| Abbreviation | WBU |
|---|---|
| Founder | Jon W. Robinson |
| Founded at | London, UK |
| Purpose | Boxing sanctioning organization |
| Headquarters | Organization dissolved |
Region | Worldwide |
president | Jon Robinson |
TheWorld Boxing Union (WBU) was aboxing sanctioning body. The original WBU was founded in January 1995 byIBF European representative, boxing journalist, actor and former holder of the title of Britain's heaviest man[1][2] Jon W. Robinson. It sanctioned boxing with various promoters worldwide. Following Robinson's death in 2004, the organization became dormant and was eventually dissolved.
An organization serving the same purpose and with the same name, but with no connections to the original, was formed in Germany in 2010 under the leadership of Torsten Knille.[3]
George Foreman beat challengerCrawford Grimsley 3-0 by decision in his first defense in Tokyo,Japan on November 3, 1996. The event was outside the jurisdiction of the Japan Boxing Commission. WBU is unfamiliar with the Japanese boxing industry, but Thai national championSoh Ohba, a Japanese fighter, will be named 4th in the super featherweight division from August 2022.He is the son of the younger brother ofMasao Ohba, a superstar and legendary hero in Japanese boxing in the 1970s, making him the nephew.He has been the Japan representative since June 2025.
| Name | Duration of reign | Defenses | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 George Foreman (USA)[4] | March 29, 1995 – 1997 | 2 | Foreman was recognized as champion after he was stripped of theIBF title |
 Corrie Sanders (RSA)[5] | November 15, 1997 – May 20, 2000 | 3 | Defeated Ross Purity |
| Hasim Rahman (USA)[6] | May 20, 2000 – April 21, 2001 | 0 | Relinquished the title in order to fightLennox Lewis for the IBF,IBO andWBC titles |
 Johnny Nelson (GBR)[7] | November 24, 2001 – December 4, 2001 | 0 | Defeated Alexander Vasiliev. Relinquished the title in order to concentrate on defending hisWBO Cruiserweight title |
 Georgi Kandelaki (GEO)[8] | December 21, 2002 – January 2004 | 0 | Defeated Alexander Vasiliev. Kandelaki either relinquished or was stripped of the title |
| Matt Skelton (GBR)[9] | February 25, 2005 – January 26, 2009 | 0 | Skelton relinquished the title |
Other past WBU champions includeSirimongkol Singwancha, Sornpichai Kratingdaenggym,Pongsaklek Wonjongkam,Ricky Hatton,Eamonn Magee,Tony Oakey,Corrie Sanders,Enzo Maccarinelli,Lee McAllister,Angel Manfredy,George Scott,Hasim Rahman,Willie Limond,Craig Docherty,Michael Gomez,Kevin Lear,Anthony Farnell,Jimmy Lange,Derry Mathews,Choi Tseveenpurev,Jeremy Williams,Cristian Charquero,Wayne Elcock,Roy Jones Jr.,David Burke,Vinny Pazienza, andMicky Ward.
In addition, Carlos Contreras defeated challengerVictor Rabanales by 8RTKO.