The World Boxing Union (WBU) was a

boxing Boxing is a combat sport and martial art. Taking place in a boxing ring, it involves two people – usually wearing protective equipment, such as boxing glove, protective gloves, hand wraps, and mouthguards – throwing Punch (combat), punch ...

sanctioning body. The original WBU was founded in January 1995 by IBF European representative, boxing journalist, actor and former holder of the title of Britain's heaviest man, Jon W. Robinson. It sanctioned boxing with various promoters worldwide. Following Robinson's death in 2004, the organization became dormant and was eventually dissolved. In 2010, the WBU brand was revitalized in the

U.S. The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 contiguous ...

by Don "Moose" Lewis – President of the International Boxing Union and Women's International Boxing Council. Shortly thereafter, it decided to reestablish itself totally independent of any legal reference to the original organization so as to not expose today's WBU to any remaining potential liabilities from the previous company.

List of WBU heavyweight champions

Other WBU champions (selected)

Other past WBU champions include Sirimongkol Singwancha,

Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym Nikhom Chuboon, also known as Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym () or Sornpichai Pitsanurachan (), is a Thai former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2001 and held the WBA flyweight title from 1999 to 2000. Biography and career Born in Lam ...

, Pongsaklek Wonjongkam,

Ricky Hatton Richard John Hatton (born 6 October 1978) is a British former professional boxer who competed between 1997 and 2012, and has since worked as a boxing promoter and boxing trainer, trainer. During his boxing career he held multiple world champi ...

Eamonn Magee Eamonn Magee (born 13 July 1971 in Belfast, Northern Ireland) is a retired WBU World Welterweight Boxing Champion who competed from 1995 to 2007 in the professional arena. He fought for and won the WBU World title in December 2003. He also hel ...

Tony Oakey Tony Oakey (born 2 January 1976) is a former British professional boxer who competed from 1998 to 2010. He held the Commonwealth light heavyweight title in 2001 and the British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British ...

Corrie Sanders Cornelius Johannes Sanders (7 January 1966 – 23 September 2012) was a South African professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2008. He won the WBO heavyweight title in 2003 after knocking out Wladimir Klitschko in two rounds, which was ...

Enzo Maccarinelli Enzo Maccarinelli (born 20 August 1980) is a Welsh former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2016. He held the World Boxing Organisation (WB0) cruiserweight title from 2006 to 2008. At regional level, he held the European and Briti ...

Lee McAllister Lee "Aberdeen Assassin" McAllister (born 5 October 1982) is a Scottish professional boxer nicknamed the "Aberdeen Assassin". McAllister held the Commonwealth lightweight and light-welterweight titles, the IBO International light-welterweight t ...

Angel Manfredy Angel Manfredy (born October 30, 1974) is a Puerto Rican-American former professional boxer. Angel Manfredy was a popular fighter in the late 1990s. Personal Manfredy, nicknamed ''El Diablo'' (''The Devil'') because of his reckless lifestyl ...

, George Scott,

Hasim Rahman Hasim Sharif Rahman (born November 7, 1972) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1994 to 2014. He is a two-time world heavyweight champion, having held the unified World Boxing Council, WBC, International Boxing Federation, ...

Thomas Hearns Thomas Hearns (born October 18, 1958) is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006. Nicknamed the "Detroit, Motor City Cobra", and more famously "the Hitman", Hearns's tall, slender build and long arms and shoulders al ...

Don Dieg Poeder Don, don or DON and variants may refer to: Places *Don (river), a river in European Russia *Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name * Don, Benin, a town in Benin * Don, Dang, a village and hill station in Dang district, Gu ...

Willie Limond Willie Limond (2 February 1979 – 15 April 2024) was a Scottish professional boxer and footballer. He held the EBU European Union super featherweight title in 2004, the Commonwealth lightweight title from 2006 to 2007, the Commonwealth super ...

Craig Docherty Craig Docherty (born 27 September 1979) is a Scottish former professional boxer. Competing from 1998 to 2017, he held the Commonwealth super-featherweight title from 2003 to 2005. Life and career Docherty became a professional boxer in 1998 ...

Michael Gomez Michael Gomez (born Michael Armstrong; 21 June 1977) is a former professional boxer who competed from 1995 to 2009. He was born to an Irish Traveller family in Longford, Ireland, spending his early years in Dublin before moving to London and l ...

, Kevin Lear, Anthony Farnell, Jimmy Lange,

Derry Mathews Derry Mathews (born 23 September 1983) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 2003 to 2017. He held the WBA interim lightweight title in 2015 and has challenged, twice, for lightweight world championships, the WBO title in 20 ...

, Choi Tseveenpurev, Jeremy Williams, Cristian Charquero,

Wayne Elcock Wayne Elcock (born 12 February 1974) is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1999 to 2009. He challenged once for the IBF middleweight title in 2007. At the regional level, he held the British middleweight title from 2007 to 2 ...

Roy Jones Jr. Roy Levesta Jones Jr. (born January 16, 1969) is an American professional boxer. He has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including middleweight, super middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. As an amateur he r ...

, David Burke,

Vinny Pazienza Vinny Paz (born Vincenzo Edward Pazienza, December 16, 1962), formerly Vinny Pazienza, is an American former professional boxer who held world titles at lightweight and light middleweight. The 2016 film '' Bleed for This'' is based on his comeb ...

Agostino Cardamone Agostino Cardamone (born 1 December 1965) is an Italian former pro boxer of Romani origin best known for winning the European Middleweight title. Career Cardamone, a southpaw, started his career in 1989 and won the Italian title against Silvio ...

and

Micky Ward George Michael Ward Jr. (born October 4, 1965), often known by his nickname, "Irish" Micky Ward, is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1985 to 2003. He challenged once for the IBF light welterweight title in 1997, and held ...

. In addition, Carlos Contreras defeated challenger

Victor Rabanales Victor Manuel Rabanales (born December 23, 1962) is a Mexican former professional boxer. He is a former WBC bantamweight Champion. He was trained by Boxing Hall of Famer Ignacio Beristáin. Professional career In August 1983, Rabanales won hi ...

by 8 RTKO.

References

{{World boxing champions International sports organizations Sports organizations established in 1995 Professional boxing governing bodies