i kept hearing from HBO on what a joke the WBO is. im torn between considering it a real sanctioning body (if any are real) or is it like the IBO, IBC, NABF, WBU, and other nameless organizations?
Calzaghe has never been RING mag champion by the way, the title has been vacant for 5 years. Calzaghe is rated number one by RING, but the title is still vacant, he's not been RING champ. But he's quite obviously the best SMW in the world and has beaten five former world champions (two of which held the WBC, one of which held the WBA, one of which held the IBF, and the other held the WBO), just like Eubank did.. Eubank beat fighters who were former world champions of all four versions, infact he beat the IBF champ Lindell Holmes but Holmes' title wasn't on the line only Eubank's, and he beat WBC champ Benn but was robbed when it was a scored a draw. Sorry, I always find a way to throw Eubank's name in, I'm obsessed :)
It really gets sticky in some of the lower weight classes, but the is only ONE title worth having. LINEAR. Being the man that beat the man. The rest is just bullshit and politics. WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO etc. could all name me as champion. SO WHAT? I never beat anybody. It doesn't amount to a pints worth of warm piss. Too many different belts and too many weight classes. All it does is dilute the sport and cause confusion and apathy. Two things this sport definetly doesn't need.
When the RING magazine Super-Middleweight title was vacant in 1991, the winner of the Eubank-Watson clash (a classic) for the vacant WBO Super-Middleweight title was going to get the RING title too. And they did, Eubank held the RING title in 91 and 92, and he 'only' held the WBO belt. Previous to that, Tommy Hearns was the RING champ at 168 and he 'only' held the WBO belt at 168 (before vacating it).
Freitas was a fraud. Most of us realize that now. Calzaghe is a fraud as well. We'll let Lacy handle that exposure. :D
Freitas is a fraud yet he was the long reigning Ring Magazine Champ. And Calazaghe is a fraud yet he is the long reigning Ring Magazine Champ. I think you need to reconsider your assesments.
Also Judah holds the WBA WBC and IBF but if Margarito fought Judah I for one would pick Margarito to win and I know alot of other people would as well.
MOST THE FIGHTERS IN THAT GRAPHIC BY ELVEIL DON'T DESERVE TITLE BELTS. Wow, you got Hopkins and Corrales on there, but they both happen to hold more than the WBO in their respective weight classes. JOE CALZAGHE HAS THE WBO BELT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! The WBO is not legit!!!!!!
You are seriously seriously f***ing stupid and you did not read my last post. You say Calzaghe sucks, but he is the long reigning Ring Magazine champ. Just like Freitas was the WBO and long reinging Ring Magazine Champ.
MOST THE FIGHTERS IN THAT GRAPHIC BY ELVEIL DON'T DESERVE TITLE BELTS. Wow, you got Hopkins and Corrales on there, but they both happen to hold more than the WBO in their respective weight classes. JOE CALZAGHE HAS THE WBO BELT FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! The WBO is not legit!!!!!!
He held the WBO Lightweight because that's the one Freitas held! Freitas and Castillo were the most dangerous Lightweights at the time Corrales moved up, and Corrales WON this title in his debut at the new weight class. You think he was gonna fight Castillo FIRST? No, sir. That's not the kinda fight you get a feel for your weight in. The belt meant nothing, it was the win over a name like Freitas (who was undefeated at the time), that made him take the fight. Names mean more than belts, buddy.
You also gotta consider the fact that Wladimir Klitschko held the WBO Heavyweight title, so if you consider the WBO legit, that makes Wlad a former heavyweight champion! LOL!
Wasn't Freitas Ring Magazine champ before he lost to Corrales. I think he was.
another example
Joe Calzaghe only holds the WBO belt but he is also Ring Magazine champ and there is a few more instances of that.
He held the WBO Lightweight because that's the one Freitas held! Freitas and Castillo were the most dangerous Lightweights at the time Corrales moved up, and Corrales WON this title in his debut at the new weight class. You think he was gonna fight Castillo FIRST? No, sir. That's not the kinda fight you get a feel for your weight in. The belt meant nothing, it was the win over a name like Freitas (who was undefeated at the time), that made him take the fight. Names mean more than belts, buddy.
You also gotta consider the fact that Wladimir Klitschko held the WBO Heavyweight title, so if you consider the WBO legit, that makes Wlad a former heavyweight champion! LOL!
LOL!!!! WHAT
What belt did the guy in your avatar hold even before fighting Castillo? Figure that one out and then get back to me on the relationship between ring magazine champs and WBO champs. That one might be a little bit more difficult for you though. Then refer to the graphic posted by Elveil on page 1 of thread when your done with all of this.
I gotcha, but I'd put IBF as the #2 belt right now, WBA is the oldest, but c'mon, BRUCE SELDON? JOHN RUIZ? These guys make Frans Botha look Like Joe Louis
Exactly my point. All of the federations have had supposedly 'poor' champions, not just WBO (infact, WBO have probably had fewest 'poor' champions since it was created).
Exactly my point, WBA is generally regarded as the 'second best' to WBC.
I gotcha, but I'd put IBF as the #2 belt right now, WBA is the oldest, but c'mon, BRUCE SELDON? JOHN RUIZ? These guys make Frans Botha look Like Joe Louis
coughcoughbruceseldoncoughcough
he was WBA champ homeboy, which BTW i rank the #3 belt behind the WBC & IBF, although we really should just look at the RING's rankings, they ain't perfect but they're the closest thing to it
I consider the WBO a 1/2 title, when my non-boxing-fan buddies ask me how many champions there are, I tell them there's 3 1/2 in each division....I think the WBO's decisions involving Naseem Hamed really illegitimized their claim as a world championship, The Prince was allowed to duck & dodge JM Marquez for well over 2 1/2 years when he was ranked #1....plus, I would have to say that the heavyweight champ of the sanctioning body, for better or worse, represents what the SB is all about, and in the 90's we had Mercer, Morrison, Akinwande, Damiani, and a few other B-list fighters who held that title, which really hurts their claim as being a true world championship