World Boxing Association

World Boxing Association

WBA logo
Abbreviation	WBA
Formation	1921; 104 years ago (1921) (as NBA) 23 August 1962; 62 years ago (1962-08-23) (as WBA)
Type	Non-profit institution
Purpose	Boxing sanctioning organization
Headquarters	Panama City, Panama
Region served	Worldwide
President	Gilberto Mendoza Jr.
Main organ	General Assembly
Website	www.wbaboxing.com

The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is an international professional boxing organization based in Panama. The WBA awards its world championship title at the professional level.

Founded in the United States in 1921 by 13 state representatives as the NBA, it is the oldest regulating fights. In 1962, it changed its name in recognition of boxing's growing popularity around the world and began to admit other nations as members. By 1975, a majority of its members were Latin American nations and the organization headquarters was moved to Panama City, Panama. It moved again in the 1990s to Venezuela before returning to Panama in 2007.

Alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO), it was one of four major organizations which sanctions professional boxing bouts. As of August 2024, boxing website BoxRec no longer recognizes WBA world title fights or world champions.^[1]