Was the WBO invented so that Europe could have some world champions?

[ShoulderRoll]

I notice their inaugural heavyweight championship was between Francesco Damiani and Johnny DuPlooy.

All other organizations recognized undefeated Mike Tyson as the undisputed champ.

[WBC WBA IBF]

I notice their inaugural heavyweight championship was between Francesco Damiani and Johnny DuPlooy.

All other organizations recognized undefeated Mike Tyson as the undisputed champ.

Bob Arum was paying bribes to the WBA and had almost full control of the WBA. When Don King started paying bigger bribes, and gaining control of the WBA, Bob Arum got mad and did an interview in Ring Magazine exposing the entire WBA bribery operation. He said you had to pay all the bribes to Pepe Cordero. To save face, the WBA cut all ties with Pepe Cordero.

With no ratings to rig anymore, Pepe needed a way to keep taking bribes, so he founded the WBO. The WBO was literally invented so Pepe Cordero could keep taking bribes after getting kicked out of the WBA.

Nobody considered the WBO a world title, but yes, Frank Warren started promoting a ton of WBO title fights to try to convince the UK that his fighters were world champions.

[El_Mero]

Paco Valcarcel is the head of the wbo and its based in Puerto Rico.....

[ShoulderRoll]

Bob Arum was paying bribes to the WBA and had almost full control of the WBA. When Don King started paying bigger bribes, and gaining control of the WBA, Bob Arum got mad and did an interview in Ring Magazine exposing the entire WBA bribery operation. He said you had to pay all the bribes to Pepe Cordero. To save face, the WBA cut all ties with Pepe Cordero.

With no ratings to rig anymore, Pepe needed a way to keep taking bribes, so he founded the WBO. The WBO was literally invented so Pepe Cordero could keep taking bribes after getting kicked out of the WBA.

Nobody considered the WBO a world title, but yes, Frank Warren started promoting a ton of WBO title fights to try to convince the UK that his fighters were world champions.

Interesting bit of history there.

[RJJ-94-02=GOAT]

I notice their inaugural heavyweight championship was between Francesco Damiani and Johnny DuPlooy.

All other organizations recognized undefeated Mike Tyson as the undisputed champ.

Nah it’s ties to Europe is only because European’s helped legitimise it. The WBO would have hoped to crash the US market immediately but it lacked the credibility so had to settle for the European market especially over here in the UK were Warren helped it a lot.

I don’t remember the WBO being all that relevant in the US until De La Hoya was winning WBO titles. Around that point Arum began legitimising the WBO and it finally became recognised by the other three ABC’s in the mid 2000’s I believe.

[WBC WBA IBF]

After Arum outed the WBA, he put his full support behind the IBF and began bribing the IBF. Eventually Don King started paying better bribes and Arum lost his power with the IBF, so Arum tried to establish the IBA, but it didn't really work.

Meanwhile over in the UK, once they no longer had a WBO monopoly because the WBO gained a little bit of a foothold in the US, Warren tried to add credibility to the WBU as basically a new version of the days when the WBO was a "Europe only" world title.

The head of IBF Europe had left the IBF to establish the WBU, but he ended up dying, so UK promoters tried to act like the IBO was a real title.

Then Sky Sports started refusing to buy IBO fights and the IBO lost all of its momentum.

[QueensburyRules]

I notice their inaugural heavyweight championship was between Francesco Damiani and Johnny DuPlooy.

All other organizations recognized undefeated Mike Tyson as the undisputed champ.

- - Amateurs compared to the IBF Holmesy used to feather nest by ducking WBC mandatory Greg Page.

Didn't take Bobby Lee long before taking the long count in the Big House.

https://nypost.com/2000/02/23/the-rise-and-fall-of-promoter-lee/

[ShoulderRoll]

After Arum outed the WBA, he put his full support behind the IBF and began bribing the IBF. Eventually Don King started paying better bribes and Arum lost his power with the IBF, so Arum tried to establish the IBA, but it didn't really work.

Meanwhile over in the UK, once they no longer had a WBO monopoly because the WBO gained a little bit of a foothold in the US, Warren tried to add credibility to the WBU as basically a new version of the days when the WBO was a "Europe only" world title.

The head of IBF Europe had left the IBF to establish the WBU, but he ended up dying, so UK promoters tried to act like the IBO was a real title.

Then Sky Sports started refusing to buy IBO fights and the IBO lost all of its momentum.

Promoter greed and the corrupt orgs that they set up have messed up the sport.