Boxers Associations

Veteran Boxers' Associations

The first Veteran Boxers’ Association in the United States was formed in Philadelphia in 1935, when former boxer Jimmy Love died in poverty and avoided a Potter’s Field burial due to the altruism of fellow pugilists. Ex-featherweight Johnny O’Beck then became the prime mover for the establishment of the organization called the National Boxers’ Fraternity and served as its first president.

This short-lived Philadelphia based organization provided the footing for the Philadelphia Veteran Boxers’ Association, organized a few months later with Al Thompson as its first president. Another chapter, this one in Chicago, followed in the next few years.

The National Veteran Boxers’ Association was formed at the First National Convention of Fraternal Boxing organizations in Philadelphia on October 29, 1963. Joe Guinan was its first president, succeeded by Packey O’Gatty and in turn, Jack Larkin. This organization was succeeded by the International Veteran Boxers Association in 1975. 

VBA Ring Number and Location:

1          Philadelphia, Pa.

2          Chicago, Ill.

3          Pittsburgh, Pa.

4          Boston, Mass.

5          Shenandoah Valley, Pa.

6          Camden, N.J. (moved to # 46 Watertown, NY in 1967)

6          Watertown, N.Y. (defunct – now Ring 46)

7          Miami, Florida

7          Montevideo, Uruguay (defunct)

7          Southeastern, Mass. (defunct – merged with Ring 4)

8          New York, N. Y.

9          Bergen/Passaic Counties, N.J.

10        New York, NY

10        Providence, R.I. (defunct)

11        Hartford, Conn. (defunct)

12        Atlantic City, N.J. (defunct – now Ring 112)

14        Hudson County, N.J.

15        Louisville, Ky.

16        Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

19        San Francisco, Calif. (some sources list this as Los Angeles, CA)

20        Kearny, N.J. (defunct)

20        Los Angeles, Calif.

21        Brooklyn, N.Y. (defunct)

22        Essex/Union Counties, N.J. (defunct – merged with Ring 25)

23        Allentown, Penn.

24        San Diego, Calif.

25        Essex/Morris/Union Counties, N.J.

26        Morris County, N.J. (defunct – merged with Ring 25)

26        Schenectady, N.Y.

27        Duncannon, PA

28        Roanoke, Va.

29        Guerro, Mexico

30        New Rochelle, N.Y. (defunct)

31        Miami Beach, Florida

32        Detroit, Mich.

33        Portland, Maine (defunct)

34        Red Bank, N.J.

34        Vernon, N.J.

35        Texas

36        Prescott, Ariz.

37        Omaha, Neb.

37        South Africa

38        Dover, N.H. (defunct)

38        Jamaica, N.Y. (defunct)

39        Durban, South Africa

40        United American, Phila., Pa.

41        Bucks County, Pa.

42        Cold Springs, N.Y.

43        Mohawk Valley, N.Y.

44        Buffalo, N.Y.

46        Watertown, N.Y.

47        Southbridge, N.Y.

48        Jacksonville, Fla.

49        Hartford, Conn. (defunct)

49        Hollywood, Calif.

50        Honolulu, Hawaii

51        Niagara Falls, NY (defunct)

52        Worcester, Mass. (defunct – merged with Ring 4)

53        Niagara Falls, N.Y. (defunct)

54        Auburn, N.Y. (defunct)

56        Syracuse, N.Y. (defunct – now Ring  76)

57        Lockport, N.Y. (defunct)

58        New Orleans, LA (defunct)

60        Syracuse, N.Y. (defunct – now Ring  76)

68        Tri-County, PA.

72        Northern California

76        Syracuse, NY

87        Pensacola, Florida

88        Pennsylvania

93        Baltimore, MD (defunct – now Ring 101)

99        Lowell, Mass. (merged with Ring 4)

101     Baltimore, Md.

102     Paterson, N.J.

103     South River, N.J.

104     Rome, N.Y.

105     Harrisburg, Penn.

106     Portland, Oregon

107     Esmond, Rhode Island

108     Andhra Pradelh, India

109     Newcastle, England

110     Bend, Oregon

111     Orangeburg, S.C.

112     Atlantic City, N.J.

114     Seattle, Washington

115     Tyneside, England

711     Las Vegas, Nevada

Ring No. 6, Camden, N.J., moved to Watertown, N.Y., 1967. Original Ring No. Nos. 22 and 26 merged to form new No. 25 in 1964. New No. 26 established in Schenectady, N.Y., 1966.

Ex-Boxers Associations

(Britain and Ireland)

The first Ex-Boxers Association in Great Britain was the Oldham, Ashton, and Manchester EBA, founded 1951; named changed to the Ex-Boxers’ Association of Great Britain in 1953. This EBA disbanded, but was revived in 1968 as the Manchester & District EBA, now the Manchester EBA.

No central organization of EBAs has, as yet, been formed.

Leeds  – 1952
Birmingham  – 1956 (defunct)
Sunderland –  1959
Kent –  1968 (defunct)
Manchester  – 1968
N. Staffs & S. Cheshire  – 1969
Ipswich – 1970
Northern Island –  1970
Tyneside  – 1970
London  – 1971
Furness  – 1971 (defunct)
Leicester –  1972
Cork  – 1973
Irish  – 1973
Eastern Area  – 1973
Merseyside –  1973
Preston  – 1973
Slough  – 1973 
(defunct)
Wirral – 1973 
(defunct)
Northern Federation  – 1974 (1)

Scottish  – 1974 (2)
Sheffield  – 1974
Southport –  1974 (defunct)
Sussex  – 1974 (defunct)
Sefton  – 1975 (defunct)
Welsh –  1976
Reading  – 1977 (defunct)
Square Ring  – 1978
Nottingham  – 1979
Bournemouth  – 1980
Northamptonshire  – 1981
Tamore  – 1981
Croydon  – 1982
Plymouth  – 1982
St. Helens –  1983
Swansea & S.W. Wales  – 1983
Cornwall – 1989
Hull & E. Yorkshire  – 1996
Kent & Sussex  – 1997
Northampton  – 2001

Also defunct: Notts & Derby

(1)       Several member EBAs

(2)       Defunct 1974; Reorganized 1997

Major Source: Goldman, Herbert G., Boxing: A Worldwide Record of Bouts and Boxers. Part V (pp 1666-1667), McFarland Publishing 2012

Updated by IBRO members: Herbert G. Goldman, Henry Hascup, Chuck Hasson, Bob Caico, Mickey Finn and Colleen Aycock.