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Here is a risky proposition, but a proposition I feel makes sense. Over the course of time, I have noticed that most WBO world champions were coming from the East or from Europe. Since it is supposed to be a World title and that it has become the fourth official sanctioning body at some point, the only reason as to why it was the case (that it was mostly held by Euro and eastern fighters) led me to believe it was because the Europeans and other eastern nations had a hard time competing with the Americans for whatever reasons (both sides unwillingness to cross the ocean being one), so maybe the WBC title was kind of stuck in America, whether it be in north america or south america. So I believe the WBO title may have been created partly to ensure that the Europeans and/or other weaker countries would also have the opportunity to have their own world champions. But that makes me question the world-wide character of those WBO belts a bit, and the way their rankings were established.
The WBO is based in America and was created by dissident members of the WBA. But that doesn’t mean they cannot serve overseas interests.
First match ever held for a WBO belt : Hearns vs Kinchen, at SMW. Doesn’t start well. But let’s go a bit further.
I have made a list of the nationalities of the WBO champions in chronological order. I will make a comparison with the nationalities of those who held the most prestigious belt in boxing, the WBC title, during the same time period. On one side, America. On the other, Europe, Africa and the East.
When the first WBO HW champion ever was crowned (US based Moorer), US based Mighty Mike Tyson was undisputedly reigning over the division, fighting mainly in the USA too. So here are the stats I have compiled from HW down to MW.
The WBO HW : ITALY, USA, USA, USA, USA, UK, USA, UK, UK, UKRAINE, USA, UKRAINE, SOUTH AFRICA, USA, BELARUS, USA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE.
10/18
55%
Meanwhile, the HW WBC title was held by : USA, USA, USA, USA, UK, USA, UK, USA, UK, USA, UK, UKRAINE, USA, RUSSIA, NIGERIA, UKRAINE.
8/16
50%
The WBO CW : USA, NORWAY, USA, GERMANY, ARGENTINA, POLAND, Germany, UK, UK, UK, UK, UK.
9/12
75%
Meanwhile, the CW WBC title was held by : USA, PUERTO RICO, ITALY, France, ARGENTINA, PUERTO RICO, France, GUYANA, JAMAICA, France, UK, ITALY, HUNGARY, POLAND.
9/14
64%
The WBO LHW title : USA, USA, POLAND, MEXICO, HUNGARY, GERMANY.
3/6
50%
Meanwhile, the WBC LHW title : USA, UK, AUSTRALIA, UK, AUTRALIA, JAMAICA, France, USA, USA, USA, GERMANY, USA, USA, USA, POLAND, USA, ROMANIA, Canada.
9/18
50%
The WBO super middleweight : USA, UK, IRELAND, UK, RUSSIA, HUNGARY, GERMANY.
6/7
85%
Meanwhile, the WBC super middleweight : USA, ITALY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, ITALY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, UK, GERMANY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, Canada, Canada, GERMANY, ITALY, GERMANY, DENMARK, UK, UK, DENMARK.
16/20
80%
***Europeans have always been dominant in that category for whatever reason, particularly UK fighters.
The WBO MW : USA, UK, UK, USA, UK, IRELAND, USA, JAMAICA, GERMANY, UK, SWEDEN, NAMIBIA, SWEDEN, NAMIBIA, ARGENTINA, GERMANY, USA, USA, USA, USA, ARGENTINA.
12/21
57%
Meanwhile, the WBC MW title : PANAMA, US ****** ISLANDS, USA, US ****** ISLANDS, USA, USA, France, USA, USA,USA, USA, ARGENTINA.
1/12
8%
Overall stats for the WBO title being held by eastern fighters in the mentioned divisions since the organisation creation :
40/64
66%
Overall stats for the WBC title being held by eastern fighters during the same time period :
43/80
54%
At no moment in its history did the WBO have less out-of-America champions in proportions than the WBC had from 160 up to HW. That difference in proportions goes from slight to huge. Since the Euro and eastern fighters have been more dominant during the last years, it tends to even up the numbers a bit. I could have compiled the stats between 1988-1989 and 2000, and the difference would have been even bigger.
To sum it up, I believe the WBO title was created for weaker and/or forgotten nations to get to shine on the world boxing stage. Hence, their rankings were probably made to favorize out-of-America fighters to get title shots. Numbers don’t lie, people do.
Today, it is hard to say anymore that the WBO title is an Euro or Eastern title since the Euro and eastern fighters are more dominant than they have ever been in many weight divisions (for many reasons).
I hope this will not be perceived as an attack. It is not. It is only an observation I have made a long time ago that led me to checking the stats to see whether my observation was right or wrong.
It could be interesting to do the same with the other sanctioning bodies. It is often said boxing is more about politics nowadays. I guess it is right. Maybe the WBO title was created because the other sanctionning bodies were favorizing America too much.
If you know good articles/books on the subject, let me know.
I have added a poll just for fun. Do you think the WBO was created for out-of-America countries to have a chance at a world title ?
The WBO is based in America and was created by dissident members of the WBA. But that doesn’t mean they cannot serve overseas interests.
First match ever held for a WBO belt : Hearns vs Kinchen, at SMW. Doesn’t start well. But let’s go a bit further.
I have made a list of the nationalities of the WBO champions in chronological order. I will make a comparison with the nationalities of those who held the most prestigious belt in boxing, the WBC title, during the same time period. On one side, America. On the other, Europe, Africa and the East.
When the first WBO HW champion ever was crowned (US based Moorer), US based Mighty Mike Tyson was undisputedly reigning over the division, fighting mainly in the USA too. So here are the stats I have compiled from HW down to MW.
The WBO HW : ITALY, USA, USA, USA, USA, UK, USA, UK, UK, UKRAINE, USA, UKRAINE, SOUTH AFRICA, USA, BELARUS, USA, RUSSIA, UKRAINE.
10/18
55%
Meanwhile, the HW WBC title was held by : USA, USA, USA, USA, UK, USA, UK, USA, UK, USA, UK, UKRAINE, USA, RUSSIA, NIGERIA, UKRAINE.
8/16
50%
The WBO CW : USA, NORWAY, USA, GERMANY, ARGENTINA, POLAND, Germany, UK, UK, UK, UK, UK.
9/12
75%
Meanwhile, the CW WBC title was held by : USA, PUERTO RICO, ITALY, France, ARGENTINA, PUERTO RICO, France, GUYANA, JAMAICA, France, UK, ITALY, HUNGARY, POLAND.
9/14
64%
The WBO LHW title : USA, USA, POLAND, MEXICO, HUNGARY, GERMANY.
3/6
50%
Meanwhile, the WBC LHW title : USA, UK, AUSTRALIA, UK, AUTRALIA, JAMAICA, France, USA, USA, USA, GERMANY, USA, USA, USA, POLAND, USA, ROMANIA, Canada.
9/18
50%
The WBO super middleweight : USA, UK, IRELAND, UK, RUSSIA, HUNGARY, GERMANY.
6/7
85%
Meanwhile, the WBC super middleweight : USA, ITALY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, ITALY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, UK, GERMANY, UK, SOUTH AFRICA, Canada, Canada, GERMANY, ITALY, GERMANY, DENMARK, UK, UK, DENMARK.
16/20
80%
***Europeans have always been dominant in that category for whatever reason, particularly UK fighters.
The WBO MW : USA, UK, UK, USA, UK, IRELAND, USA, JAMAICA, GERMANY, UK, SWEDEN, NAMIBIA, SWEDEN, NAMIBIA, ARGENTINA, GERMANY, USA, USA, USA, USA, ARGENTINA.
12/21
57%
Meanwhile, the WBC MW title : PANAMA, US ****** ISLANDS, USA, US ****** ISLANDS, USA, USA, France, USA, USA,USA, USA, ARGENTINA.
1/12
8%
Overall stats for the WBO title being held by eastern fighters in the mentioned divisions since the organisation creation :
40/64
66%
Overall stats for the WBC title being held by eastern fighters during the same time period :
43/80
54%
At no moment in its history did the WBO have less out-of-America champions in proportions than the WBC had from 160 up to HW. That difference in proportions goes from slight to huge. Since the Euro and eastern fighters have been more dominant during the last years, it tends to even up the numbers a bit. I could have compiled the stats between 1988-1989 and 2000, and the difference would have been even bigger.
To sum it up, I believe the WBO title was created for weaker and/or forgotten nations to get to shine on the world boxing stage. Hence, their rankings were probably made to favorize out-of-America fighters to get title shots. Numbers don’t lie, people do.
Today, it is hard to say anymore that the WBO title is an Euro or Eastern title since the Euro and eastern fighters are more dominant than they have ever been in many weight divisions (for many reasons).
I hope this will not be perceived as an attack. It is not. It is only an observation I have made a long time ago that led me to checking the stats to see whether my observation was right or wrong.
It could be interesting to do the same with the other sanctioning bodies. It is often said boxing is more about politics nowadays. I guess it is right. Maybe the WBO title was created because the other sanctionning bodies were favorizing America too much.
If you know good articles/books on the subject, let me know.
I have added a poll just for fun. Do you think the WBO was created for out-of-America countries to have a chance at a world title ?