European Boxing Union
Encyclopedia
The European Boxing Union (also popularly known to boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

 fans as EBU) is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

.

History

The EBU started life as the (IBU) International Boxing Union
International Boxing Union
The International Boxing Union was created June 1911 in Paris, France. It was an attempt to create a unified international governing body for professional boxing...

 in Paris in 1910. The IBU became the EBU in 1946.

During most of the 20th century, and, specially, during that era's first decades, the EBU recognized many world title fights. The European Boxing Union competed against the American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 based National Boxing Association (NBA), which staged the more widely recognized world title fights.

The European Boxing Union went through a period of economical difficulties during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. Because one of the organization's most important rules is that every fighter that fights for an EBU title must be a national and a resident of a European country, and all fights must be held in Europe, it became very hard, if not almost impossible, for the European Boxing Union to stage fights. As a consequence, the European Boxing Union suffered financial difficulties during this period.

In 1963, the National Boxing Association became the World Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

 (WBA). Also in 1963, the WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

 was formed from a group of WBA members that disagreed with the WBA's policies, and, with two other organizations competing to attract boxers, the EBU's personnel ultimately decided to recognize regional title bouts instead.

During the 1990s, the EBU had some important developments, such as beginning to recognize women's boxing
Women's boxing
Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...

 regional championship bouts, and welcoming former Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....

n country Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...

 as a member country.

Currently, winning an EBU title is considered important, but not necessary, by many European boxers in order to go on and fight for a world title of the four most widely recognized world championship boxing organizations, the IBF
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

, WBO, WBA
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

 and WBC
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

.

Rules

The EBU follows certain rules, but most rules in EBU bouts obey the rules set by the independent boxing commission of the country where an EBU fight will be held at. Some of the EBU rules are that a fighter must not be younger than 20 years of age when fighting for an EBU championship, and that hotel accommodation for boxers, referees and European Boxing Union officials visiting a country for an EBU fight must be paid by the fight's promoter. The EBU does, however, pay for the air
Airliner
An airliner is a large fixed-wing aircraft for transporting passengers and cargo. Such aircraft are operated by airlines. Although the definition of an airliner can vary from country to country, an airliner is typically defined as an aircraft intended for carrying multiple passengers in commercial...

 or train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...

 tickets of referees and officials that travel away from home for an EBU fight. Other rules are also imposed on EBU recognized events, but not many of the EBU rules interfere with the fighting rules to be followed during the fight itself.

Champions

  • Flyweight: Andrea Sarritzu
  • Bantamweight: Jamie McDonnell
    Jamie McDonnell
    Jamie McDonnell is an English boxer who currently fights in the Bantamweight division. He is the current holder of the Commonwealth, European, and British bantamweight titles.-Professional Career:...

  • Super-Bantamweight: Vacant
  • Featherweight: Sofiane Takoucht
  • Super-Featherweight: Ermano Fegatilli
    Ermano Fegatilli
    Ermano Fegatilli is a Belgium-based Italian boxer.He is the current European Boxing Union Super Featherweight champion.-Personal life:...

  • Lightweight: Gavin Rees
    Gavin Rees
    Gavin Rees is a Welsh professional boxer. Nicknamed "The Rock", Rees is the current EBU Lightweight Champion, and former WBA super-lightweight World Champion...

  • Light-Welterweight: Vacant
  • Welterweight: Leonard Bundu
  • Super-Welterweight: Lukáš Konečný
    Lukáš Konecný
    Lukáš Konečný is a Czech light middleweight boxer.- Amateur career :He passed his first match when he was 14 years old...

  • Middleweight: Grzegorz Proksa
  • Super-Middleweight: James DeGale
    James DeGale
    He is European super middleweight championJames Frederick DeGale MBE is an English boxer and Olympic gold medalist. He was born in Harlesden, London. He started amateur boxing at the Trojan club at the age of 10 before moving to Dale Youth boxing club...

  • Light-Heavyweight: Eduard Gutknecht
  • Cruiserweight: Alexander Frenkel
    Alexander Frenkel
    Alexander Frenkel is a German Cruiserweight boxer of Ukrainian origin ranked seventh in the world by Boxrec...

  • Heavyweight: Vacat

Other regional WBC federations

  • Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
    Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
    The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region.-History:The OPBF was formed in 1954 by the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino boxing commissions...

     (OPBF)
  • Asian Boxing Council
    Asian Boxing Council
    The Asian Boxing Council is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian region.-Other regional WBC federations:*North American Boxing Federation *European Boxing Union...

     (ABCO)
  • African Boxing Union (ABU)
  • Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE)
  • Central American Boxing Federation (FECARBOX)
  • CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau (CISBB)
  • South American Boxing Federation (FESUBOX)

See also

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