World Boxing Council

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The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).

Many historically high-profile bouts have been sanctioned by the organization with various notable fighters having been recognised as WBC world champions. All four organizations recognise the legitimacy of each other and each have interwoven histories dating back several decades.

History

The WBC was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Tunisia, the Philippines, Panama, USSR, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil. Representatives met in Mexico City on 14 February 1963, upon invitation of Adolfo López Mateos, then President of Mexico, to form an international organization to unify all commissions of the world to control the expansion of boxing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The groups that historically had recognized several boxers as champions included the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), the National Boxing Association (NBA) of the United States, the European Boxing Union (EBU) and the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBC); but for the most part, these groups lacked the all-encompassing 'international' status they claimed.Template:Citation needed

Today, it has 161 member countries. The current WBC President is Mauricio Sulaimán. Former Presidents include Luis Spota and Ramon G. Velázquez of Mexico, Justiniano N. Montano Jr. of the Philippines and José Sulaimán of Mexico from 1975 until his death in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Council blocked championship fights involving Russian and Belarusian boxers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Championship

The WBC's green championship belt portrays the flags of all of the 161 member countries of the organization. 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The WBC has nine regional governing bodies affiliated with it, such as the North American Boxing Federation, the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation, the European Boxing Union, and the African Boxing Union.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 of 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, following the death of Kim Duk-koo from injuries sustained in a 14-round fight against Ray Mancini, 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Among those to have been recognized by the WBC as world champions are the undefeated and undisputed champions Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., Joe Calzaghe, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Roy Jones Jr., Wilfred Benítez, Wilfredo Gómez, Julio César Chávez, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Larry Holmes, Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Mike Tyson, Salvador Sánchez, Héctor Camacho, Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzón, Rodrigo Valdez, Roberto Durán, Juan Laporte, Félix Trinidad, Edwin Rosario, Bernard Hopkins, Alexis Argüello, Nigel Benn, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Érik Morales, Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao, Naoya Inoue, Canelo Álvarez, Tony Bellew, Mairis Briedis, and Grigory Drozd.

At its discretion, the WBC may designate and recognize, upon a two-thirds majority vote of its Board of Governors, one or more emeritus world champions in each weight class. Such a recognition is for life and is only bestowed upon present or past WBC world champions. The following boxers have earned the "Emeritus Championship" appellation throughout their careers: Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Roy Jones Jr., Bernard Hopkins (Honorary Champion), Mikkel Kessler, Sergio Martínez, Andre Ward,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Floyd Mayweather Jr., Kostya Tszyu, Manny Pacquiao, Danny García, Érik Morales, Toshiaki Nishioka, Vic Darchinyan, Édgar Sosa, Tony Bellew, Jelena Mrdjenovich,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Katie Taylor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This allows the fighters, should they return to competition, to take part in a title bout in the division they have been crowned emeritus champion. During the WBC's 51st Convention in Bangkok, Thailand, Floyd Mayweather Jr. was named "Supreme Champion", a designation that nobody before him has ever achieved.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The WBC bolstered the legitimacy of women's boxing by recognizing fighters such as Christy Martin and Lucia Rijker as contenders for female world titles in 16 weight divisions. The first WBC World Female Champion (on 30 May 2005) was the super bantamweight Jackie Nava from Mexico. With her former-champion father at ringside, Laila Ali won the super middleweight title on 11 June 2005.

Silver Championship

In 2010, the WBC created a "Silver Championship", intended as a replacement for interim titles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Justin Savi was the first boxer to win a Silver title after defeating Cyril Thomas on 16 April 2010. Unlike its interim predecessor, a boxer holding the Silver title cannot automatically inherit a full world title vacated by the champion. The WBC continues to recognize interim and Silver Champions, as well as interim Silver Champions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A year later, the WBC introduced Silver versions to its International titles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As of 2020, there are Silver titles of the female world title, Youth World title, USNBC title, Latino title and also FECARBOX title.

Diamond Championship

In September 2009, the WBC created its new "Diamond Championship" belt. This belt was created as an honorary championship exclusively to award the winner of a historic fight between two high-profile and elite boxers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The inaugural Diamond belt was awarded on 14 November 2009 to Manny Pacquiao, who won his 7th world title (in seven different divisions) via a 12th-round technical knockout (TKO) over Miguel Cotto at welterweight in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States. Other holders of this title have included Mairis Briedis (cruiserweight), Oleksandr Usyk,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Bernard Hopkins (light heavyweight), Callum Smith (super middleweight), Sergio Martínez and Canelo Álvarez (middleweight), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (super welterweight), Errol Spence Jr. (welterweight), Regis Prograis and Josh Taylor (super lightweight), Nonito Donaire (super bantamweight and bantamweight), Naoya Inoue (super bantamweight and bantamweight), Léo Santa Cruz (featherweight), Jean Pascal and Sergey Kovalev (light heavyweight), Mikey Garcia (welterweight and super lightweight), Jorge Linares (lightweight), Alexander Povetkin (heavyweight), and Román González (super flyweight). At the WBC convention in December 2012, Muhammad Ali was awarded an honorary WBC Diamond belt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Female Diamond champions have included Claressa Shields (middleweight), Amanda Serrano (super bantamweight), Ana María Torres (bantamweight), Raja Amasheh (super flyweight), Ava Knight and Jessica Chávez (flyweight). Although this title can be defended, it is not a mandatory requirement. The title can also be vacated in the case of a fighter's long-term absence or retirement from boxing.

Franchise Championship

In 2019, the WBC Franchise Championship was introduced as an honorary title awarded to dominant champions that have represented the WBC and is a special designation and status which the WBC may honor to a current WBC World Champion, who is also an elite boxer, and who remains a top performer in the sport. Boxers who has been given the honorary title, must vacate their WBC world title in that division as the honorary title is transferable.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Boxers who have been named WBC Franchise Champion include: Canelo Alvarez (middleweight; 2019–2020),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Vasiliy Lomachenko (lightweight; 2019–2020),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Teófimo López (lightweight; 2020–2021),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Juan Francisco Estrada (super flyweight; since 2021), and George Kambosos Jr. (lightweight; 2021–2022).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Eternal Championship

The WBC Eternal Championship is an honorary title awarded to retired boxers that have never lost the WBC world title in the ring while having a solid number of successful title defenses. Jiselle Salandy was awarded the Eternal title as she defended the WBC female super welterweight title five times before her death on 4 January 2009.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On 12 December 2016, Vitali Klitschko was recognized as "Eternal Champion", as he had 10 successful WBC heavyweight title defenses during his career before his retirement in 2013 and was never knocked down throughout his career either.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Former WBC light flyweight and flyweight champion Ibeth Zamora Silva was also named Eternal Champion.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Commemorative World Championship Belts

The WBC also awards commemorative world championship belts to certain individuals or groups as trophies for winning historic fights or exhibition matches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following are the recipients of the commemorative belts:

Crown Series Undisputed Championship Ring

In conjunction with Rasheen Farlow and Jason of Beverly Hills, the WBC created the first-ever WBC Crown Series Undisputed Championship ring to be awarded to the winner of the undisputed world super middleweight championship bout between Canelo Álvarez and Terence Crawford.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Trans athletes

In an exclusive interview with The Telegraph in 2022, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said that the WBC would ban transgender fighters from competing against cisgender fighters "so the dangers of a man fighting a woman will never happen", and would instead introduce a separate trans category of competition wherein athletes would be divided by their gender assigned at birth. Sulaiman called for current fighters who may be trans to come forward and register accordingly.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Controversies

In early 1998, Roy Jones Jr. announced that he was relinquishing his WBC light heavyweight title. In response, the WBC ordered a bout between Graciano Rocchigiani from Germany and the former champion Michael Nunn to fill the vacancy, sanctioning it as a world championship match. On 21 March 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.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite web</ref> Rocchigiani received a letter from the WBC advising that the publication of his name as champion was a typographical error and he had never been the official title holder.<ref name="auto"/>

Rocchigiani immediately filed a lawsuit against the WBC in a U.S. federal court, claiming that the organization's actions were both contrary to their own rules and injurious to his earning potential (due to diminished professional stature). On 7 May 2003, the judge ruled in Rocchigiani's favor, awarding him $31 million (U.S.) in damages and reinstating him as a former WBC champion (Rocchigiani had lost a bout since his WBC title match).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The following day, the WBC sought protection by filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (i.e., corporate debt restructuring) in Puerto Rico. The organization spent the next 13 months trying to negotiate a 6-figure settlement with Rocchigiani, but the fighter at first rejected the proposal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

On 11 June 2004, the WBC announced it would enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation (i.e., business closing and total asset sell-off) proceedings, effectively threatening 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.<ref name="auto"/>

Don King

Many in the boxing community have accused the WBC of bending its rules to suit the powerful boxing promoter Don King. The journalist Jack Newfield wrote, "...[WBC President José Sulaimán] became more King's junior partner than his independent regulator".<ref name=Newfield>Template:Cite book</ref> Another journalist, Peter Heller, echoes that comment: "Sulaimán...became little more than an errand boy for Don King".<ref name=Heller/> Heller quotes British promoter Mickey Duff as saying, "My complaint is that José Sulaimán is not happy his friend Don King is the biggest promoter in boxing. Sulaimán will only be happy when Don King is the only promoter in boxing."<ref name=Heller>Template:Cite book</ref>

Newfield and Heller take issue with the following actions of the WBC:

  • When Leon Spinks won the WBA and WBC Heavyweight Championships from Muhammad Ali in 1978, the WBC stripped Leon Spinks of his title. José Sulaimán said the WBC did so because Spinks was signed for a rematch with Ali instead of fighting a Don King fighter, Ken Norton. Norton defended the WBC title against another Don King fighter, Larry Holmes, who won the belt.<ref name=Newfield/>
  • In 1983, WBC Super Featherweight Champion Bobby Chacon was signed to fight Cornelius Boza-Edwards, the WBC's mandatory challenger for his title. But, the promoter Don King wanted his fighter, Héctor Camacho, to fight for the title. Although WBC rules said the mandatory challenger should receive a shot at the title, the WBC withdrew its sanction from the fight. It stripped Chacon of his title for refusing to fight Camacho.<ref name=Heller/>
  • 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. For instance, Alexis Argüello and Carlos Zárate were allowed to ignore their obligations as WBC champions to their mandatory contenders.<ref name=Newfield/>
  • When 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.<ref name=Newfield/>
  • When Mike Tyson lost to James "Buster" Douglas during an IBF, WBC and WBA Heavyweight Championship defense, King convinced the WBC (along with the WBA) to withhold recognition of Douglas as heavyweight champion. King claimed that Tyson had won the fight by knocking Douglas down, after which the referee gave Douglas a "long count".<ref name=Newfield/> The referee, Octavio Meyran, claims in an affidavit that King threatened to have the WBC withhold payment of his hotel bill if he did not support King's protest.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> 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 United States Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, Holyfield said that the WBC wanted him to defend his championship against Ruddock because Ruddock was managed by King.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
  • During the 1990s, the WBC did not allow its champions to engage in unification bouts with WBO champions. However, in 1993, the super middleweight showdown between WBC champion Nigel Benn and WBO champion Chris Eubank, promoted by Don King, was recognized as a title unification fight by the WBC. The bout ended in a draw and each retained their respective titles.<ref>Nigel Benn vs. Chris Eubank</ref>Template:Circular reference
  • 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • In 1993, Julio César Chávez, managed and promoted by Don King, received a majority draw against Pernell Whitaker in their WBC welterweight title fight in San Antonio, Texas. Virtually every ringside observer and boxing analyst had Whitaker winning at least 8 or 9 rounds of the 12-round fight and CompuBox statistics showed Whitaker outlanding Chávez by a wide margin. But two of the three judges had the fight scored even. The fight was promoted by King and two of the judges were not appointed by the state's boxing commission (in this case, Texas) like any other time; instead, they were appointed by the WBC. It had been reported that Don King had a hand in helping to secure the WBC judges for the fight.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> To this day, the resulting draw is considered one of the most controversial decisions ever.
  • In 2000, Chávez, still promoted by King, was made the mandatory challenger for Kostya Tszyu's WBC super lightweight title. Chávez did not appear to satisfy requirements for a mandatory challenger: he had not fought at super lightweight for two years, had recently lost to journeyman boxer Willy Wise and had not beaten a top contender since losing to Oscar De La Hoya for the first time in 1996.Template:Citation needed
  • In 2005, the WBC stripped Javier Castillejo of his super welterweight title for fighting Fernando Vargas instead of Ricardo Mayorga, a fighter promoted by Don King. The WBC qualified Mayorga for a shot at the super welterweight title although he had never fought at that weight limit and had lost two of his last three fights.Template:Citation needed

Current WBC world title holders

As of 6 December 2025

Boxing

Male

Weight class Champion Reign began Days
Strawweight (105 lbs) Melvin Jerusalem data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 31 March 2024 Template:Age in days
Light flyweight (108 lbs) Carlos Cañizales data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 1 August 2025 Template:Age in days
Flyweight (112 lbs) Ricardo Sandoval data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 30 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Galal Yafai (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 30 November 2024 Template:Age in days
Super flyweight (115 lbs) Jesse Rodríguez data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 29 June 2024 Template:Age in days
Bantamweight (118 lbs) Template:Font color
Super bantamweight (122 lbs) Naoya Inoue data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 25 July 2023 Template:Age in days
Featherweight (126 lbs) Stephen Fulton data-sort-value= Template:Age in days |1 February 2025 Template:Age in days
Bruce Carrington (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 26 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Super featherweight (130 lbs) O'Shaquie Foster data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 2 November 2024 Template:Age in days
Lightweight (135 lbs) Shakur Stevenson data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 16 November 2023 Template:Age in days
Super lightweight (140 lbs) Subriel Matías data-sort-value="Template:Age in days"| 12 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Isaac Cruz (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 19 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Welterweight (147 lbs) Mario Barrios data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 18 June 2024 Template:Age in days
Super welterweight (154 lbs) Sebastian Fundora data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 30 March 2024 Template:Age in days
Vergil Ortiz Jr. (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 10 August 2024 Template:Age in days
Middleweight (160 lbs) Carlos Adames data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 7 May 2024 Template:Age in days
Super middleweight (168 lbs) Terence Crawford data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 13 September 2025 Template:Age in days
Christian M'billi (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 27 June 2025 Template:Age in days
Light heavyweight (175 lbs) David Benavidez data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 7 April 2025 Template:Age in days
Cruiserweight (190 lbs) Badou Jack data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 11 December 2024 Template:Age in days
Michał Cieślak (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 28 June 2025 Template:Age in days
Bridgerweight (224 lbs) Kevin Lerena data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 8 October 2024 Template:Age in days
Krzysztof Włodarczyk (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 25 May 2025 Template:Age in days
Heavyweight (225+ lbs) Oleksandr Usyk data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 18 May 2024 Template:Age in days
Agit Kabayel (interim) data-sort-value= Template:Age in days | 22 February 2025 Template:Age in days

Female

Weight class Champion Reign began Days
Atomweight (102 lbs) Camila Zamorano 15 October 2025 Template:Age in days
Strawweight (105 lbs) Yokasta Valle 1 November 2024 Template:Age in days
Umi Ishikawa (interim) 3 May 2024 Template:Age in days
Light flyweight (108 lbs) Lourdes Juárez 29 November 2024 Template:Age in days
Flyweight (112 lbs) Gabriela Fundora 2 November 2024 Template:Age in days
Super flyweight (115 lbs) Asley González 1 October 2022 Template:Age in days
Ginny Fuchs (interim) 31 August 2024 Template:Age in days
Bantamweight (118 lbs) Cherneka Johnson 11 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Super bantamweight (122 lbs) Ellie Scotney 11 July 2025 Template:Age in days
Featherweight (126 lbs) Tiara Brown 22 March 2025 Template:Age in days
Super featherweight (130 lbs) Alycia Baumgardner 13 November 2021 Template:Age in days
Lightweight (135 lbs) Caroline Dubois 11 December 2024 Template:Age in days
Super lightweight (140 lbs) Template:Font color
Welterweight (147 lbs) Natasha Jonas 14 December 2024 Template:Age in days
Super welterweight (154 lbs) Mikaela Mayer 30 October 2025 Template:Age in days
Middleweight (160 lbs) Template:Font color
Super middleweight (168 lbs) Franchón Crews-Dezurn 15 December 2023 Template:Age in days
Heavyweight (168+ lbs) Claressa Shields 27 July 2024 Template:Age in days

Muay Thai

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Affiliated organizations

See also

References

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