World Boxing Council

Information about World Boxing Council

Enlarge picture
WBC logo mark


The World Boxing Council was initially created by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo López Mateos, to create an international boxing organization that would achieve the unity of all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing.

The groups that historically had recognized several boxers as champions included the New York State Athletic Commission, the National Boxing Association, the European Boxing Union and the British Boxing Board of Control but these groups lacked generally of the one aspect they boasted of: their status of "international".

The WBC is one of three major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the IBF, WBA.

Championships

The WBC's green championship belt portrays the flags of all of the 161 member-nations of the organization; the flags of the original 12 member-nations are displayed on the belt’s ovular, gold center-plate (surrounding a boxer raising his arm in victory). All WBC World title belts look identical regardless of weight class; however, there are minor variations on the design for secondary and regionally-themed titles within the same weight class. A WBC Title belt is a highly sought-after collector's item.

The WBC has nine regional governing bodies affiliated with it, such as the North American Boxing Federation (NABF), the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), the European Boxing Union (EBU), and the African Boxing Council (ABC).

Although rivals, the WBC's relationship with other sanctioning bodies has improved over time, and there have even been talks of unification with the WBA. Unification bouts between WBC and other organizations' champions are becoming more common in recent years. Throughout its history, the WBC has allowed some its organization's champions to fight unification fights with champions of other organizations, although there were times it stepped in to prevent such fights. For many years, it also prevented its champions from holding the WBO belt. When a WBO-recognized champion wished to fight for a WBC championship, he had to abandon his WBO title first, without any special considerations. This, however, is no longer the case.

In 1983, the WBC took the unprecedented step of reducing the distance of its world championship bouts, from 15 rounds to 12—a move other organizations soon followed (for boxers' safety).

Among those to have been recognized by the WBC as world champions were Wilfredo Benitez, Wilfredo Gómez, Julio César Chávez, Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, Salvador Sanchez, Hector Camacho, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzon, Roberto Duran, Juan Laporte, Felix Trinidad, Edwin Rosario, Mike Tyson, Alexis Arguello, Nigel Benn and Lennox Lewis.

The WBC bolstered the legitimacy of women’s boxing by recognizing fighters such as Christy “The Coalminer’s Daughter” Martin and Lucia Rijker as contenders for World Female titles in 16 weight divisions. The first WBC World Female Champion (on May 30 2005) was super-bantamweight (limit of 122 lb. / 55.338 kg.) Mexican, Jackie Nava. With her former-champion father at ringside, Laila Ali won the super-middleweight (limit of 168 lb. / 76.204 kg.) title on June 11 2005.

Former WBC presidents include Luis Spota and Ramon G. Velazquez of Mexico, Onslow Fane of Great Britain and Justiniano N. Montano, Jr. of the Philippines. The organization's current president is Jose Sulaiman.

The WBC and Don King

Many in the boxing community have accused the WBC of bending its rules to suit powerful promoter Don King. As journalist Jack Newfield says, “...[WBC President Jose] Sulaiman became more King’s junior partner than his independent regulator.”[1] Another journalist, Peter Heller, echoes that comment: “Sulaiman...became little more than an errand boy for Don King.” Heller also quotes British promoter Mickey Duff as saying, “My complaint is that Jose Sulaiman is not happy his friend Don King is the biggest promoter in boxing. Sulaiman will only be happy when Don King is the only promoter in boxing.”[2]

The actions of the WBC give some credence to this charge. A partial list:
  • When Leon Spinks won the WBA and WBC Heavyweight championships from Muhammad Ali in 1978, the WBC stripped Leon Spinks of his title. Jose Sulaiman said the WBC did so because Spinks was signed for a rematch with Ali instead of fighting a Don King fighter, Ken Norton. Norton then defended the WBC title against another Don King fighter, Larry Holmes, who won the belt.[3]
  • In 1983, WBC Super Featherweight champion Bobby Chacon was signed to fight the WBC’s mandatory challenger for his title, Cornelius Boza-Edwards. Promoter Don King, however, wanted his fighter, Hector Camacho, to fight for the title. Even though WBC rules said the mandatory challenger should receive a shot at the title, the WBC withdrew its sanction from the fight and then stripped Chacon for refusing to fight Camacho.[4]
  • Under WBC rules, a fighter is supposed to defend his title against a mandatory challenger at least once a year. For fighters controlled by Don King, this rule is often ignored. Mike Tyson, Alexis Arguello, and Carlos Zarate, for instance, were allowed to ignore their obligations to their mandatory contenders while WBC champions.[5]
  • While WBC Super Featherweight champion, Julio César Chávez wanted to fight top contender Roger Mayweather for a promoter other than Don King. The WBC withheld its sanction of the fight until Don King became promoter.[6]
  • When Mike Tyson lost to James "Buster" Douglas during a WBC and WBA Heavyweight championship defense, Don King convinced the WBC (along with the WBA) to withhold recognition of Douglas as heavyweight champion. King claimed that Tyson had actually won the fight due to knocking down Douglas and the referee giving Douglas a “long count."[7] Referee Octavio Meyran, in a sworn affidavit, claims that King threatened to have the WBC withhold payment of Meyran's hotel bill if Meyran did not support King's protest.[8] Because of intense public pressure, both the WBA and WBC backed down and recognized Douglas as champion.
    • In 1992, the WBC threatened to strip Evander Holyfield of his title for defending it against Riddick Bowe instead of Razor Ruddock. Holyfield obtained a court order to stop the organization. In a taped deposition for the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Holyfield stated that the WBC wanted him to defend his championship against Ruddock because Ruddock was managed by Don King.[9]
      • During the 1990s, the WBC did not allow its champions to engage in unification bouts with WBO champions. However, in 1993, the Don King promoted super-middleweight showdown between WBC champion Nigel Benn and WBO champion Chris Eubank was recognized as a title uification fight by the WBC. Ironically, both men fought to a draw and each retained their respective titles.
      • When Mike Tyson was released from prison in 1995, the WBC installed him as their #1 contender for their heavyweight championship. Tyson had not fought in four years, but was promoted by Don King.
      • In 2000, King-promoted Julio César Chávez was the mandatory challenger for Kostya Tszyu's WBC super lightweight title. Chávez was the mandatory challenger though he had not fought at super lightweight for two years, had recently lost to journeyman boxer Willie Wise, and had not beaten a top contender since losing his first fight to Oscar de la Hoya in 1996.
      • In 2005, the WBC stripped Javier Castillejo of his super welterweight title for fighting Fernando Vargas instead of Don King-promoted Ricardo Mayorga. Mayorga somehow qualified for a shot at the super welterweight title despite the fact that he had never fought at that weight limit and had lost two of his last three fights.

      Near Demise

      In early 1998, Roy Jones, Jr. announced that he was relinquishing his WBC world Light-Heavyweight Championship. In response, the organization ordered a bout between German contender Graciano Rocchigiani and former champion Michael Nunn to fill the vacancy, sanctioning it as a world championship match.

      On March 21 1998 Rocchigiani won the fight and a WBC belt; in the subsequent WBC rankings, he was listed as “Light-Heavyweight World Champion." Jones, however, had a change of heart and asked if the WBC would reinstate him as the champion. In a move that violated nearly a dozen of its own regulations, the WBC granted the reinstatement. Rocchigiani received a letter from the WBC advising that the publishing of his name as champion was a typographical error, and he had never really been the official titleholder.

      Rocchigiani immediately filed a lawsuit against the WBC in a U.S. federal court, claiming that the organization's actions both were contrary to their own rules and injurious to his earning potential (due to diminished professional stature). On May 7, 2003, the judge ruled in Rocchigiani's favor, awarding him $30 million (U.S.) in damages and reinstating him as a former WBC Champion (Rocchigiani had lost a bout since his WBC Title match).

      The following day, the WBC sought protection by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (i.e., corporate debt restructuring) in Puerto Rico. The organization then spent the next 13 months attempting to negotiate a six-figure settlement with Rocchigiani, but Rocchigiani did not at first accept.

      On June 11, 2004, the WBC announced it would enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation (i.e., business closing and total asset sell-off) proceedings, effectively ending its existence. This action prompted some in the boxing community to plead with Rocchigiani to settle the dispute, which he did in mid-July 2004.

      Criticism

      Like the WBA, IBF, and WBO, the WBC is almost universally criticized in the boxing community for its alleged corruption. Numerous contenders are considered unworthy of their respective rank by boxing critics and magazines. Likewise, many of its champions are not considered to be the world’s best fighters in their particular divisions. Of their current 17 recognized Champions, about eight are considered by most experts to be the theoretical “true champions” of their divisions.

      Current WBC world title holders

      Male

      Enlarge picture
      Champions since 1920 of heavyweight boxing of 5 most important Associations
      Weight class: Champion: Date won:
      StrawweightEagle KyowaAugust 6 2005
      Light flyweightEdgar SosaApril 13 2007
      FlyweightDaisuke NaitoJuly 18 2007
      Super flyweightCristian MijaresSeptember 18 2006
      BantamweightHozumi HasegawaApril 16 2005
      Super bantamweightIsrael V%C3%A1zquezAugust 4 2007
      FeatherweightInjin ChiDecember 16 2006
      Super featherweightJuan Manuel MárquezMarch 17 2007
      LightweightDavid DiazAugust 12 2006
      Super lightweightJunior WitterSeptember 15 2006
      WelterweightFloyd Mayweather Jr.November 4 2006
      Shane Mosley (Interim)February 10 2007
      Super welterweightVernon ForrestJuly 28th 2007
      MiddleweightKelly PavlikSeptember 29 2007
      Super middleweightMikkel KesslerOctober 14 2006
      Light heavyweightChad DawsonFebruary 3 2007
      CruiserweightJean-Marc MormeckMarch 17 2007
      HeavyweightOleg MaskaevAugust 12 2006
      Samuel Peter (Interim)September 25 2007

      Female

      Weight class: Champion: Date won:
      StrawweightCarina Moreno2007-05-17
      Light flyweightSamson Sor Siriporn2007-04-03
      FlyweightStefania Bianchini2005-08-07
      Super flyweightAna Maria Torres2007-04-16
      BantamweightSusana Vazquez2007-06-01
      Super bantamweightAlejandra Marina Oliveras2006-05-20
      FeatherweightSharon Anyos2005-10-22
      Super featherweightJelena Mrdjenovich2005-11-18
      LightweightJessica Rakoczy2007-02-22
      Super lightweightMary Jo Sanders2005-07-30
      WelterweightHolly Holm2007-03-22
      Super welterweightJisselle Salandy2006-09-15
      MiddleweightYvonne Reis2006-04-01
      Super middleweightLaila Ali2006-11-11
      Light heavyweightVacant
      CruiserweightVacant
      HeavyweightVonda Ward2007-02-10

      See also

      Other world organizations

      Other world organizations

      Affiliated organizations

      Transitions of WBC titles

      References and Notes

      1. ^ Newfield, Jack (1995). Only In America. New York, NY: William & Morrow Co., 141. ISBN 0688101232. 
      2. ^ Heller, Peter (1988). Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Story. New York, NY: New American Library, 143. ISBN 0688101232. 
      3. ^ Newfield, Jack (1995). Only In America. New York, NY: William & Morrow Co., 141. ISBN 0688101232. 
      4. ^ Heller, Peter (1988). Bad Intentions: The Mike Tyson Story. New York, NY: New American Library, 220-221. ISBN 0688101232. 
      5. ^ Newfield, Jack (1995). Only In America. New York, NY: William & Morrow Co., 141. ISBN 0688101232. 
      6. ^ Newfield, Jack (1995). Only In America. New York, NY: William & Morrow Co., 141. ISBN 0688101232. 
      7. ^ Newfield, Jack (1995). Only In America. New York, NY: William & Morrow Co., 287-289. ISBN 0688101232. 
      8. ^ id="CITEREFSugar">Sugar, Bert (October 1990), "In This Corner", Boxing Illustrated 32, no. 8: 4
      9. ^ id="CITEREFHeaney">Heaney, John (December 1992), "The Senate Investigation: Much Ado About Nothing", Boxing Illustrated 35, no. 10: 38

      External links

      Motto
      "In God We Trust"   (since 1956)
      "E Pluribus Unum"   ("From Many, One"; Latin, traditional)
      Anthem
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      En unión y libertad   (Spanish)
      "In Union and Freedom"
      Anthem
      Himno Nacional Argentino
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      "Dieu et mon droit" [2]   (French)
      "God and my right"
      Anthem
      "God Save the Queen" [3]
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité
      "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"
      Anthem
      "La Marseillaise"


      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Anthem
      Himno Nacional Mexicano


      Capital
      (and largest city) Mexico City

      Official languages Spanish (
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism.
      If you are prevented from editing this page, and you wish to make a change, please discuss changes on the talk page, request unprotection, log in, or .
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Anthem
      Himno Istmeño


      Capital
      (and largest city) Panama City

      Official languages Spanish
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      Por la Razón o la Fuerza
      (Spanish: "By right or might")
      Anthem
      Himno Nacional de Chile
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Anthem
      Somos libres, seámoslo siempre   (Spanish)
      "We are free, may we always be so"
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      [2]
      Anthem
      Gloria al Bravo Pueblo   (Spanish)
      "Glory to the Brave People"
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      Ordem e Progresso   (Portuguese)
      "Order and Progress"
      Anthem
      Hino Nacional Brasileiro
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Motto
      Latin: Joannes Est Nomen Eius
      Spanish: Juan es su nombre
      (English: "John is his name")
      Anthem
      "La Borinqueña"
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Mexico City
      Ciudad de México
      Skyline of Mexico City at night

      Seal
      Nickname: Ciudad de los palacios (City of Palaces)
      Motto: Capital en movimiento
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      February 14 is the 1st day of the year (2nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are 0 days remaining.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      19th century - 20th century - 21st century
      1930s  1940s  1950s  - 1960s -  1970s  1980s  1990s
      1960 1961 1962 - 1963 - 1964 1965 1966

      Year 1963 (MCMLXIII
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Mexico

      This article is part of the series:
      Politics of Mexico

      • Constitution
      • President
      • Felipe Caldern
      • Cabinet
      • Congress

      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Adolfo López Mateos (26 May 1909 – 22 September 1969) was President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964, representing the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).

      López Mateos called the meeting that led to the creation of the World Boxing Council.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      World Boxing Association (WBA) is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association, it is one of three major organizations recognized by IBHOF
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      The European Boxing Union (also popularly known to boxing fans as EBU) is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.

      History

      The EBU started life as the (IBU) International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the Britain (boxing in Northern Ireland is governed by the Boxing Union of Ireland. It was formed in 1929.

      The Board is known for its unique scoring system.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Boxing (or pugilism) is a combat sport of English origin in which two participants of similar weight fight each other with their fists in a series of one to three-minute intervals called rounds.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of three major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      World Boxing Association (WBA) is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association, it is one of three major organizations recognized by IBHOF
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      The North American Boxing Federation (NABF) is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council (WBC).
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region.

      The OPBF was formed in 1954 by the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino boxing commissions.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      The European Boxing Union (also popularly known to boxing fans as EBU) is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.

      History

      The EBU started life as the (IBU) International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910.
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      19th century - 20th century - 21st century
      1950s  1960s  1970s  - 1980s -  1990s  2000s  2010s
      1980 1981 1982 - 1983 - 1984 1985 1986

      Year 1983 (MCMLXXXIII
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Wilfred Benitez

      Statistics
      Real name Wilfred Benitez
      Nickname El Radar, Bible of Boxing
      Rated at Welterweight
      Nationality Puerto Rican
      Birth date September 12, 1958
      Birth place New York, NY

      Stance Orthodox
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Wilfredo Gómez

      Gómez (left) with Tony Santiago
      Statistics
      Real name Wilfredo Gómez
      Nickname Bazooka
      Rated at super bantamweight
      Nationality Puerto Rican
      Birth date September 29 1956
      ..... Click the link for more information.
      Julio César Chávez

      Statistics
      Real name Julio César Chávez González
      Nickname J.C.
      Rated at Light welterweight
      Nationality Mexican
      Birth date July 12 1962 (1962--)
      ..... Click the link for more information.

This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia.org - the free encyclopedia created and edited by online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of the wikipedia encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.