Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation

Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
Abbreviation	OPBF
Formation	1952 (as OBF)
Type	Federation of national professional boxing commissions
Headquarters	Japan
Location	Bunkyo, Tokyo, Japan;
Region served	Asia and Oceania
Membership	16 national commissions and 3 regional commissions
Official language	English
Affiliations	World Boxing Council
Website	http://www.opbf.info/
Remarks	OPBF was established as "Oriental Boxing Federation"

The Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF) is a professional boxing organization that sanctions title fights in the Asian and Pacific region.

History

The OPBF was formed in 1954 by the Japanese, Korean, and Filipino boxing commissions. It was originally named the Orient Boxing Federation, but changed to the Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation when the Australian National Boxing Federation joined in 1977.[1] Members of the OPBF regional group are Australia, Fiji, Guam, Hawaii, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, New Zealand, Philippines, Samoa, Taiwan, Thailand and Tonga.

The OPBF helped form the World Boxing Council in 1963 and is currently affiliated with that organization.[2]

Members

15 national commissions and 3 regional commissions (Hong Kong, Guam and Hawaii).

Controversies

The OPBF ratings have been criticized numerous times. The ratings released in January 2005 had the undefeated #1 super flyweight Z Gorres passed up by three fighters, including a previously-unranked Prosper Matsuura jumping to #3, after an impressive win. Additionally, the undefeated Reynaldo Bautista dropped from #4 to #5 after a defense of his WBO Asia Pacific bantamweight title. The previosuly-unranked Japanese fighter Jun Toriumi catapulted to the #1 spot and won the title soon after.[3]

The following year, a new batch of ratings drew further criticism. WBO Asia Pacific super featherweight champion Czar Amonsot, who was previously ranked #3, dropped out of the top 10 after knocking out Victor Mausul for the title and defeating Cristian Favela. Unranked Jimrex Jaca was moved to #1. Apart from this, former OPBF super featherweight champion Randy Suico has relinquished his title to move up to lightweight, and was immediately ranked at #1 in his new weight class in the new rankings. The previous #1, Shunsuke Ito, had just won the Japanese lightweight title by stopping his opponent in the second round and was in line for a OPBF title shot against reigning champion Chikashi Inada.[4]

In September 2017, undefeated Filipino prospect Edward Heno won the vacant OPBF light flyweight title on his second attempt. However, he was stripped of the belt and dropped to number four in the rankings after he was unable to defend it at that year's OPBF convention in Puerto Princesa in November, even though the winner of a vacant belt normally gets 90 days to defend it.[5]

Current OPBF title holders

Male

Weight class:	Champion:	Reign began:
Minimumweight	Lito Dante	31 March 2019
Light-flyweight	Edward Heno	10 September 2017
Flyweight	Jayr Raquinel	13 March 2018
Super-flyweight	Andrew Moloney	24 February 2018
Bantamweight	Keita Kurihara	24 December 2018
Super-bantamweight	Hiroaki Teshigawara	11 October 2018
Featherweight	Satoshi Shimizu	2 October 2017
Super-featherweight	Hironori Mishiro	20 June 2018
Lightweight	Shuichiro Yoshino	10 October 2019
Super-lightweight	Rikki Naito	15 May 2018
Welterweight	Riku Nagahama	27 February 2020
Super-welterweight	Akinori Watanabe	11 August 2019
Middleweight	Kazuto Takesako	18 January 2020
Super-middleweight	Jayde Mitchell	17 October 2016
Light-heavyweight	Reagan Dessaix	20 September 2019
Cruiserweight	Jai Opetaia	15 July 2017
Heavyweight	Kyotaro Fujimoto	14 January 2017

Female

Weight class:	Champion:	Reign began:
Atomweight	Eri Matsuda	1 December 2018
Minimumweight	Sana Hazuki	17 November 2019
Light-flyweight	Shione Ogata	14 April 2019
Flyweight	Chaoz Minowa	13 December 2016
Super-flyweight	Terumi Nuki	22 April 2017
Bantamweight	Tomoko Okuda	28 January 2020
Super-bantamweight	vacant
Featherweight	Wakako Fujiwara	23 July 2018
Super-featherweight	vacant
Lightweight	vacant
Super-lightweight	not inaugurated
Welterweight	not inaugurated
Super-welterweight	not inaugurated
Middleweight	not inaugurated
Super-middleweight	not inaugurated
Light-heavyweight	not inaugurated
Cruiserweight	not inaugurated
Heavyweight	not inaugurated

Other regional WBC federations

North American Boxing Federation (NABF)
European Boxing Union (EBU)
Asian Boxing Council (ABCO)
African Boxing Union (ABU)
Caribbean Boxing Federation (CABOFE)
Central American Boxing Federation (FECARBOX)
CIS and Slovenian Boxing Bureau (CISBB)
South American Boxing Federation (FESUBOX)

References

"Boxing Bodies: A Brief Chronology and Rundown", International Boxing Digest, 40, no. 1: 58, January 1998
Caluag, Randy (2 August 2017). "Mitra wants to expand membership in OPBF". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
Nathanielsz, Ronnie (4 January 2005). "OPBF Ratings Under Fire". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
Nathanielsz, Ronnie (13 March 2006). "OPBF Ratings Under Question". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
Songalia, Ryan (13 October 2017). "Why Filipino boxer Edward Heno was stripped of OPBF belt a month after he won it". Rappler. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

External links

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[1] "Boxing Bodies: A Brief Chronology and Rundown", International Boxing Digest, 40, no. 1: 58, January 1998

[2] Caluag, Randy (2 August 2017). "Mitra wants to expand membership in OPBF". Manila Standard. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

[3] Nathanielsz, Ronnie (4 January 2005). "OPBF Ratings Under Fire". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

[4] Nathanielsz, Ronnie (13 March 2006). "OPBF Ratings Under Question". Boxing Scene. Retrieved 2 June 2020.

[5] Songalia, Ryan (13 October 2017). "Why Filipino boxer Edward Heno was stripped of OPBF belt a month after he won it". Rappler. Retrieved 2 June 2020.