While meaningless titles of any description seem to be flooding the professional boxing world, simply for the financial gain of sanctioning bodies, the World Boxing Federation (WBF) has decided to go the opposite route in an attempt to reduce the abundance of titles.
To this effect, three of the most important sanctioning organizations in women’s boxing have merged to discontinue their individual championships in favor of one Unified Women’s World Title ®. Besides the World Boxing Federation (WBF), they are the Women’s International Boxing Federation (WIBF) and the Global Boxing Union (GBU).
Therefore, there will now be just one world champion in each weight division, recognized by the WBF, WIBF and GBU as the Unified Women’s World Champion ®, but wearing the championship belts of all three organizations. No champion can defend only one (or two) of those belts, at stake will always be the unified title without any exceptions. The basis for this is that the WBF, WIBF and GBU have synchronized their Rules & Regulations and Rankings. Only one Sanction Fee will be levied as opposed to three. A new Women’s World Championship Committee with members from all three bodies has been formed as the final authority for sanctioning, vacating of titles and appeals.
WBF President Howard Goldberg from South Africa stated in unison with WIBF President Barbara Buttrick (USA) and GBU President Juergen Lutz of Germany: “It is high time that people understand that there are far too many token titles available and this should be remedied. Therefore, we have put the best interest of boxing ahead of sanction fees and ego – and now there is just one title in female boxing that means something: The Unified Women’s World Title ®.”
