“I
promise 2012 will be even more
of a success for the WBF,” said
Howard Goldberg this time 12
months ago. But it is reasonable
to assume that even the WBF
President himself could not have
imagined the way the World
Boxing Federation indeed
exploded in the year now about
to close out.
While other organizations made
headlines in 2012 by actually
selling titles, crowning up to
three world champions per weight
division or inventing ever-new,
ever-crazy titles, the WBF stuck
to its
“the-fewer-titles-the-better”
policy, knuckled down and was
rewarded with more and more
promoters seeing sense in
stopping the nonsense and
fighters of high caliber
choosing to box for WBF titles
rather than trusting
organizations that proved time
and again they cannot be
trusted.
The success of the WBF can thus
be proved in numbers that don’t
lie: In 2011, there were 40 WBF
championship fights worldwide,
which meant an increase of
almost 15% from the previous
year. This record has now
emphatically been broken by an
astonishing 55 title bouts
during 2012, translating into an
unbelievable growth of 37,5%,
which is incredible by any
means.
Also, in female boxing, the WBF
underlined in 2012 its dominance
amongst sanctioning bodies. The
13 current world champions
average a boxrec rating of # 6
with five WBF women’s champs
actually being undefeated. The
highlights of the year,
obviously, were the second clash
between female superstars Holly
Holm and Anne Sophie Mathis,
plus of course ‘The Preacher’s
Daughter’ Holm, the only female
boxing star in the USA, moving
down to light welter to clinch
her second WBF crown.
Still, Dominik Junge, who
assumed the position of Women’s
Boxing Chairman last summer,
feels that in the year ahead,
even further mountains will be
climbed by the World Boxing
Federation, saying “Already, the
WBF is established as the ‘Home
of Women’s Boxing’ and we will
make sure to spread the word!”.
New territory was conquered as
well, with Colombia, Thailand,
Ukraine and Ghana holding their
first WBF championships since
the re-establishment of the
original World Boxing Federation
in 2009. More countries are set
to follow with ex-pro Ricky
Bushell from New Zealand
recently taking over the vacant
position of Continental
Coordinator for Oceania.
Main projects for 2013 include
the introduction of new,
high-quality championship belts
as well as the next world
convention, penciled in for
September in Germany. Surely, an
interesting year ahead for the
World Boxing Federation! |
