How long at the top?

[LacedUp]

How long did Joe Louis defend his title?

11 years I believe..

[Weltschmerz]

It's more like the last half of the major 3.5,

Regardless, Wlad made that belt at heavyweight, it wasn't regarded more than what the IBO is today, which is a non-belt really. Wlad wasn't considered a heavyweight champion back when he won it because the guys who had been fighting for it were guys like Tommy Morrison and Herbie Hide - In other words the B and C level fighters of the heavyweight division.

I'm sure nobody in their right mind would call Herbie Hide, "the former heavyweight champ of the world".

But that is just my opinion, others are welcome to disagree.

So you are saying Haye was more of a heavyweight champion when he beat Valuev?

[BattlingNelson]

I feel 'title' is a legit world title, but yes, that is my opinion.

Otherwise we can add all of the NYSAC/NBAW as well as IBA/IBO/WBU and whatever else they are called to it as well, which would make the significance of the question lose it's meaning.

But I guess only OP can explain his criteria? 'titles' I suppose can be all titles.

True. Regional belts is also technically 'title-fights'. The thing is that Wlad went on to become a dominant fighter just like the fighter referred to in the OP.

[LacedUp]

So you are saying Haye was more of a heavyweight champion when he beat Valuev?

Than what Wlad was when he beat Byrd? Yes absolutely.

But neither were 'the' champion. I know the circumstances of how Valuev got his title, which weren't pretty, but at the time of the fight there were multiple world champions, not one definitive world champion like there was when Wlad fought Byrd.

I regard Haye more of a world champion then, than I regard Stiverne now for example, because there clearly is one undisputed champion now.

[LacedUp]

True. Regional belts is also technically 'title-fights'. The thing is that Wlad went on to become a dominant fighter just like the fighter referred to in the OP.

He did, but I still feel he won his first legit title in 2006 with the second Byrd fight.

[BattlingNelson]

It's more like the last half of the major 3.5,

Regardless, Wlad made that belt at heavyweight, it wasn't regarded more than what the IBO is today, which is a non-belt really. Wlad wasn't considered a heavyweight champion back when he won it because the guys who had been fighting for it were guys like Tommy Morrison and Herbie Hide - In other words the B and C level fighters of the heavyweight division.

I'm sure nobody in their right mind would call Herbie Hide, "the former heavyweight champ of the world".

But that is just my opinion, others are welcome to disagree.

What is your take on De La Hoya then?

[BattlingNelson]

He did, but I still feel he won his first legit title in 2006 with the second Byrd fight.

What criteria makes you arrive at that conclusion?

[LacedUp]

What is your take on De La Hoya then?

In regards to what?

What criteria makes you arrive at that conclusion?

That the WBO heavyweight belt was a belt fought for by guys outside the top 10 and often 15. It wasn't recognized really, first because it's a relatively new belt in the grand scheme of things and because when the good guys fought for it they would give it up immediately.

That's not a real belt to me (then). Also, the other belts didn't start recognizing the WBO belt and it's rankings before mid 2000s as well as the Ring Magazine didn't acknowledge it.

So if all those guys didn't acknowledge it, then neither will I.

But Wlad has made the belt mean something now at heavyweight, which means, that if someone should win it in the future it has the history of a long long reign with Klitschko to fall back on, which in my eyes makes a belt. It's like the WBO belt at WW - it's made by Cotto and Pacquiao because everyone just gave it up before that. This also applies to DLH, which I'm sure you're referring to his reign at LW, right?

It's like with Gert Bo Jacobsen - Danish boxing fans like to refer to him as a former world champion, but outside of Denmark he was just a WBO WW belt holder.

[Ray Corso]

Sugar Ray Robinson fought champs and contenders for 25 years!!!!
From 1940 to 1965 was his career span and from 40 to 51 ran off 91 wins in a row!

p4p the best was invented to describe him, that's how great he was!

[wmute]

James Toney I believe. Evander Holyfield, maybe Thomas Hearns.

just checked all 3. none of them actually.