About WIBA

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

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.  The UBC is a separate entity from the WIBA.

WIBA is considered by many within the sport as one of the best and 
most respected sanctioning body in women's professional boxing, 
for a number of reasons. 
WIBA is almost universally praised in the boxing community for their 
accurate and up-to-date ratings, and also for the overall consistent 
quality of WIBA title fights. 
The contenders rated by the WIBA are worthy of their status, 
and most of the WIBA champions are considered the legitimate best 
of their respective weight divisions.

WIBA is seen by many within the sport as a crown jewel of women's boxing
distinguishing itself from other sanctioning bodies.

WIBA has had title fights in Asia, Europe, South America, Africa, 
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 credited by some in the sport for having "raised the bar" of 
women's professional boxing, helping to make it a more respectable 
professional sport, not only by having higher standards and ethics, 
but also by adding depth to the talent pool by including quality female 
fighters from all over the world into its ratings and title fights.

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. 
Women's professional boxing was not legal in the Philippines until 2005.
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. 
WIBA also sanctioned the first ever world title fight in Macau, China.

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.

WIBA's current and former champions include 
Laila Ali, Jackie Frazier-Lyde, Ann Wolfe, Leatitia Robinson, 
Gina Guidi, Sumya Anani, Kara Ro, Chevelle Hallback, Maribel Zurita, 
Ria Ramnarine, Emiko Raika, Marcela Acuña, Ada Vélez, Anita Christensen, 
Melinda Cooper, Jenifer Alcorn, Sharon Anyos, Jeannine Garside, 
Anissa Zamarron, Gwendolyn O'Neil, Mary Jo Sanders, Duda Yankovich, 
Melissa Hernández, Anne Sophie Mathis, Holly Holm and many, many others.



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