By Lyle Fitzsimmons

Ed Levine is committed to going the distance.

Though admittedly chagrined with the speed at which his pet project - the International Boxing Organization - has climbed the ranks of relevance, the former ringside judge and career real estate attorney remains determined to fight the good fight for as long as it takes.

“It is frustrating and I do get angry sometimes, but I’m not near a point yet where I’d want to give it up,” said Levine, a native New Yorker who headed south and practiced for 40 years in Florida after earning a law degree from Syracuse University in 1967.

He started working as a judge in the 1980s and served as a low-level official with both the WBO and WBU before acquiring an interest in the IBO in 1999.

He retired from his law practice last year and figures he now spends three or four hours a day on boxing-related e-mail and telephone matters.

The organization is based in Coral Gables, Fla. and has one full-time employee.

“Our mission is to promote honesty, transparency and doing things the right way,” he said.

“And I’m going to continue doing that because it’s still enjoyable to me.”

Originally created in 1993 by a group no longer affiliated with Levine, the IBO is perhaps best known for its computerized ratings - formerly packaged as the Independent World Boxing Rankings - which Levine acquired soon after becoming its president.

Variables including quality of opposition and win/loss streaks are factored in while awarding boxers on a points system, which then yields rankings that are refreshed daily and published monthly.

All active boxers are factored in all divisions from strawweight (105 pounds) to heavyweight.

“The basic core is quality of opposition, so in some cases you can have a boxer who’s 40-0 and not at the top of the rankings,” Levine said. “Every fighter has a point value, and you’ll get fewer points for beating guys who are beneath you than those who ahead of you.”

Predictably, when coupling the IBO’s ratings system, financial transparency and alignment with U.S.-based commissions with the imperfect perception of established sanctioning bodies, Levine assumed widespread acclaim would come shortly after he took over.

But even though it recognizes consensus marquee champions in Wladimir Klitschko (heavyweight), Chad Dawson (light heavyweight) and Ricky Hatton (light welterweight), it largely remains a steppingstone when compared to the older WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO.

The World Boxing Association was founded as the National Boxing Association in 1921 and is based in Panama, while the World Boxing Council originated in 1963 and works out of Mexico.

The International Boxing Federation, with headquarters in New Jersey, sprang from the regional United States Boxing Association in 1983.

The Puerto Rican-based World Boxing Organization was created in 1988.

Among the champions, Klitschko also holds the WBO and IBF heavyweight belts, while Dawson is also recognized by the IBF. Hatton, meanwhile, possesses only the IBO title and will defend it next month against Paul Malignaggi in a bout considered the most legitimate at 140 pounds.

“It’s been much more difficult than I expected,” Levine said.

“I thought, perhaps naively, that if you brought to the table something that addressed the ills of the sport, you’d be embraced. But the reality is that boxing thrives at its highest levels. It works for the big players in the game, so it’s hard to change things.”

Also, much of the paradigm-shifting thunder has been stolen lately by 86-year-old Ring Magazine, which has gained increased credibility from fans, boxers and media for self-proclaimed “unbiased” rankings and recognized champions that don‘t necessarily correspond with the sanctioning bodies.

Levine, though, says an important distinction between the two lies in the IBO’s ability to create and enforce its rules and regulations.

“Any respected and well-informed boxing writer could put together a quality top 10, but under their system, what do they do if a champion defends three times in a row against low-quality opposition,” he said. “It’s great and it’s new and it’s easy, but a governing body needs rules.

“If you’re recognized by Ring, it’s an honor. If you’re recognized by the IBO, it’s a championship.”

Other less-celebrated IBO champions include Johnathon Banks (cruiserweight), Daniel Geale (middleweight), Isaac Hlatswayo (welterweight), Juan Diaz (lightweight), Fernando Beltran (featherweight), Silence Mabuza (bantamweight), Zolile Mbityi (super flyweight), Nonito Donaire (flyweight) and Nkosinathi Joyi (strawweight).

“As time goes by, our champions will fight better fighters and we’ll have better quality champions across the board for the IBO,” Levine said. “What we need most of all to succeed is more marquee champions who don’t want to be used for political mandatory title defenses.

“That and some help from a powerful player in the sport - be it a respected writer or a commentator on a major network - who sees what we’re doing and isn’t afraid to speak out against the establishment and say that we’re a viable alternative.”

Lyle Fitzsimmons is a full voting member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. He can be reached at fitzbitz@msn.com .