The WBO started after a group of Puerto Rican and Dominican business men broke out of the WBA's 1988 annual convention in Isla Margarita, Venezuela, disgusted by the WBA's rules and ratings systems.
The WBO's first president was Ramon Pina Acevedo of the Dominican Republic. Soon after it's beginning, the WBO was staging world championship bouts all over the world. Their first title fight was for the vacant Jr welterweight title, between former world lightweight champions Hector 'Macho' Camacho and Ray Mancini in Las Vegas. Camacho won by unanimous decision.
In order to gain respectability, the WBO next elected former world Light-Heavyweight champion Jose Torres of Ponce, Puerto Rico. Torres achieved his goal and left in 1996, giving way to Puerto Rican lawyer Francisco Varcarcel to succeed him as President. Varcarcel has been there since.
Nowadays, WBO world champions can unify their crowns vs WBA and International Boxing Federation champions. For an unknown reason, the WBC still refuses to have their world champs take part in unification bouts with WBO champs.
Also, WBO champions generally struggle to be respected by the international media, even though they have beaten WBC, IBF, and WBA world champions constantly and proved to be better champions that those of the other organizations.
WBO World champions include:
The WBO offices are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.