Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation

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

Oriental and Pacific Boxing Federation
AbbreviationOPBF
Formation1952 (as OBF)
TypeFederation of national professional boxing commissions
HeadquartersJapan
Location
Region served
Asia and Oceania
Membership
16 national commissions and 3 regional commissions
Official language
English
AffiliationsWorld Boxing Council
Websitehttp://www.opbf.info/
RemarksOPBF was established as "Oriental Boxing Federation"

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 previously-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 had 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

See also

References
  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.


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