World Boxing Council chiefs are up in arms after spotting a similar belt to their iconic green and gold awarded at a recent fight night.
The IBA, a staunch rival of the WBC and one that has a chequered past when it comes to both sides getting along, faced a warning this week.
It comes as the WBC learned that the International Boxing Association recently: (1) organized, advertised, and publicized an event called IBA’s Champion Night.
And (2) they awarded a boxing belt in connection in addition to that confusingly similar to the WBC Championship Belt.
World Boxing Council belt infringement
In short, IBA is using the Intellectual Property Assets of the WBC in an infringing manner and without authorization of the WBC as the assets’ rightful owner.
The WBC wants to make it absolutely clear that it has put IBA on notice of the WBC’s complete rejection and opposition to the IBA’s unauthorized use of this belt. It is confusingly similar to the iconic WBC World Championship Belt.
The WBC has also informed IBA. They will take any legal measures available to stop IBA’s infringing activities and seek appropriate redress from there. The WBC is in no way associated with IBA.
In its recent Annual Convention, the WBC ratified its positions: (1) not to allow any WBC activity in Russian or Belarus’ territories. (2) not to recognize boxers from those countries holding any WBC privilege (championship, mandatory positions, etc.). And (3) to take all boxers from those two countries out of the WBC Ratings.
In the meantime, IBA continues to allow competition in those two countries and nationally for those countries competing in IBA’s tournaments. The WBC rejects and denounces IBA’s activities therein.
IBA policies
The WBC has publicly declared its support of the International Olympic Committee’s justified concerns about the lack of leadership and scandals in which AIBA (IBA’s predecessor) and now IBA have been involved in recent years.
Consistent with the world boxing community’s position, the WBC fully supports the continuation of boxing competition in the Olympic Games.
The WBC would also like to publicly declare its denunciation of IBA’s charter and mission to mix professional and amateur boxing.
IBA’s policies, in that regard, are dangerous because they foster dangerous fights between athletes that range on levels of competition that endanger the health and safety of participants.
There are absolutely no criteria regarding the levels of competition. Consequently, IBA’s approach has created a massive disadvantage to the majority of amateur boxing programs throughout the world.
The views in this article are that of the World Boxing Council.
