Time to dump the belts and switch to rings.

[Willie Pep 229]

Exchanging the ring!? Listen if I am exchanging rings with someone... they better love me madly, be a madona in public and whore in the bedroom...

Which madona. . . Madonna or Maid Maryam?

[billeau2]

Wasn't the first belt (modern era) made for Sullivan by the people of Boston. I don't think Sullivan ever gave that belt up.

I don't know... Some of you guys are crackerjack on these historical truths. I do know that belts in martial arts are a modern (Budo) invention. They are a way to differentiate levels.

[Nash out]

Exchanging the ring!? Listen if I am exchanging rings with someone... they better love me madly, be a madona in public and whore in the bedroom...

Not, not exchanging rings, but top champions getting a ring of their own at a later date. Nash out.

[GhostofDempsey]

I would prefer they keep the belts, but make them less gaudy and cheap looking. Even the WWE has a nicer belt.

[Marchegiano]

Wasn't the first belt (modern era) made for Sullivan by the people of Boston. I don't think Sullivan ever gave that belt up.

Nope, by then the tradition of handing over the belt was lost. It's been a symbolic handover since I think around the 1830s with the actual belt ,to my knowledge, last being William Thompson's. I didn't find any info, yet, on what Bendigo did with it but I know he was given Jem Ward's belt. Prior, there are a few champions who are recognized between Ward and Thompson but none of them were ever actually given the belt.

By Sullivan's time he had multiple belts made for him. One of them, at least one, is in a museum, I forget which. If you look at it you'll see some diamonds missing. That's cause sully used to pawn them.

[Willie Pep 229]

Nope, by then the tradition of handing over the belt was lost. It's been a symbolic handover since I think around the 1830s with the actual belt ,to my knowledge, last being William Thompson's. I didn't find any info, yet, on what Bendigo did with it but I know he was given Jem Ward's belt. Prior, there are a few champions who are recognized between Ward and Thompson but none of them were ever actually given the belt.

By Sullivan's time he had multiple belts made for him. One of them, at least one, is in a museum, I forget which. If you look at it you'll see some diamonds missing. That's cause sully used to pawn them.

LOL I put (modern era) in brackets hoping I would avoid you taking the argument pre-Sullivan . . . But alast it didn't work

[EDIT] We agree by the time of Sullivan fighters were keeping their belts as one did a trophy. Sullivan never gave his diamond belt to Corbett and so on down the line.

But thanks for the early history as, I now know that too.

[Marchegiano]

LOL I put (modern era) in brackets hoping I would avoid you taking the argument pre-Sullivan . . . But alast it didn't work

[EDIT] We agree by the time of Sullivan fighters were keeping their belts as one did a trophy. Sullivan never gave his diamond belt to Corbett and so on down the line.

But thanks for the early history as, I now know that too.

My bad, I took it as pertains to the first modern belt, not limited to.

Yeah all I'm saying is by the time Sullivan had a belt boxing was already used to and expected that specific belt to always be his.

That said If we cheat "champion" just a bit, I believe Corbett gave his belt to Maher actually. When I get a bit of time I'll try to find something on it, but I'm pretty sure when Maher won Corbett's vacant title Corbett handed Maher his belt.

[Marchegiano]

Sullivan was such a huge force in boxing even his competition got belts

I didn't realize this existed:
2A9C900C00000578-0-image-m-71_1437134169788.jpg

Probably time for me to do another deep dive on Sullivan anyway. Honestly not really looked at that era at all since 2016 and Sullivan specifically since maybe 2010. I'm sure there's loads of stuff that's now surface information that I don't know. Like this belt, very first search and I was looking for Sullivan. This is easy to find, which means I got tons I've been missing.

[The Old LefHook]

I am all for championship toupees. Eventually they will be useful.

[Willie Pep 229]

My bad, I took it as pertains to the first modern belt, not limited to.

Yeah all I'm saying is by the time Sullivan had a belt boxing was already used to and expected that specific belt to always be his.

That said If we cheat "champion" just a bit, I believe Corbett gave his belt to Maher actually. When I get a bit of time I'll try to find something on it, but I'm pretty sure when Maher won Corbett's vacant title Corbett handed Maher his belt.

That interesting about Corbett I'll look as well. That put double egg on Corbett's face when Fitz mug. Maher.