IBO President Ed Levine rejects the idea of a five-belt era

IBO President Ed Levine has stated that the organization does not intend to pursue a 'five-belt era' in professional boxing. While the sport has moved from a two-belt system in the 1960s to the current four-belt era, Levine believes the proliferation of titles is becoming difficult to manage.

Levine noted that the number of world champions has more than doubled since the four-belt era began 25 years ago. He described the current trend of increasing titles as a runaway train. Instead of adding more belts to the landscape, the IBO aims to function as an independent and respected major title that offers an alternative for fighters who cannot or will not follow the rules set by dominant power players in the sport.

The organization focuses on transparency and integrity through the use of computer-determined rankings. This system is designed to prevent boxing politics or the status of a superstar from influencing title shots. The goal is to provide equal opportunities for skilled boxers, including those from nations with less promotional interest or boxing prominence.

To challenge for an IBO world title, fighters must meet specific criteria. A challenger must be ranked within the top 35 and have a positive record in their last six fights. Additionally, they cannot have lost more than one of their four most recent matches and must have secured at least one victory in a contest lasting 10 rounds or more. The IBO also encourages fighters to pursue regional honors, such as the Inter-Continental title, as a pathway to a world title shot.

Levine also addressed the potential impact of fighters joining Zuffa Boxing. The IBO maintains that any contest organized by Zuffa would be classified as a non-title fight. Consequently, a champion participating in a Zuffa event would likely lose their IBO belt, as the organization does not intend to make exceptions for such fights.

IBO titles remain active in the ring, with Mark Chamberlain recently winning the IBO super-lightweight title by stopping Pierce O’Leary in Dublin.