ALPHABET
SOUP
MADNESS
On March 25, 1920 The Walker law, named after Senator James J. Walker, was passed by a vote of 30-19, which legalized professional prize fighting in the state of New York, and thus establishing the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).
This law meant that the State would now license everybody employed in boxing: Promoters, managers, refs, judges and fighters. A board of three state commissioners would now supervise the sport and had the right to revoke licenses if warranted. Prior to the new law being passed, the west had largely dominated boxing at the start of the century with James Coffroth, who was based in California, recognized as the Nation’s first big time promoter, and Reno Nevada being the stage for the huge super fight between Jack Johnson and James Jeffries in 1910. With the Walker law coming into effect the power shifted and New York City was now the place to be. The following year (1921), fifteen States would form the National Boxing Association (NBA) to counter the influence and dominance of the NYSAC. This would be the start of a split in the world of boxing that would eventually lead to the Alphabet madness we now have today.
The first NBA sanctioned fight would take place on July 2, 1921 when Georges Carpentier would challenge the universally recognized Heavyweight Champion, Jack Dempsey. The NYSAC would also make Dempsey their Heavyweight Champion a year later when he defeated Jimmy Darcy. Over the following years, just like today, there were times when more than one man could call himself a Champion. With the popularity of boxing growing around the world the NBA decided to make a change,
and, in 1962, the National Boxing Association (NBA) became the World Boxing Association (WBA). On the 14th of February 1963, however, representatives from eleven countries (USA, Argentina, Mexico, Panama, Great Britain, France, Chile, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru and the Philippines) would meet in Mexico City, invited by the then President of Mexico Adolfo Lopez Mateos, on the basis of forming a true international boxing organization to represent the world of boxing. And with support from the NBA/WBA rival, the NYSAC – the World Boxing Council (WBC) was born.
Sadly that was not the end of the alphabet madness.
In 1980 Second Vice – President of the WBA Mr Robert W. Lee, ran for president of the organization, but lost. He then decided to form a new organisation, one which would encourage young fighters to realize their dreams of becoming World Champions, and give more promoters a chance to get involved in world championship boxing. And so, the United States Boxing Association – International, (USBA-I) was formed.
Progress was slow at first, but that would soon change when the WBA/WBC Middleweight Champion Marvin Hagler was due to defend his titles against Wilford Scypion in May of 83’.
A dispute arose when the WBC informed Hagler that the fight would have to be contested at the new title limit of twelve rounds rather than fifteen and unless the new ruling was followed, the WBC would not sanction the fight as a title fight. Hagler refused and the USBA-I was then asked to sanction the bout, which it gladly accepted. Jose Sulaiman, president of the WBC, then changed his mind and agreed to sanction the fight at Haglers preferred limit of fifteen rounds but then made another U turn when he was informed that the USBA-I would be appointing the fight officials. The referee Frank Cappuccino, and one of the judges; Joe Cortez were not members of the WBC.
Kurt Ward takes a look back at how we came to be in the mess we are in concerning so many 'World Titles'.
How It All Started
6 the nuthouse