTON JR – WBO Champion

118 LBS – BANTAMWEIGHT

NAOYA INOUE – IBF Champion
JOHN RIEL CASIMERO – WBO Champion
NORDINE OUBAALI – WBC Champion

115 LBS – SUPER-FLYWEIGHT

JUAN ESTRADA – WBC Champion
JERWIN ANCAJAS – IBF Champion
KAZUTO IOKA – WBO Champion

112 LBS – FLYWEIGHT

KOSEI TANAKA – WBO Champion
JC MARTINEZ – WBC Champion
MORUTI MTHALANE – IBF

108 LBS – LIGHT-FLYWEIGHT

KEN SHIRO – WBC Champion
ELWIN SOTO – WBO Champion
FELIX ALVARADO – IBF Champion

105 LBS – MINIMUMWEIGHT

PANYA PRADABSRI – WBC Champion
DEEJAY KRIEL – IBF Champion
WILFREDO MENDEZ – WBO Champion

FRANCHISE – WBC – ALL WEIGHTS

CANELO ALVAREZ – 160 to 175 pounds
TEOFIMO LOPEZ – 135 pounds

WOMEN – UNIFIED

JESSICA MCCASKILL – Welterweight
KATIE TAYLOR – Lightweight
CLARESSA SHIELDS – Super welter / Middleweight
FRANCHON CREWS-DEZURN – Super Middleweight
TERRI HARPER – Super featherweight
JELENA MRDJENOVICH – Featherweight

WBN will now recognize those aiming to become undisputed for claiming WBC, IBF, and WBO straps.

There are a few errors: IBF Featherweight is vacant, while WBO Featherweight is Emanuel Navarrete. WBO Flyweight is Junto Nakatani, and IBF Minimumweight is Pedro Taduran. As for females, Mrdjenovich holds WBC and WBA(!), while Terri Harper holds WBC and WIBO(!). Amanda Serrano holds WBC (interim) and WBO.

[Enlightened-One]

WBN did the right thing.

We just need The RING, ESPN, DAZN, PBC, Fox/Showtime etc. to follow suit.

The WBA’s recent conduct has been deplorable and ridiculous (i.e. Bogdan Dinu’s rating).

[Thomastearns]

What about all the other bullshit organisations with their dodgy ranking systems and comedy belts?

Why single out the WBA?

Because driving off all of them at once isn't realistic.
Start with the worst of the bunch.
Some of the WBA stupidity comes from desperation, they are on the verge of irrelevance in the sport. There are plenty of available belts, if the WBA goes away it's not really a big change in the sport.
If the majority of boxing media shuns the WBA networks won't be far behind and the WBA will be obsolete shortly afterwards.

It's the fighters that could make the change. Networks would never not use world title during a telecast. The media is meaningless in boxing now.

Not just in boxing. The mainstream media (MSM)is more or less useless everywhere.

The press seem to have lost whatever independence they once had and have now become little more than media whores.

Turning a trick for whoever happens to be their highest bidder.

Integrity and journalism are now incompatible terms it seems.

Even some boxing stalwarts can no longer find it in themselves to defend what is happening inside one of boxing's oldest sanctioning bodies.

Michael Montero - The WBA is a complete joke.

[Ruthless-RKO]

You’re always gonna get small time promoters that will use the WBA, because having an event event header “World Championship Boxing” is always better than “12 round boxing main event”.

Like how some promoters in certain places hype the IBO.

[candyslim]

What about all the other bullshit organisations with their dodgy ranking systems and comedy belts?

Why single out the WBA?

Because they are by far the worst. I don't know what effect (if any) this action by the WBN is likely to have, but I applaud it all the same. I hope, but do not expect, this will cause the WBC and WBO to clean up their act - Oh look there are a squadron of farmyard pigs practicing low-level aerobatics.

Correct me if I'm missing something but aside from their ratings pretending champions of the other orgs don't exist (like they all do), and maybe they can be a bit inflexible in applying their rules, it seems to me that the IBF are a vast improvement on the others. In the kingdom of the blind the one-eyed man is king!

[Finkel]

Boxing News magazine in the UK were also talking about ignoring WBA titles going forward during a pod cast with an editor of the mag.

Think that would be a big deal given their history and standing

[Onetimeonly]

Because driving off all of them at once isn't realistic.
Start with the worst of the bunch.
Some of the WBA stupidity comes from desperation, they are on the verge of irrelevance in the sport. There are plenty of available belts, if the WBA goes away it's not really a big change in the sport.
If the majority of boxing media shuns the WBA networks won't be far behind and the WBA will be obsolete shortly afterwards.

It's the fighters that could make the change. Networks would never not use world title during a telecast. The media is meaningless in boxing now.

Not just in boxing. The mainstream media (MSM)is more or less useless everywhere.

The press seem to have lost whatever independence they once had and have now become little more than media whores.

Turning a trick for whoever happens to be their highest bidder.

Integrity and journalism are now incompatible terms it seems.

Even some boxing stalwarts can no longer find it in themselves to defend what is happening inside one of boxing's oldest sanctioning bodies.

Michael Montero - The WBA is a complete joke.

The media sure ain't meaningless in politics. Lol

[Onetimeonly]

You’re always gonna get small time promoters that will use the WBA, because having an event event header “World Championship Boxing” is always better than “12 round boxing main event”.

Like how some promoters in certain places hype the IBO.

Small time? They all do. The wba will be all over the canelo fight. Nobody cares about the wbn.