The WBA World Boxing Association is the oldest of the four major sanctioning bodies in boxing today. Originally entitled the National Boxing Association and formed in 1921, it was made up of representatives from thirteen American states.
The first bout they sanctioned, which was for the heavyweight title, was Jack Dempsey’s fourth round knockout of Georges Carpentier in New Jersey.
The NBA’s creation came about to rival and limit the power of the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). However, with both organisations often recognising different champions in the same weight class, this did lead to uncertainty as to who the ‘real’ champion was.
In 1962 they officially changed their name to the World Boxing Association to reflect their growing influence as other countries started to recognise them as a ‘World level’ governing body.
The WBA moved their headquarters to Panama in 1975 before relocating to Venezuela for a most of the 1990s and early 2000s. 2007 saw the organisation move to Panama once again, this time under the leadership of Gilberto Mendoza.
| Motto | Simply the pioneers |
| Formation | 1962 |
| Headquarters | Panama |
| President | Gilberto Mendoza |
| Website | www.wbanews.com |
Click here for the official WBA regulations.
