World Boxing Union

The World Boxing Union (WBU) was a boxing sanctioning body. The original WBU was founded in January 1995 by IBF 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 challenger Crawford 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 champion Soh Ohba, a Japanese fighter, will be named 4th in the super featherweight division from August 2022. He is the son of the younger brother of Masao 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.