THERE are only four generally-recognized sanctioning bodies in pro boxing: the World Boxing Association (WBA, founded in 1921), the World Boxing Council (WBC, founded in 1963), the International Boxing Federation (IBF, founded in 1983) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO, founded in 1988).

The rest are considered fringe or minor organizations and we are talking about a lot of groups: the International Boxing Organization (IBO), World Boxing Union (WBU), World Boxing Federation (WBF), and International Boxing Association (IBA), to name a few.

Last July 29, Filipino Dave Apolinario collared the vacant IBO flyweight (112 lbs) championship by knocking out in one round 36-year-old South African veteran Gideon Buthelezi.

Apolinario’s drumbeaters were quick to hail Apolinario as the country’s new world boxing champion, but those in the know did not bother to join the bandwagon.

Reporting on the fight, The Ring magazine, the Bible of Boxing, provided this opening statement: “Filipino prospect Dave Apolinario took a significant step towards championship contention with a first round knockout win over former title challenger Gideon Buthelezi.”

Note that The Ring still considered Apolinario a “prospect” and simply labeled his win as a “significant step towards championship contention.”

No statement was made about Apolinario being the country’s new world boxing champion. The highly-respected magazine instead referred to the IBO belt Apolinario won as a “minor” title.

The country is currently mired in a losing streak. Since February 26, when Jerwin Ancajas lost his IBF junior bantamweight crown, our fighters have been getting a pounding in legitimate world title fights.

John Riel Casimero was stripped of his WBO bantamweight title while Nonito Donaire Jr. yielded his WBC bantamweight crown to Naoya Inoue.

Mark Anthony Barriga and Donnie Nietes failed in bids to win the WBO junior flyweight and junior bantamweight crowns, respectively. Rene Mark Cuarto was dethroned as IBF minimumweight king while Mark Magsayo failed in his initial defense of the WBC featherweight title.

Filipino fight fans are on the lookout for the boxer who will end the losing streak.

Apolinario’s victory did not change the current gloomy landscape.

The country is still without a legitimate world boxing champion. Heck, just because we are on a losing streak does not mean we should accept a world title being peddled in the flea market.

Of course, Apolinario is not to blame for the predicament he is in.

A vacant title was available and Apolinario simply cashed in on the opportunity. But placing things in the proper perspective, given the fringe status of the IBO title, Apolinario simply boosted his stock for a possible shot at any of the four legitimate crowns.

Dubbed the “Doberman,” Apolinario is 17-0 with 12 knockouts. Standing 5’5,” he is big for a flyweight and offers an action-packed style. With one huge left straight, Apolinario blasted into smithereens Buthelezi.

The four major champions in the flyweight division are WBA champ Artem Dalakian (21-0, 15 knockouts) of Ukraine, WBC champ Julio Cesar Martinez (18-2, 14 knockouts) of Mexico, IBF champ Sunny Edwards (18-0, 4 knockouts) of England, and WBO champ Junto Nakatani (23-0, 18 knockouts) of Japan.

The legitimate champs are all tough to beat, but dethroning any one of them will give Apolinario the ticker-tape parade worthy of a genuine world boxing champ.

Make no mistake, Apolinario stands a good chance of winning any of the four legitimate world titles. The key is for the “Doberman” to remain hungry for the real belt and not settle for the IBO diadem.

Still unconvinced that the IBO title is a minor one? Try this analogy:

You are a boxer who just won the IBO flyweight title. The following day, the WBC gives you a call and tells you that you are next in line for its flyweight crown on the condition that you give up the IBO title as it does not want to be identified with a fringe organization.

In a wink of an eye, you give up the IBO title for a shot at the WBC diadem.

Let’s alter the situation a bit: You win a WBA flyweight title and the following day the WBC informs you that you can fight for its crown on the condition that you give up the WBA crown.

You are likely to turn down the WBC’s offer because you know the WBA crown you hold is as legitimate as the WBC’s version of the flyweight crown. Instead of giving up your WBA crown, you will instead seek a unification bout with both the WBA and WBC crowns at stake.

Enough said. You get the point.