WBC beltAll-over printLong knitOne size
The essentials: long beanie printed with the WBC world champion belt across its whole surface: sea green strap, gold centre plate struck WORLD CHAMPION - WBC, ring of member nation flags, the word CHAMPION in gold lettering. One size. €29, free delivery.
Why the belt is green, and why France is on it
The green is not a graphic choice: it is an original colour. The World Boxing Council was founded on 14 February 1963 in Mexico City, at the initiative of Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos, by representatives of eleven countries brought together to give professional boxing a common rulebook. Green and gold have been the organisation's colours ever since.
A detail rarely noted on this side of the Atlantic: France was one of the founding countries. It appears in every list of the eleven commissions gathered that day, alongside the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil.
The ring of flags around the gold plate says exactly that: a belt that belongs to no single country.
What is on the beanie
A photographic print covering the whole beanie, close in on the belt. At the centre, the oval gold plate carries WORLD CHAMPION on an arc and WBC in large letters, with an engraved boxer above it. It is ringed by a band of national flags in colour.
Either side, the sea green strap and the word CHAMPION in gold capitals outlined in black, repeated. On the side plates, medallion portraits and a handwritten signature.
Technical specifications
The tip: the design is a busy one, so it goes on most easily with plain dark clothing that lets the green and the gold carry the contrast. Over something already printed, the two designs compete for the eye.
You may also like
- UFC - white UFC lettering splashed with red - if you want mixed martial arts.
- Brazilian jiu-jitsu - the Brazilian flag cut into the lettering - if you want the ground game.
- Boxing Enthusiast - white lettering and a boxer pictogram - if you want boxing without a governing body.
Going further
Frequently asked questions
Why is the WBC belt green?
Green and gold have been the colours of the World Boxing Council since its founding on 14 February 1963 in Mexico City, by representatives of eleven countries gathered at the initiative of Mexican president Adolfo López Mateos.
What do the flags around the plate stand for?
The organisation's member nations. The ring of flags surrounds the gold plate struck WORLD CHAMPION - WBC, with an engraved boxer above it.
Which countries founded the WBC?
Eleven, gathered in Mexico City on 14 February 1963: the United States, the United Kingdom, Mexico, France, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Venezuela, Panama and the Philippines.
What size is a long beanie?
One size: the knit stretches both ways and absorbs the difference in head size. The guide is visual - the beanie should cover the top of the ears without squeezing the temples. Flat it measures 28 cm / 11 in tall by 26.8 cm / 10.6 in wide.
What is the difference between a long beanie and a turn-up beanie?
The long beanie, or slouchy, falls on the nape with no cuff and is worn loose: that is the cut of this model. The turn-up knit folds over and lays a double thickness of knit on the ears, for a height of 21.5 cm / 8.5 in once folded.
How do you wash a beanie without stretching it?
Hand wash cold, no spin, then dry flat. A beanie hung up or put through a tumble dryer stretches out and loses the hold that keeps it over the ears. Do not iron the print.
