The mess in Boxing administration?

Question

How did the confusion in the control of boxing come about? Is there any chance of establishing a unified authority?

Don't bother answering if you don't like boxing.

Answer 1

I know that folks pretty much despise the alphabet soup titlists.  But when there was only one world belt, guys like Archie Moore couldn't get a title fight until the age of 35, guys like Jake LaMotta had to take a dive in a fight to get a shot.  So, it is a mixed bag.  Since boxing is a global sport, I doubt there is any way to unify it.  You can barely get anything done with the American bureaucracy.  And you can forget about a world bureaucracy getting anything done.

If it were somehow possible to regionalize the governing bodies by continent/region, that could possibly work.  And then have a titlist reigning over them, you can have a Fuedal system over boxing where all the organizations can get their cut.  But you'll need a boxer union to keep it fair.

Oh, and to take a jab a James B, if you want a future in America, you better not wait for a president to enable you.  Because you'll wait your whole life if you wait for a bereuocrat to fix things for you.  Vote McCain in 08, he's not a socialist, just a typical white guy.

Answer 2

The mess started when the title became split.  Back in the old days, there was only one champion per division, but starting in the 1960's, the World Boxing Council (WBC) was formed as a different sanctioning body than the World Boxing Association (WBA).  The WBA is the oldest, but when the WBC came along, most of their champions started to get a lot of recognition as being THE champion.  So, for a while, there was 2 world titles- the WBA and WBC.  Then, in the 1980's, the United States Boxing Association (USBA) evolved into the International Boxing Federation (IBF).  So, then there were 3 world titles up until the 1990's when the World Boxing Organazation (WBO) was formed.  And as of right now, those are the 4 different world titles that have been plaguing boxing for the past few decades.  There is no chance that they will ever come back to be one title because they only care about the money- every time a fighter defends or fights for a title, he must pay a sanctiong fee.  There are 17 weight divisions in boxing, so that means 17 sanctioning fees from each titleholder in each weight division, and I'm not even including all of the "interim" and "super" champions that are out there- there is simply too much money to be made for them to ever try and unite, and plus they don't give a rat's @ss about the good of the sport.  Some people try to argue that if there was only 1 world title, then many fighters wouldn't get a title shot, but you now what?  Tough luck- thats the way it should be; you should only get a title shot if you've beaten the top contenders and actually deserve to get an opportunity to win a world title.  The closes thing that we have to one world champion is the Ring Magazine championship.  The fighters with the Ring belts garner the most respect and are considered the linear and true champions in their weight division because the Ring does not strip their champions for not defending against pointless mandatory challengers like the sanctioning bodies do.  The only way that you can lose the Ring title is by losing it in the ring, moving to another weight division permanently, or retiring- thats the way it USED to be and thats the way it SHOULD be.  It takes boxing back to the simpler times when you could look at a weight divison and only see one world champion and I applaud the Ring for doing that because it has worked- if you look at all of the wieght divisions where they have a champion, you will see that their champion is the one who is considered by everyone to be THE champ.

Answer 3

The confusion that reins supreme in boxing is a direct result of a lack oversight, no rules for promoters, and so on.

Senator John McCain (yes the same one h**l bent on wrecking the future of America) has twice introduced legislation aimed at cleaning up the sport.

The gist of it is this; one sanctioning body for the sport.  regulation of promoters, federal oversight of the state athletic commissions, and more comprehensive drug testing programs among other things.  The legislation is really boring to read, but it is DEFINITELY in the best interest of boxing and so far McCain is the only to really push for it.

Let us pray he does not get in the white house and returns his focus to where he CAN make a difference.

EDIT: Elmer WHERE did I say I want a bureaucrat to fix anything.  This is a boxing forum not a political forum, but as the question skews the lines here, I commented as is appropriate.  I am firm believer that the government that governs least governs the best.

As far as McCain being an 'typical white guy'... there is nothing 'typical' about being a POW survivor and war hero during an unpopular war.  He is a superb politician, and senator, but he simply does not belong in the White House.  

No politician will solve anyone's problems.  We are all responsible for our individual actions, and we all control our own paths, bureaucracy or not.

Answer 4

the organisatins all operate for profit.  their is more money to be made by promoting a world title fight, een if it is something stupid like a ibu/wbf strap.  i agree their should be one governing body, like soccer who have fifa which controls the world (in terms of soccer anyway)