IMPORTANT UPDATE: England Boxing ends membership with IBA and EUBC

As of 1 August 2025, England Boxing has officially ended its membership with both the International Boxing Association (IBA) and the European Boxing Confederation (EUBC).

It follows the decision that IBA lost its recognition by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), meaning it no longer governs amateur (Olympic) boxing.

England Boxing also has concerns over IBA’s recent announcements that it will shift focus to become the global governing body for bare knuckle boxing—a move that directly contradicts England Boxing’s safety standards, the core values of our boxing community.

In recent years, in response, World Boxing was established in 2023 to replace IBA and to safeguard boxing’s place in the Olympic Games. England Boxing joined World Boxing early in its development and has played an active role in supporting its growth and legitimacy.

World Boxing has now been granted provisional recognition by the IOC as the official international governing body for Olympic boxing. This recognition was a key milestone, and England Boxing remains fully aligned with World Boxing and its European arm, European Boxing, to provide a clear and trusted framework for English boxers to participate in the sport—especially in the lead-up to the LA28 Olympic Games.

As your recognised National Governing Body for the sport of boxing in England, we want to reassure you that England Boxing continues to be the organisation recognised by Sport England and by World Boxing as the legitimate authority for the sport in this country.

We are aware that the IBA may attempt to recognise or establish an alternative organisation in England. While we cannot control what other bodies may claim, we want to be clear: England Boxing is the sole recognised Governing Body for amateur Olympic-style boxing in England, and the only pathway for boxers seeking development, competition, and progression within the sport.

To avoid any confusion:

• England Boxing will no longer participate in IBA or EUBC events.
• Our competition and performance pathways will now align exclusively with World Boxing and European Boxing.
• We will update our governing Articles to reflect this transition and remove all references to IBA and EUBC.
• We will continue to communicate directly with our members and clubs to provide clarity as this transition progresses.

We are committed to supporting every boxer, club, coach,  and official through this change and will share further guidance in the coming weeks. If you have any questions, please reach out to us directly.

The initial FAQ’s surrounding the topic can be found by clicking here.