AMATEUR BOXING ALLIANCE

What is the Amateur Boxing Alliance?

The Amateur Boxing Alliance (ABA) is a Community Interest Company dedicated to grassroots amateur boxing in England. Managed entirely by regional volunteers, it was formed to offer an alternative platform for clubs that wanted a more direct say in how the sport is governed at local level.

The ABA operates on a simple principle: no rules or articles are amended, removed, or added without a majority vote from the membership. That democratic approach means affiliated clubs have genuine influence over the standards and formats that affect their boxers.

What makes the ABA different?

The ABA takes a pragmatic, club-first approach to amateur boxing:

• Volunteer-led governance - regional volunteers run the organisation, keeping costs low and decisions close to the clubs
• Affordable insurance - public liability cover for gyms through an approved scheme at accessible rates
• DBS registered - full safeguarding compliance with Disclosure and Barring Service registration
• Flexible competition rules - headguards mandatory at all levels, traditional clicker scoring, and structured weight categories including cruiserweight and light middleweight
• Cross-discipline recognition - boxers can compete in other governed combat sports (judo, karate) with card updates, without losing their boxing registration
• Junior protections - single year age groups for juniors at championships, reducing mismatches

Competition structure

The ABA runs a national championship structure across all ages and abilities. Senior boxers are classified as Novice, Intermediate, or Open Class - which means newer competitors are matched against opponents at a similar stage rather than being thrown in with experienced fighters. That classification system makes competitive boxing more accessible for people who want to test themselves without jumping in at the deep end.

Medicals follow a three-year scheme, and all competitive boxers' records are maintained through a centralised card system managed by their clubs.

Why we are affiliated

Honour & Glory holds multiple affiliations because it gives our members the widest possible range of competitive opportunities. The ABA's grassroots focus and classification system is particularly good for boxers making the step from training to competition for the first time. Combined with our England Boxing affiliation and BBBofC licence, it means we can support every member at every stage - from first session to national championship.