The Women's International Boxing Association (WIBA) is a sanctioning body for women's professional boxing came into existence in July 2000, and quickly grew into a major force in the sport.

History

The WIBA was officially founded by American Ryan Wissow, and Colombian Luis Bello-Diaz. Ryan Wissow is the president and owner of the WIBA. Luis Bello-Diaz heads the Universal Boxing Council (UBC), an obscure men's sanctioning body headquartered in Bello's hometown of

Cartagena, Colombia Cartagena ( , also ), known since the colonial era as Cartagena de Indias (), is a city and one of the major ports on the northern coast of Colombia in the Caribbean Coast Region, bordering the Caribbean sea. Cartagena's past role as a link ...

. The UBC is a separate entity from the WIBA. The WIBA considers itself a respectable championship organization for a number of reasons. The WIBA has received praise for their accurate and up-to-date ratings, but the quality of WIBA title fights in inconsistent. A number of highly touted boxers have held WIBA titles at some point in their career. WIBA has had title fights in Asia, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean, in addition to the USA. WIBA is very geographically balanced, having champions and title fights in many parts of the world, and giving opportunities to female fighters all over the globe, truly opening up the sport worldwide. WIBA is also credited for several 'firsts' in the sport. WIBA was the first to establish a 102-pound division for women's boxing, citing the need for a smaller weight class for female boxers. WIBA is also credited for legalizing women's professional boxing in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

. Women's professional boxing was not legal in the Philippines (despite the fact that the island nation has a strong amateur women's boxing team). Ryan Wissow and the WIBA worked with the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), who oversee all professional sports in the Philippines, to change the laws in their books to allow women to box there professionally. The WIBA is also responsible for sanctioning the very first title fight, male or female, to take place in

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

and in

Macao Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...

. The WIBA rates all worthy professional female boxers, including champions of other sanctioning bodies. WIBA also encourages unification bouts with other major women's sanctioning bodies like the IWBF, IFBA, WIBF, and the WBC Female Title. WIBA's current and former champions include

Laila Ali Laila Amaria Ali (born December 30, 1977) is an American television personality and retired professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2007. During her career, from which she retired undefeated, she held the WBC, WIBA, IWBF and IBA female sup ...

, Jacqui Frazier-Lyde,

Ann Wolfe Ann Wolfe (born January 17, 1971) is an American retired boxer, trainer and actress. Wolfe held world titles in three different weight classes simultaneously and is regarded as one of the greatest female boxers of all time. She is a member of th ...

, Leatitia Robinson,

Gina Guidi Gina "Boom Boom" Guidi (born May 19, 1962) is a California native and resident of San Francisco, California, a professional female boxer, and a three-time champion of the world. Guidi began boxing with her brothers at the local police athletic ...

Sumya Anani Sumya Anani (born February 12, 1972) is a retired American professional female boxer nicknamed "The Island Girl." She was 5'6" and boxed as a junior welterweight. She is best known for a 1996 bout which left her opponent severely injured and may ...

Kara Ro Kara Olivia Rheault (born November 9, 1975), best known as Kara Ro, is a Canadian boxing and MMA trainer, and a retired boxer. She held the Women's International Boxing Association lightweight title in 2005. Early life Ro has enjoyed an extensi ...

Chevelle Hallback Chevelle Lynvette Hallback (born September 3, 1971) is a female boxer from Plant City, Florida. Hallback, nicknamed "Fist of Steel", has been featured on television many times, usually fighting the biggest names in the sport. Hallback is among t ...

Maribel Zurita Maribel "Little Thunder" Zurita (born January 14, 1979) is an American boxer. She is the Women's International Boxing Association, WIBA Light Flyweight World Champion and former International Female Boxers Association, IFBA Flyweight World Champ ...

Ria Ramnarine Ria Ramnarine (born 12 October 1978) is a Trinidadian and Tobagonian former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2012. During her career, she held world titles in two weight-classes; the WIBA minimumweight title from 2005 to 2006; the ...

Emiko Raika Emiko Raika (来家恵美子, born January 24, 1975 in Kyoto, Japan) is a Japanese female professional boxer and mixed martial artist. Although more Japanese women have taken up traditionally male sports such as karate, kickboxing and wrestling ...

Marcela Acuña Marcela Eliana Acuña (born 16 October 1976) is an Argentine professional boxer and part-time politician. She has held multiple super bantamweight world titles, including the IBF title since 2018; the WBA title from 2006 to 2008; the WBC tit ...

Ada Vélez Ada "Ace" Vélez (born September 15, 1969) is a Puerto Rican female professional boxer from Dania Beach, Florida who lives in Miami. Vélez was brought into boxing by former women's boxing world champion Bonnie Canino. After a successful undefe ...

Anita Christensen Anita Christensen, (born October 29, 1972, in Randers, Denmark) is a world champion female professional boxer. She posted a 19–2–0 record as an amateur boxer and was the 1998 Nordic 57-kg Women's Champion before turning professional. On Februa ...

Melinda Cooper Melinda "La Maravilla" Cooper (born March 6, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of ...

Jenifer Alcorn Jenifer Lynn Alcorn (born July 15, 1970) is an American retired, undefeated WIBA, IWBF, and IBA World Champion female professional boxer. Early life and education Alcorn grew up in Le Grand, California, and later moved to Fresno. She was we ...

Jeannine Garside Jeannine Garside (born April 14, 1978) is a Canadian former professional boxer who competed from 2004 to 2010. She was a two-weight world champion, having held the WIBA super bantamweight title from 2005 to 2006; the WIBA featherweight title t ...

Mary Jo Sanders Mary Jo Sanders (born January 13, 1974) is an American retired professional boxer. She is also daughter of NFL Hall of Famer, Charlie Sanders. In a highly anticipated bout in 2008 with Holly Holm Holly Rene Holm (born October 17, 1981) is ...

Duda Yankovich Duda Yankovich ( sr, Душица Јанковић, Dušica Janković, born September 27, 1976) is a Serbian-born former boxer and mixed martial arts fighter. She has been living in Brazil since 1999. Yankovich was the Women's International Bo ...

and

Melissa Hernández Melissa Hernández Pacheco (born 4 February 1980) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. She held the WBC female featherweight title from 2012 to 2013 and challenged once for the WBC female lightweight title in 2011. Amateur career She took up ...

, Sylvia Scharper.

Current champions

References

External links

* {{World boxing champions Professional boxing organizations International women's organizations Sports organizations established in 2000 Women's boxing International sports organizations Women's sports governing bodies

History

Current champions

See also

References

External links