When is a Sanctioning Body Not a Bad Word?
When it’s the World Boxing Federation
By Alex Pierpaoli
Ask almost any fight fan what they think is boxing's biggest problem and the discussion will very quickly turn towards the sanctioning bodies that control the sport. Whether it's their rankings, their cushy relationships with certain promoters or nations, or the abundance of titles, there's plenty for a fight fan to complain about. But as we say goodbye to one of the best years that boxing has seen in a while there is also one sanctioning body that is carving out a spot for itself as something refreshingly different.
Based in South Africa, the World Boxing Federation President Howard Goldberg expresses the same opinions you'll hear from diehard fans of prizefighting. "I think the legitimate boxing fan is becoming a little irritated with the magnitude of different titles and of meaningless tiles. When you have an interim silver title what the hell does it mean?"
Goldberg's organization, re-structured from top to bottom and re-established in 2009, is more interested in championships that mean something to both fan and fighter. "We have three titles," Goldberg says. "The World, the Intercontinental and the Regional. Those are our titles, full stop."
Perhaps the biggest cause of eye-rolling for the fight-fan is the dreaded interim title belt, and Goldberg agrees it's not a practice his WBF wants to indulge in. "Under very, very exceptional circumstances.
