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The Ring Championship is the most legitimate and credible championship left in boxing today. It is the only one with any real, independent and authoritative Championship meaning. A Ring Championship is originally established by when the #1 faces the #2 or #3 in the division.
By this standard, the Mayweather-Mosley matchup should have rightfully defined The Ring Champion for the 147 division - but it won't, because The Ring contradicted their own usual standards by leapfrogging Pacquaio up to the #1 ranking over Mosley, without actually beating Mosley, who had been the previous #1.
When Mayweather "retired," he had been the reigning Ring Champion - as well as the essentially Undisputed Champion - of the 147 division, where the only reason he was removed as Champion was because he formally announced his retirement. Otherwise, he would still be the Champion today.
Mayweather first became The Ring Champ, and in effect the Undisputed Champ, by beating Carlos Baldomir - who had been the de-facto Undisputed Champion of the division after beating Zab Judah, who had been the unified and officially Undisputed Champion at 147 (where the only reason why Baldomir wasn't then the "official" Undisputed Champ in turn, was because he had refused to pay the sanctioning fees for two of the sanctioning bodies' titles held by Judah).
After Mayweather's retirement vacated his Championship, though, and removed him from the rankings altogether - the new #1 at 147 was then left to be Cotto. (And btw, Pacquaio wasn't even ranked in the 147 division yet, as he hadn't actually competed in the division yet.)
Then the #1 ranking went from Cotto to Margarito after Margarito brutally battered (and possibly ruined) Cotto - and then went from Margarito to Mosley after Mosley shockingly, thoroughly dismantled the #1 Margarito in turn. Yes, Cotto had previously beaten Mosley - but Mosley actually beat the #1 guy (who had also directly beaten Cotto to become #1), and thus Mosley rightfully became #1 himself.
Cotto was now #3 at 147 when he then faced Pacquiao - who entered that fight as the reigning Ring Champion at 140 (as well as the #1 "P4P") - but at that point, was not ranked at 147 by The Ring going in. Then after impressively, brutally wrecking the #3 Cotto, Pacquiao not only entered the top 10 at 147 - but The Ring jumped him up all the way from outside the top 10, not just up to #3 - but all the way up to #1, leapfrogging the previously #1 Mosley.
The Ring essentially violated their own usual ranking standards by making Pacquiao the #1 for beating the #3 - supplanting Mosley, who had rightfully become the #1 by actually beating the #1. Pacquiao became ranked #1 - and bumped ahead of Mosley - for beating a LOWER ranked opponent than Mosley did.
This is inherently self-contradictory by the Ring's own practices, especially when it comes to direct succession at the top. By The Ring's own usual standards, Pacquiao should be no higher than #3 or #2 at most.
Meanwhile, Mayweather is currently ranked #3 by The Ring - where they re-installed the unretired Champ back at #3 after his return and win over JMM (who had been the reigning Ring Champion at 135 and The Ring's #2 at P4P, going in). So if Mosley had still retained his #1 ranking - as he rightfully should have, by The Ring's own standard of practice - then Mayweather should claim The Ring Championship at 147.
Add on the fact that Mayweather himself had been the previous Ring and Undisputed Champion at 147, who never actually lost his Championship in the ring - and who would still be the Champion today, but for the single fact that he formally announced his retirement - and there is even more established basis for this matchup to qualify as the Championship fight for the division.
It will be both the currently rightful #1 vs. the #3 - AND the preexisting, undefeated Champion vs. the current #1.
Therefore, consistent with these historically established Championship standards - this fight should have been fpr The Ring Championship. In any case, Mayweather is the most legitimate Champion in the 147 division.
By this standard, the Mayweather-Mosley matchup should have rightfully defined The Ring Champion for the 147 division - but it won't, because The Ring contradicted their own usual standards by leapfrogging Pacquaio up to the #1 ranking over Mosley, without actually beating Mosley, who had been the previous #1.
When Mayweather "retired," he had been the reigning Ring Champion - as well as the essentially Undisputed Champion - of the 147 division, where the only reason he was removed as Champion was because he formally announced his retirement. Otherwise, he would still be the Champion today.
Mayweather first became The Ring Champ, and in effect the Undisputed Champ, by beating Carlos Baldomir - who had been the de-facto Undisputed Champion of the division after beating Zab Judah, who had been the unified and officially Undisputed Champion at 147 (where the only reason why Baldomir wasn't then the "official" Undisputed Champ in turn, was because he had refused to pay the sanctioning fees for two of the sanctioning bodies' titles held by Judah).
After Mayweather's retirement vacated his Championship, though, and removed him from the rankings altogether - the new #1 at 147 was then left to be Cotto. (And btw, Pacquaio wasn't even ranked in the 147 division yet, as he hadn't actually competed in the division yet.)
Then the #1 ranking went from Cotto to Margarito after Margarito brutally battered (and possibly ruined) Cotto - and then went from Margarito to Mosley after Mosley shockingly, thoroughly dismantled the #1 Margarito in turn. Yes, Cotto had previously beaten Mosley - but Mosley actually beat the #1 guy (who had also directly beaten Cotto to become #1), and thus Mosley rightfully became #1 himself.
Cotto was now #3 at 147 when he then faced Pacquiao - who entered that fight as the reigning Ring Champion at 140 (as well as the #1 "P4P") - but at that point, was not ranked at 147 by The Ring going in. Then after impressively, brutally wrecking the #3 Cotto, Pacquiao not only entered the top 10 at 147 - but The Ring jumped him up all the way from outside the top 10, not just up to #3 - but all the way up to #1, leapfrogging the previously #1 Mosley.
The Ring essentially violated their own usual ranking standards by making Pacquiao the #1 for beating the #3 - supplanting Mosley, who had rightfully become the #1 by actually beating the #1. Pacquiao became ranked #1 - and bumped ahead of Mosley - for beating a LOWER ranked opponent than Mosley did.
This is inherently self-contradictory by the Ring's own practices, especially when it comes to direct succession at the top. By The Ring's own usual standards, Pacquiao should be no higher than #3 or #2 at most.
Meanwhile, Mayweather is currently ranked #3 by The Ring - where they re-installed the unretired Champ back at #3 after his return and win over JMM (who had been the reigning Ring Champion at 135 and The Ring's #2 at P4P, going in). So if Mosley had still retained his #1 ranking - as he rightfully should have, by The Ring's own standard of practice - then Mayweather should claim The Ring Championship at 147.
Add on the fact that Mayweather himself had been the previous Ring and Undisputed Champion at 147, who never actually lost his Championship in the ring - and who would still be the Champion today, but for the single fact that he formally announced his retirement - and there is even more established basis for this matchup to qualify as the Championship fight for the division.
It will be both the currently rightful #1 vs. the #3 - AND the preexisting, undefeated Champion vs. the current #1.
Therefore, consistent with these historically established Championship standards - this fight should have been fpr The Ring Championship. In any case, Mayweather is the most legitimate Champion in the 147 division.
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