Alphabet soup

[bill.lockhart]

How did the whole mess start? Who are the WBA, C, OR O, IBF? What are their differences? Lastly. Why will they not come together for the good of the sport?

[m1kee50]

$$ ££

[generic screen name]

$$ ££

nice, you kept it right and simple.

[bill.lockhart]

Decagon
Thanks, point taken. What are the differences though? What does the WBA stand for as opposed to the others? Their must be differences otherwise they would cease to exist?

[Ezzard]

In other professional individual sports we see tournaments. Prize money is put up and the competitors work towards a final. There are a number of prestigious titles, and some not so prestigious.

If a tennis player opts out of their tournaments there is nowhere else to go.

In boxing promoters can just find a new organisation to prop up their latest meal ticket.

Wouldn't it be great if every year the top 8 or 16 fighters in a division fought towards a final fight to crown a winner? I know it would be a departure from the the way things have always been done but at least the top fighters would fight one another.

[overhand_right]

Decagon
Thanks, point taken. What are the differences though? What does the WBA stand for as opposed to the others? Their must be differences otherwise they would cease to exist?

No, there is no difference. They all claim to be champions of the same world. The only difference are whos pockets are being lined.

Of the current 'big 3', the WBA, by far the worst, is ironically the oldest. The WBC and IBF also have a long history of corruption, the IBFs previous president Bob Lee is in prison for racketeering, he used to sell IBF rankings, hence how Frans Botha and Vuaghn Bean got title fights without ever having beaten a known fighter.

[The Great John L]

Decagon
Thanks, point taken. What are the differences though? What does the WBA stand for as opposed to the others? Their must be differences otherwise they would cease to exist?

No, there is no difference. They all claim to be champions of the same world. The only difference are whos pockets are being lined.

Yep, that sounds about right.

[bill.lockhart]

We need a commissioner. Where is Mountain Landis? If ever a sport was crying for regulation, it's boxing. Either that, or let the mob look after it. It's doubtful they'd be interested in having any competing interests. So their, it's settled. Either give boxing anti-trust legislation, like baseball or let Al Capone 111 look after things. Either way fans are the winners.

[The Great John L]

We need a commissioner. Where is Mountain Landis? If ever a sport was crying for regulation, it's boxing.

I hope Goodson doesn’t read this, or we’ll start getting HW slugout spams in this forum…

Either that, or let the mob look after it.

Actually, I think they used to have controlling interest, before the current four families took over. Either way, it’s organized crime.

Now let’s see… what was it that Bob Lee got convicted of???

[Ezzard]

Didn't Bob Lee form the IBF after losing out on the presidency of either the WBA or WBC? He then went on to say how they were corrupt organisations...

[overhand_right]

Frans Botha was unranked until 1994 when he signed with Don King and magically appeared in the top 10. After a string of victories over the likes of Phil Scott and Willie Jake and other unknown, unranked heavies, DK had him at #1 mandatory contender status.

Previously, Cedric Kushner had paid for Pierre Coetzer to be ranked.

Later, Butch Lewis paid for Vuagn Bean to be ranked.