International Boxing Federation
Encyclopedia
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing
bouts, alongside the WBA
, WBC
and WBO.
, NABC
and NABA. In 1983, at the WBA's annual convention, held in Puerto Rico
that year, Bob Lee, president of the USBA, lost in his bid to become WBA president against Gilberto Mendoza. Lee and others withdrew from the convention after the election, and decided to organize a new world-level organization. At first, the new group was named the USBA-International. They decided to base the new organization in New Jersey
, where its main offices are still located.
The IBF's first world champion was Marvin Camel
, a former WBC world Cruiserweight champion who won the IBF's belt in the same division. During its first year of existence, however, the IBF remained largely obscure. But by 1984, the IBF decided to recognize Larry Holmes
, Aaron Pryor
, Marvin Hagler
and Donald Curry
, already established champions from other organizations, as IBF world champions. In Holmes' case, he relinquished his WBC
title to accept the IBF's recognition. It established the IBF as the "third" sanctioning body, and a legitimate organization.
Ever since then, the IBF has been the sanctioning body of many important fights and world champions. For example, Félix Trinidad
was the IBF's world Welterweight champion from 1993 to 2000, and is one of a long list of world champions who have been recognized by the IBF. The current IBF Heavyweight champion is Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko
.
The organization's reputation was seriously damaged in 1999, however, as Lee resigned as the IBF's president upon conviction on racketeering and other violations for taking bribes in exchange for high boxer rankings. Hiawatha Knight then became the first woman president of any of the world's governing boxing bodies. In 2001, Marian Muhammad followed her as president. The organization was under federal observation from Lee's conviction through September 2004, though remaining recognized as one of boxing's "big three" sanctioning organizations.
is an exception. The reason to this lies in the fact that some Japanese boxing officials had unfavorable experiences with the organization. For this matter, challenging a world champion from Japan for unification would be difficult to arrange, especially if the other champion who wishes to is a champion of IBF or WBO.
Other organizations:
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
bouts, alongside the WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association 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 before changing its name in 1962...
, WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established 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...
and WBO.
History
The IBF is preceded by the United States Boxing Association (USBA), a regional championships organization like the NABFNorth American Boxing Federation
The North American Boxing Federation is a not-for-profit regional sanctioning body that awards regional boxing titles. It is a boxing federation within the World Boxing Council .-History:...
, NABC
North American Boxing Council
The North American Boxing Council is a professional Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts sanctioning body with its United States office in Indianapolis, IN. The US operations are managed by NABC President, Ed Hutchison...
and NABA. In 1983, at the WBA's annual convention, held in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
that year, Bob Lee, president of the USBA, lost in his bid to become WBA president against Gilberto Mendoza. Lee and others withdrew from the convention after the election, and decided to organize a new world-level organization. At first, the new group was named the USBA-International. They decided to base the new organization in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, where its main offices are still located.
The IBF's first world champion was Marvin Camel
Marvin Camel
Marvin Camel is a boxer and member of the Salish Kootenai Nation of the Flathead Indian Reservation in Northwestern Montana. He was born in Ronan and fought out of Missoula...
, a former WBC world Cruiserweight champion who won the IBF's belt in the same division. During its first year of existence, however, the IBF remained largely obscure. But by 1984, the IBF decided to recognize Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes
Larry Holmes is a former professional boxer. He grew up in Easton, Pennsylvania, which gave birth to his boxing nickname, The Easton Assassin....
, Aaron Pryor
Aaron Pryor
Aaron Pryor is a former boxer from Cincinnati, Ohio, and member of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. He is the former world Junior Welterweight champion, and regarded as one of the greatest fighters in the history of the weight class.-Amateur career:Pryor, nicknamed The Hawk, had a record of...
, Marvin Hagler
Marvin Hagler
Marvelous Marvin Hagler , is a former professional boxer who was undisputed world middleweight champion between 1980 and 1987. Hagler holds the distinction of having the highest KO% of all middleweight champions at 78%...
and Donald Curry
Donald Curry
Donald Curry is a retired boxer from Fort Worth, Texas, United States. Nicknamed the "Lone Star Cobra," Curry was the Undisputed World Welterweight Champion and the WBC Super Welterweight Champion.-Amateur career:...
, already established champions from other organizations, as IBF world champions. In Holmes' case, he relinquished his WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established 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...
title to accept the IBF's recognition. It established the IBF as the "third" sanctioning body, and a legitimate organization.
Ever since then, the IBF has been the sanctioning body of many important fights and world champions. For example, Félix Trinidad
Félix Trinidad
Félix 'Tito' Trinidad, Jr. is a Puerto Rican professional boxer, considered one of the best in Puerto Rico's history. After winning five National Amateur Championships in Puerto Rico, he debuted as a professional when he was 17. He won his first world championship when he defeated Maurice Blocker...
was the IBF's world Welterweight champion from 1993 to 2000, and is one of a long list of world champions who have been recognized by the IBF. The current IBF Heavyweight champion is Ukrainian Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko
Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion...
.
The organization's reputation was seriously damaged in 1999, however, as Lee resigned as the IBF's president upon conviction on racketeering and other violations for taking bribes in exchange for high boxer rankings. Hiawatha Knight then became the first woman president of any of the world's governing boxing bodies. In 2001, Marian Muhammad followed her as president. The organization was under federal observation from Lee's conviction through September 2004, though remaining recognized as one of boxing's "big three" sanctioning organizations.
The IBF and Japan
While all countries that excel in boxing recognized the IBF as a legitimate organization, JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
is an exception. The reason to this lies in the fact that some Japanese boxing officials had unfavorable experiences with the organization. For this matter, challenging a world champion from Japan for unification would be difficult to arrange, especially if the other champion who wishes to is a champion of IBF or WBO.
Male
| Weight class: | Champion: | Reign began: |
|---|---|---|
| Mini flyweight |  Nkosinathi JoyiNkosinathi Joyi Nkosinathi Joyi , is a South African professional boxer with a southpaw stance who goes by the nickname of "Mabere"... |
March 26, 2010 |
| Junior flyweight |  Ulises SolisUlises Solis José Ulises Solís Perez is a Mexican professional boxer and is the current IBF light Flyweight champion. He recently got into a street fight with current champ Saul Alvarez and had his jaw broken. He plans on pressing charges against Alvarez... |
April 30, 2011 |
| Flyweight Flyweight Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:... |
Moruti Mthalane Moruti Mthalane Moruti Mthalane , is a South African professional boxer with orthodox stance who goes by the nickname of "Babyface". His professional record includes 27 fights: 25 wins , and 2 losses. He lives in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa, where he won the IBF flyweight title against Mexican Julio César... |
November 20, 2009 |
| Junior bantamweight | Rodrigo Guerrero Rodrigo Guerrero Rodrigo Guerrero is a Mexican professional boxer and the current IBF Super Flyweight Champion.-Professional career:... |
October 8, 2011 |
| Bantamweight Bantamweight Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight... |
Abner Mares Abner Mares Abner Mares Martínez is an undefeated Mexican professional boxer in the Bantamweight division. Abner medaled repeatedly in international amateur tournaments for Mexico. Mares grew up in the city of Hawaiian Gardens, California.-Amateur career:As an amateur, Mares compiled a record of 112-8 with 84... |
August 13, 2011 |
| Junior featherweight | Takalani Ndlovu Takalani Ndlovu Takalani Ndlovu , is a South African professional boxer with orthodox stance who goes by the nickname of "Panther". His professional record includes 38 fights: 32 wins , and 6 losses... |
March 26, 2011 |
| Featherweight Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:... |
 Billy DibBilly Dib Billy "The Kid" Dib is an Australian professional boxer. He is the current IBF Featherweight Champion. He is the former IBO super featherweight champion.-Early years:Bilal Dib was born on 17 August 1985 at Kogarah Hospital in Sydney, Australia... |
July 29, 2011 |
| Junior lightweight | Juan Carlos Salgado Juan Carlos Salgado Juan Carlos Salgado is a Mexican professional boxer in the Super Featherweight division. He is the former WBC FECARBOX, WBC Continental Americas Featherweight, and WBA Super Featherweight Champion... |
September 10, 2011 |
| Lightweight Lightweight Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing.... |
Miguel Vazquez Miguel Vazquez Miguel Ángel Vázquez Bautista is a Mexican professional boxer and the current IBF Lightweight Champion. His only losses came to Saul Alvarez and Timothy Bradley... |
August 14, 2010 |
| Junior welterweight |  Amir KhanAmir Khan (boxer) Amir Iqbal Khan , is a British Pakistani professional boxer who is currently the unified WBA & IBF light welterweight champion.... |
July 23, 2011 |
| Welterweight Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system... |
Vacant | |
| Junior middleweight |  Cornelius BundrageCornelius Bundrage Cornelius Bundrage, , is a professional boxer and current IBF Junior Middleweight Champion. He is a former UBA Light Middleweight champion and was member of the ESPN reality show, The Contender.-Pro career:... |
August 7, 2010 |
| Middleweight Middleweight Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897... |
Daniel Geale Daniel Geale Daniel Geale is a middleweight boxer and current IBF middleweight champion from Australia, who won the gold medal in the men's welterweight division at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, United Kingdom.-Amateur career:Other than winning the 2002 2002 Commonwealth Games at welterweight,... |
May 7, 2011 |
| Super middleweight Super middleweight Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s... |
 Lucian ButeLucian Bute Lucian Bute is a Romanian-Canadian professional boxer, currently based in Montreal, Canada. Bute is the current IBF Super Middleweight champion... |
October 19, 2007 |
| Light heavyweight Light heavyweight In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight... |
Tavoris Cloud Tavoris Cloud Tavoris Karod Cloud is an American professional boxer born in Tallahassee, Florida, USA, and the current IBF light heavyweight champion.-Early life:... |
August 28, 2009 |
| Cruiserweight |  Yoan Pablo HernandezYoan Pablo Hernández Yoan Pablo Hernández Suárez is a Cuban professional boxer. Hernández has been featured in the top 10 rankings of Ring Magazine at Cruiserweight. He is the current IBF Cruiserweight Champion.-Amateur career:... |
October 1, 2011 |
| Heavyweight Heavyweight Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing... |
 Wladimir KlitschkoWladimir Klitschko Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian heavyweight boxer. Klitschko is the WBA , IBF, WBO Super, IBO & Ring Magazine Champion. His older brother Vitali Klitschko is the current WBC champion... |
April 22, 2006 |
Female
| Weight class: | Champion: | Date won: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strawweight (105 lbs) | joan dongus | ||
| Junior flyweight (108 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Flyweight Flyweight Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:... (112 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Junior bantamweight (115 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Bantamweight Bantamweight Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight... (118 lbs) |
Susie 'Q' Ramadan |
20 February 2011 | |
| Junior featherweight (122 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Featherweight Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:... (126 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Junior lightweight (130 lbs) |  Amanda SerranoAmanda Serrano Amanda Serrano is the International Boxing Federation female Super Featherweight boxing champion. Serrano is managed and trained by noted female American professional boxing trainer Jordan Maldonado, and promoted by Mario Yagobi, President and CEO of the Boxing 360 Promotional Group in New York... |
10 September 2011 | |
| Lightweight Lightweight Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing.... (135 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Junior welterweight (140 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Welterweight Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system... (147 lbs) |
 Daniella Smith |
12 November 2010 | |
| Junior middleweight (154 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Middleweight Middleweight Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897... (160 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Super middleweight Super middleweight Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s... (168 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Light heavyweight Light heavyweight In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight... (175 lbs) |
vacant? | ||
| Cruiserweight (200 lbs) | vacant? | ||
| Heavyweight Heavyweight Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing... (200+ lbs) |
vacant? | ||
Transition of IBF titles
- List of IBF world champions
- List of IBF Inter-Continental champions
- List of IBF Mediterranean champions
- List of IBF Pan Pacific champions
- List of IBF North American champions
Other world organizations
International Boxing Hall of Fame recognized:- World Boxing AssociationWorld Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association 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 before changing its name in 1962...
- World Boxing CouncilWorld Boxing CouncilThe World Boxing Council was initially established 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...
- World Boxing OrganizationWorld Boxing OrganizationThe World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
Other organizations:
- International Boxing Association
- International Boxing CouncilInternational Boxing CouncilThe International Boxing Council is a boxing organization. The IBC titles are often the beginning for professional boxers who progress to high prestigious titles....
- International Boxing OrganizationInternational Boxing OrganizationThe International Boxing Organization is a for-profit organization that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championships.- Origins :...
- World Professional Boxing FederationWorld Professional Boxing FederationThe World Professional Boxing Federation ' is an international sanctioning body that sanctions professional boxing matches and awards world and subordinate championship title...
& United States Boxing CouncilUnited States Boxing CouncilThe United States Boxing Council is a governing body that sanctions regional championships bouts. It is an affiliated organization within the World Professional Boxing Federation .-Current USBC Title Holders:- Other world organizations :...