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International Boxing Federation
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of three major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC.
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The IBF was preceded by the United States Boxing Association (USBA), a regional championships organization like the NABF, 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.
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Recently, it has come under a lot of scrutiny for some decisions that are not consistent with what happens in the ring. These include:
- Zab Judah going into his match with Floyd Mayweather with the IBF welterweight championship. Carlos Baldomir defeated Judah by decision in Judah's previous fight, but only paid the sanctioning fee to the WBC. Judah also had the WBA and IBF championships. While the WBA vacated Judah's "super" title ("regular" titleholder Luis Collazo became undisputed WBA champion), the IBF let Judah keep the title despite losing.
- Stripping previously undisputed cruiserweight champion O'Neil Bell of his IBF cruiserweight championship after he was injured and unable to face mandatory challenger Steve Cunningham. Cunningham instead faced Guillermo Jones for the vacant title.
- Denying its stated mandatory challenger Glen Johnson the opportunity to face IBF light heavyweight champion Clinton Woods immediately. Woods first fought Jason DeLisle, a man Woods had knocked out in 2004, in a voluntary defence. DeLisle had just lost an IBF title eliminator match against Julio César González who Woods had also recently beaten, but got a title shot anyway. After again knocking out DeLisle, Woods made his mandatory defence against Johnson, winning on points.
- Making IBF junior middleweight champion Roman Karmazin face mandatory challenger Rodney Jones. Jones got the shot by defeating journeyman boxer Raul Frank four months after a draw.
- Considering stripping Israel Vázquez, junior featherweight champion, of his belt for not facing mandatory Steve Molitor, a boxer who has not beaten anyone of sufficient standing to be considered a #1 contender.
- List of IBF world champions
- List of IBF Inter-Continental champions
- List of IBF Mediterranean champions
- List of IBF Pan Pacific champions