The North American Boxing Federation, otherwise known as the NABF, released their monthly report yesterday that includes ratings of fighters based on results of July 23, 2011. Yes, they are a part of this alphabet group of boxing organizations that adds to the confusion of who is the legitimate champion from the heavyweight to the 105-pound divisions. They are supposedly an arm of the WBC, and Luis Medina, of the WBC is a member of their ratings committee.
Followers of the sport pay attention to this. As much as the World Boxing Council makes every attempt to validate their good causes for the sport, the NABF has become a skeptical organization since their establishment in 1989. Their goal, the NABF, headed by Joe Dwyer, a respected boxing judge and former member of the New York State Athletic Commission, was to create a variety of regional boxing organizations.
In essence, their goal, as is remains today, is to have regional federations sanction championship bouts and crown regional champs. In essence, the NABF champions would be considered in the world rankings of the WBC. And for the boxing historian the first NABF title bout occurred on December 6, 1969, in Las Vegas. In his next to last fight, an aging Sonny Liston lost his bid for the NABF heavyweight title when he was stopped by Leotis Martin in the eighth round.
The NABF boxer for the month of July was Diego Magdaleno, who defended the 130-pound title with a decision over Alejandro Perez. In the latest WBC ratings, Magdaleno is ranked sixth to the champion, Takahiro Aoh of Japan. So the WBC should recognize Magdaieno, the 24-year old southpaw as the number one contender for the title. But, that won?t happen. An explanation is not forthcoming from the Mexico City based offices of the WBC. For that matter, Perez, hailing from Venezuela is ranked 23rd by the WBC and got the NABF title shot.
And it is reasonable to say that Magdaleno will have to wait his turn for the WBC title because it works that way in boxing. The WBC will always dictate who gets the title shot, and despite the NABF affiliation, Magdaleno can always say he has a championship belt with little or no meaning. Because if a fighter does not hold the WBC, WBA, IBF, or WBO championship on the resume, the NABF is just another form of alphabet soup.
On that ratings committee of the NABF there are the names of Claude Jackson listed as the chairman, Ed Pearson listed as vice chairman, Tommy Ashy and Luis Medina. With the exception of Dwyer, a New York State resident, we don?t know much about the ratings committee members as to their backgrounds and affiliations with the sport. Not knowing their backgrounds, it is not fair to judge how they determine who makes the top ten in the NABF. However, it has always been a prevailing theory that the managers and promoters buy into alphabet soup organizations, like the NABF, to get their fighters on top of the ratings scale.
Though the prevailing opinion is various alphabet organizations add to the confusion of determining a legitimate champion, there are many in the sport who are very content to see their fighter rated by one or the other organizations. It does provide some prestige to a fighter that enhances an opportunity for larger purses, and a rank with the WBC or another major sanctioning body.
Overall, though, to get there, some of the managers and promoters with minimal financial flexibility are stuck in a holding pattern. They wait and hope that the NABF or the other alphabet soup will give them a call. ?There is no other way to do it but keep your fighter busy and get the deserved recognition unless you are with one of the big boys,? says Hector Camacho Jr. the New York based fighter and son of the former champion known as the ?Macho Man.?
Camacho Jr., 32-years of age, is attempting to revive a boxing career since a well-known no- contest against Jesse James Leija in July of 2001 that took place outdoors at KeySpan Park in New York City. Since that time, Camacho has had different management and minimal affiliation with promoters, also holding and defending one of many alphabet soup organization titles. The one he never held was the NABF.
?It is hard to get,? he said about the NABF. He is now self-managed and last month had a fight cancelled with a local promotion in Atlanta Georgia. ?It?s the business of boxing,? he said. And basically that is what it is all about, business and the politics of boxing.
