World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association (WBA) was founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA) of the United States, representing thirteen states. It became the WBA in 1962 as its membership increased internationally. The WBA is the oldest of the four global professional boxing bodies which arrange world title fights, the other three being the World Boxing Council (WBC; founded 1963), the International Boxing Federation (IBF; 1983) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO; 1988). The WBA has its headquarters in Panama City. The first world title contest sanctioned by the then-NBA was the 1921 World Heavy Championship fight between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier.