World Athletic Association

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Pat O'Grady, a Maverick's boxing promoter, formed the World Athletic Association in Oklahoma, after the World Boxing Association withdrew recognition as world lightweight champion from his son, Sean O'Grady, in July 1981.

At the heavyweight division, the WAA named Floyd (Jumbo) Cummings as champion, but he never defended his title.

The first WAA's fight was held in October 31, 1981, when Sean O'Grady was knocked out in 2 rounds by Andrew Ganigan for the lightweight title, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

The first supermiddleweight champion of the history was Jerry (Wimpy) Halstead, who knocked Ron Brown out in 6 rounds, in April 3, 1982, in Denver, Colorado, for the "WAA junior lightheavyweightt" title. Wimpy soon outgrew the division.

Pat O'Grady's son-in-law, Monte Masters, won the vacant WAA heavyweight title knocking Tony Fulilangi out in 14 rounds, on September 22, 1983, in Phoenix, Arizona.

Masters was promptly stripped of his heavyweight title after splitting from Pat's daughter (1984). Then, an eliminatory match for the vacant title was scheduled between two just retired boxers Clarence Hill and Eddy (Animal) Lopez. That fight never happened.

The WAA's last hurrah was in August 1985, when Canadian Michael Olajide won the middleweight title, knocking Sakaria Ve out in 9 rounds, in Fiji.

Another boxing World Athletic Association (no connection to this one) was established in 1996 by former major league pitching star Dean Chance as a satellite of his International Boxing Union.