Legitimate World Champions

This is a good resource on the boxing lineages. They don't regard Floyd as the lineal champ at 147 but do recognise him as the lineal champ at 154. http://www.arcaneknowledge.org/sports/boxchamps.htm Also, a good critique of the lineal system here that everyone who wants to talk about them should read - http://www.arcaneknowledge.org/sports/linealprob.htm

you are the one who is being silly. becoming lineal champion is the opposite of taking "the path of least resistance", its beating the man. you can pick up a vacant alphabet title against a fighter who isnt even a top 5 fighter, you cant do that with a lineal title. to be lineal champion you have to beat the man who beat the man, thats usually going to be the best fighter in the division and always at least one of the best. its never easy. on rare instances a lineal champion denies the logical contender a shot at that crown, but thats rare. even so thats holding onto it, not winning it. holding onto a lineal title can admittedly be easier than it should, but winning it? gtfo.. floyd has fought at 154 too btw. That not always true, So Floyd regains his Lineal status by beating Mosley but in 2010 everyone knows Pac was the best opponent, and in 2006 there's no way Baldomir was the best at 147 he got real lucky and Floyd took advantage of that.

In your eyes who is champ @ 147,154? Floyd did beat the number one guy at both weights doe 147 is undecided till May 2nd. Canelo was never the guy at 154 in my opinion, he was built up to be the guy, his best win before Floyd was Trout and he won the title against a man who wasn't even a 154 pounder. Post Floyd, Canelo has really gone on to prove himself but the division is wide open. Canelo needs to fight the likes of Charlo and Cotto (if he comes back down) to solidify his place as the top dog at 154 and if Floyd throws himself in that mix and wins then he gets the accolades. You can't be a top guy in 2 divisions but fighting once in that division in 2 years and fighting c level sluggers in the other division. Actually I retract my original statement, Pacquiao is the champ at 147, his win over Bradley was against a better opponent than Mayweather has had in YEARS.

One weight class, one world champion. The two ranking lists worth paying attention to, The Ring’s and Transnational Boxing’s respectively, don’t differ that much when it comes to world champion recognition. The Ring/Transnational Boxing champs Heavyweight: WLAD KLITSCHKO/WLAD KLITSCHKO Cruiser: YOAN PABLO HERNANDEZ/Vacant Lt. heavy: ADONIS STEVENSON/ADONIS STEVENSON Super middle: Vacant/ANDRE WARD Middle: MIGUEL COTTO/MIGUEL COTTO Jr. middle: FLOYD MAYWEATHER/FLOYD MAYWEATHER Welter: FLOYD MAYWEATHER/Vacant Jr. welter: DANNY GARCIA/DANNY GARCIA Lightweight: TERENCE CRAWFORD/TERENCE CRAWFORD Jr. light: Vacant/Vacant Feather: Vacant/Vacant Jr. feather: GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX/GUILLERMO RIGONDEAUX Bantam: Vacant/Vacant Jr. bantam: Vacant/Vacant Fly: ROMAN GONZALEZ/ROMAN GONZALEZ Jr. Fly: DONNIE NIETES/Vacant Strawweight: Vacant/Vacant I agree with Wlad, Ward, Mayweather at welterweight, Garcia, Crawford, and Rigondeaux of the divisions I know enough to comment on. Don't agree about light heavyweight, middleweight, or Mayweather at super welterweight.

How is Stevenson ranked higher than Kovalev? How is the inactive Ward rated the SMW champ? It's all subjective. Stevenson won the ring and lineal title when he KO'd Dawson. KOv has unified the belts from Bhop and Pascal but he isn't the lineal champ but the #1 contender to the lineal title.

Martinez was "the man" but most of the occasional gym visitors on this forum would have beat him that night, he could barely move his legs, and Cotto himself has been pretty clear about having no intention to fight top MWs. Adonis is lineal but ducked Kovalev/Pascal/Hopkins to hang onto it, so nobody cares until he fights the "reality" champion. Floyd is definitely the best fighter at 147 but he is not active at 154 by the same standards which would be applied to any other fighter. Swooping in on an opportunistic lineal belt then storing it in a buried chest does not = best fighter in that division. It's barely more meaningful than IBF/WBO/etc. Just politics and money really.

It's not a "best fighter in each division" list, it's a champion list. So yes Stevenson & Cotto are the lineral champions even if they took the path of least resistance to get there and Floyd is lineal at 154 despite never fighting at 154 lbs. It's why lineal titles are just as silly as alphabet belts. you are the one who is being silly. becoming lineal champion is the opposite of taking "the path of least resistance", its beating the man. you can pick up a vacant alphabet title against a fighter who isnt even a top 5 fighter, you cant do that with a lineal title. to be lineal champion you have to beat the man who beat the man, thats usually going to be the best fighter in the division and always at least one of the best. its never easy. on rare instances a lineal champion denies the logical contender a shot at that crown, but thats rare. even so thats holding onto it, not winning it. holding onto a lineal title can admittedly be easier than it should, but winning it? gtfo.. floyd has fought at 154 too btw.

It's not a "best fighter in each division" list, it's a champion list. So yes Stevenson & Cotto are the lineral champions even if they took the path of least resistance to get there and Floyd is lineal at 154 despite never fighting at 154 lbs. It's why lineal titles are just as silly as alphabet belts.

How is Stevenson ranked higher than Kovalev? The Ring and TBRB might agree with you that Kovalev is the better boxer (ex. The Ring picked him as Fighter of the Year), but what it’s all about is, that a title should be won by defeating the reigning champ between the ropes. As Stevenson has the strongest claim to the title, it’s up to Kovalev to challenge him.

there goes the legitimate world champion thread. ended up on the first page

Ward and Hernandez shouldn't be regarded as champs, Stevenson is a decent choice, Mayweather at 154 is a joke...Mayweather at 147 is even worse lol Crawford at LW is understandable as is DG at 140. In your eyes who is champ @ 147,154? Floyd did beat the number one guy at both weights doe

Ward and Hernandez shouldn't be regarded as champs, Stevenson is a decent choice, Mayweather at 154 is a joke...Mayweather at 147 is even worse lol Crawford at LW is understandable as is DG at 140.

For me the Real champ in each class is Klitschko Hernandez Kovalev Vacant Golovkin Mayweather Mayweather Garcia Crawford Vacant Vacant Rigondeaux Kameda Inoue(until Gonzalez beats his ass) Gonzalez Nietes Vacant

How is Stevenson ranked higher than Kovalev? How is the inactive Ward rated the SMW champ? It's all subjective.