World Boxing Union
| Abbreviation | WBU |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jon W. Robinson |
| Founded at | Atlanta, Georgia |
| Purpose | Boxing sanctioning organization |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, Georgia |
Region | Worldwide |
| Website |
www |
The World Boxing Union (WBU) is a boxing sanctioning body. The original WBU was founded in January 1995 by IBF European representative Jon W. Robinson. It sanctioned boxing with various promoters worldwide.
History
The WBU had a "golden" period between 1996-2006 when its title contests were often shown live on satellite and terrestrial television. The WBU title during this time could be compared with the early days of the WBO.
WBU titles were particularly well recognised in Europe and Africa. WBU titles have been held by the likes of Ricky Hatton, George Foreman, Thomas Hearns, Baby Jake Matlala, James Toney, Johnny Nelson, Micky Ward, Vinny Pazienza.
After the death of WBU founder and President Jon W. Robinson in 2004, the organisation honoured outstanding contractual fights and sanctioned various contests.
Present status
The World Boxing Union is now headed up by Mr Don Lewis in Atlanta, Georgia, USA and use all the original designs and trademarks. The World Boxing Union looks to continue the lineage left behind by John Robinson. More information can be found at wbuboxing.org
List of WBU heavyweight champions
| Name | Duration of reign | Defenses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 George Foreman (USA)[1] |
March 29, 1995 – 1997 | 2 | Foreman was recognized as champion after he was stripped of the IBF title |
 Corrie Sanders (RSA)[2] |
November 15, 1997 – May 20, 2000 | 3 | Defeated Ross Purity |
| Hasim Rahman (USA)[3] |
May 20, 2000 – April 21, 2001 | 0 | Relinquished the title in order to fight Lennox Lewis for the IBF, IBO and WBC titles |
 Johnny Nelson (GBR)[4] |
November 24, 2001 – December 4, 2001 | 0 | Defeated Alexander Vasiliev. Relinquished the title in order to concentrate on defending his WBO Cruiserweight title |
 Georgi Kandelaki (GEO)[5] |
December 21, 2002 – January 2004 | 0 | Defeated Alexander Vasiliev. Kandelaki either relinquished or was stripped of the title |
| Matt Skelton (GBR)[6] |
February 25, 2005 – January 26, 2009 | 0 | Skelton relinquished the title |
Other WBU champions (selected)
Other past WBU champions include Eamonn Magee, Tony Oakey, Corrie Sanders, Enzo Maccarinelli, Lee McAllister, Angel Manfredy, George Scott, Hasim Rahman, Willie Limond, Michael Gomez, Anthony Farnell, Jimmy Lange, Derry Mathews, Choi Tseveenpurev, Jeremy Williams Don Diego Poeder and Wayne Elcock.
References
- ↑ "George Foreman vs. Axel Schulz". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "BoxRec - Corrie Sanders". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "Hasim Rahman vs. Corrie Sanders". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "BoxRec - Johnny Nelson". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "BoxRec - George Kandelaki". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.
- ↑ "BoxRec - Matt Skelton". boxrec.com. Retrieved 2015-08-04.