IBO World title now on the line for James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr
Eubank Jr. former belt now up for grabs
IBO President Ed Levine discusses the past, present and future of the IBO and DeGale vs Eubank Jr.
Head of the IBO governing body Ed Levine announced, “I am very excited for the upcoming IBO World title contest between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr. I believe this is the most intriguing matchup in the Super Middleweight division at the moment, and I will be delighted to see either one of the fighters emerge as IBO World Champion as they will have earned it the hard way.
“Fights like DeGale and Eubank Jr are the fights that fans want to see, and we want to have contested for IBO titles."
Eubank Jr. previously held the title between February 2017 to February 2018 before conceding it in his WBSS semi-final fight with George Groves. The belt wasn't on the line for WBA titlist Groves so it has remained vacant since that epic fight night in Manchester.
Predictions for James DeGale vs Chris Eubank Jr
Despite its many critics, the International Boxing Organisation has always been considered one of the most democratic but controversial boxing outlets in the world today. The unique setup of the IBO has always attracted many of the world’s most elite fighters to contesting for its titles, but some fight fans are not supporters of it's computerised rankings system.
Legendary fighters such as Wladimir Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis, Manny Pacquiao and many more have all held the IBO World title at some point during their careers.
IBO President Ed Levine has been at the epicentre of IBO activity for close to 20 years, and the Florida-based man opened up on his beliefs for the International Boxing Organisation.
Levine said, “The IBO has always stood for fairness and democracy. We are the only World Sanctioning body that uses computerised rankings. We do this because we want to give fighters who have worked hard for opportunities, an opportunity!
“The IBO stands for honesty and integrity and we believe that the use of computerized rankings helps to reaffirm our beliefs.
The President continued, “The International Boxing Organisation has had some wonderful Champions over the years. Fighters such as Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao, Wladimir Klitschko, Gennady Golovkin, Roy Jones Jr, Nonito Doniare and many others have contested for IBO honours, and it has been a pleasure to be a part of these massive events.”
Current IBO Champions include the number one heavyweight on the planet Anthony Joshua and the outstanding American Jarrett Hurd, and also James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr contesting the IBO World Super Middleweight Championship later this month.
Levine offered his take on his current stock of Champions, “We have some great Champions at the moment such as Anthony Joshua and Jarrett Hurd who are showcasing their skills on the biggest platforms worldwide, and putting on some excellent contests for IBO honours.
“I am very excited for the upcoming IBO World title contest between James DeGale and Chris Eubank Jr. We are committed to being a part of great fights like this, as well as making sure our titles are available to every part of the World. We have great Champions in places such as France, South Africa and the Russia and that is what being a worldwide governing body is all about, providing opportunities to deserving fighters the world over!”