Winning a legitimate world title is harder than to keep it

"Winning a legitimate world title is harder than to keep it" Critically analyse the above statement. On the one hand you can argue that it's difficult to get yourself in the position to fight for a legitimate world title but on the other hand you may argue that vacant titles make it easier to gain before fighting the guys who are really the top few in each and every division. I've just started to think about this question since the Bellew fight where he kept saying that his experience of winning a World Title will be the difference in fighting Haye where he thinks he'll win. However I started to question this because surely he hasn't even fought the main guys despite winning the title outright. Every boxer dreams of being a World Champion but is it safe to assume that once one belt is won, they lack the desire to fight better opposition in fear of losing it?

Comments (19)

soul_survivor

For me Trout and Vanes put him as number one wow You have a very low standard for what a genuine world champion should be.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

Lara has barely gotten past mediocre opposition and has lost all his biggest fights. Apart from Trout that is. The guy is far from number one. He isn't a bad fighter but 154 right now has a lot of good/very good fighters. Lara is one of them but no clear number one and certainly no one who has accomplished enough to be labeled champion. For me Trout and Vanes put him as number one

9y ago

soul_survivor

Wins ,and something that NSB loves "skills" ,"cuse its not about resume doe" not like his resume is bad ,who in 154 have better ? or is more skilled? nobody its like sayin that Loma is not the best in 130 Lara has barely gotten past mediocre opposition and has lost all his biggest fights. Apart from Trout that is. The guy is far from number one. He isn't a bad fighter but 154 right now has a lot of good/very good fighters. Lara is one of them but no clear number one and certainly no one who has accomplished enough to be labeled champion.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

LOL in what way? Wins ,and something that NSB loves "skills" ,"cuse its not about resume doe" not like his resume is bad ,who in 154 have better ? or is more skilled? nobody its like sayin that Loma is not the best in 130

9y ago

soul_survivor

No one is more legit then Lara in 154 doe LOL in what way?

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

Gonzalez .... maybe, he needs o beat Cuadras in a rematch. Those guys are joint kings of their division. Lara noway man thats a joke. Usyk needs to unify. No one is more legit then Lara in 154 doe

9y ago

soul_survivor

Gonzales ,Usyk and Lara are legit ,Lara after Canelo moved up Gonzalez .... maybe, he needs o beat Cuadras in a rematch. Those guys are joint kings of their division. Lara noway man thats a joke. Usyk needs to unify.

9y ago

boliodogs

In the good old days champions almost always defended their titles against real top 10 contenders. Today champions like Wilder defend their titles against unknown guys who boxrec ranks between 20th and 50th. So until the organization you are champion of orders you to fight somebody good it's usually harder to win a world title than to keep that title if you are a cherry picker. If you are a good champion who fights the best available challengers then it's often harder to keep the title than to win it. An example of a good champion is Thurman. He just barely beat top contender Porter. Now in his very next fight he puts his title at serious risk again by fighting the very dangerous champion Garcia. So my answer to your question is it all depends on circumstances and the kind of champion a boxer is.

9y ago

Zaryu

I don't know, you're talking about winning a legitimate title vs defending a legitimate title, which could potentially be a comparison of 1fight vs 3, 5, 8, etc. It's all situational, which is why in my opinion, not all vacant titles equal a paper champion.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

I'm curious, how many legit champions are there? I'd say winner of AJ/Wlad at heavy Kovalev and Stevenson at light heavy GGG at middle TC at 140 (although he either needs to move up or fight a better fighter than the molina types for him to have that recognition in my books) Linares at 135 erm...maybe a couple others elsewhere? Thats 6, maybe 7 names max out of a possible 17 weight divisions, each with anywhere between 4-6 world "champions". That's quite sad. Gonzales ,Usyk and Lara are legit ,Lara after Canelo moved up

9y ago

soul_survivor

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

thus proving the WBO is not a legitimate world championship . . . Its not like WBC or WBA belts wasnt held by weak Champs

9y ago

Randall_Cunning

Think it was $2 million

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

do we know how much he got? canelo doesn't like to pay opponetns we know that. if smith had confidence in his bum beating ability he could have racked up that easy money and sold it later down the line. boxing is like stocks. you gotta sell at the right time. he migth have sold too early. I cant find any info

9y ago

daggum

nah,he wouldnt made this type of money doing 6 or 7 easy defenses vs hunagary bums ,he sold belt well IMO do we know how much he got? canelo doesn't like to pay opponetns we know that. if smith had confidence in his bum beating ability he could have racked up that easy money and sold it later down the line. boxing is like stocks. you gotta sell at the right time. he migth have sold too early.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

but he couldn't keep it. he would have kept it if he didnt fight canelo so that was a mistake. this should teach all fighters not to reach for the stars. reach for that easy money. nah,he wouldnt made this type of money doing 6 or 7 easy defenses vs hunagary bums ,he sold belt well IMO

9y ago

daggum

Its quite obv,we dont need analyse it ,when Liam Smith can get title but he couldn't keep it. he would have kept it if he didnt fight canelo so that was a mistake. this should teach all fighters not to reach for the stars. reach for that easy money.

9y ago

Canelo_and_GGG

Its quite obv,we dont need analyse it ,when Liam Smith can get title

9y ago

Randall_Cunning

Pretty much just described a Paper Champion

9y ago