Unbiased Rankings

[Ben Bolt]

Something bigger needs to happen than a bunch of boxing nerds sitting around deciding who's the 6th best junior featherweight. You need skin in the game to change things.

I don't quite get what your argumentation is about.
And what's your definition of a 'boxing nerd'?

[Humean]

The TBRB rating, if it continues to spread, will be hard to ignore for any promoter or TV company when launching a ‘world title’ fight. Viewers would know if they really are watching such one, or if it is merely an alphabet title bout.
And the board can raise its credibility if more journalists/experts are allowed to join its rating panel (à la The Ring’s ratings in the early 1980s).

What is the alternative? Well, we can go on like we do now, but then you have to accept that boxing with its countless ‘world champions’ will remain a laughing stock to the rest of the sports world.

It is easy for promoters and tv companies to ignore, the sanctioning bodies serve their purpose for the promoters and tv companies. Why do you think that four sanctioning bodies sanctioning four different versions of world championships has become the norm? There have been other sanctioning bodies, and there still are other ones floating about but these other ones gain little (IBO perhaps) to no credibility within the industry unlike these four. How do you explain that?

Professional boxing has always been a decentralized mess, but it continues to endure and only this year we had the most lucrative fight in history. Besides boxing is not the only sport where the best is unclear, who is the 'true' mens 400 metres champion? The 2012 Olympic champion? the 2013 World champion? the 2015 World champion? the man with the fastest time this year?

[Eff Pandas]

I don't quite get what your argumentation is about.
And what's your definition of a 'boxing nerd'?

My #1 point from post one was I just don't see how these rankings can make anything better or change anything like you seem to be claiming or suggesting. They are one of a dozen or more rankings that people pay attention to. Rankings have little influence.

And I thought my example defined a boxing nerd fairly well. Boxing Nerd: A guy arguing who's the 6th best junior featherweight.

[j0zef]

My #1 point from post one was I just don't see how these rankings can make anything better or change anything like you seem to be claiming or suggesting. They are one of a dozen or more rankings that people pay attention to. Rankings have little influence.

And I thought my example defined a boxing nerd fairly well. Boxing Nerd: A guy arguing who's the 6th best junior featherweight.

TBRB rankings are less prone to be influenced by a promoter, organization or nationality. Yes, they are all subjective because the whole idea of p4p is subjective, but you eliminate majority of the bias.

For example-
"Ofcourse The Ring ranks Canelo highly, they're owned by Golden Boy, ffs biased pricks".
"WBC will let any Mexican fighters do whatever they want bc WBC is based in Mexico"

[Eff Pandas]

TBRB rankings are less prone to be influenced by a promoter, organization or nationality. Yes, they are all subjective because the whole idea of p4p is subjective, but you eliminate majority of the bias.

For example-
"Ofcourse The Ring ranks Canelo highly, they're owned by Golden Boy, ffs biased pricks".
"WBC will let any Mexican fighters do whatever they want bc WBC is based in Mexico"

Well sure there can always be less or more prone to influence rankings I wouldn't disagree with that (& almost all of the widely quoted ones are better than the alphabet group ones), I just don't see any reason to accept this group is the least prone to influence or "the best" rankings. There are like 5 oil changing businesses claiming the quickest service in my area. Seen two signs yesterday at pawn shops in my town saying "the best prices in town" on them. Its easy to claim things.

[Ben Bolt]

If WBC & Co. had ruled yesterday, we would have missed for ex. Dempsey vs Firpo or Louis vs. Schmeling. Because they have had held different versions of ‘world titles’, so no reason for them to clash.

When will I ever learn? It’s absolutely meaningless to take this discussion with the younger generation, ‘cause they are happily satisfied with 60+ world champions. Though there are only 17 weight divisions. 250 years of boxing history, mostly with ONE defined champ/division, is thrown out of the window.

Which is the reason why boxing – not long ago the #1 gladiator sport – hardly ain’t of interest anymore for sports people except for its decreasing followers.

Last year Bernard Hopkins said ‘boxing fans want one champ per division´.
He was wrong. Today’s fans don’t.

[Ben Bolt]

TBRB wants the best to be named World Champion.
It doesn't demand anything in return. It’s about sportsmanship.
The Ring wants the best to be named World Champion.
It doesn't demand anything in return. It’s about sportsmanship.

WBC demands money from the boxer before naming him a ´world champ´.
It’s not about sportsmanship.
WBA demands money from the boxer before naming him a ´world champ´.
It’s not about sportsmanship.
IBF demands money from the boxer before naming him a ´world champ´.
It’s not about sportsmanship.
WBO demands money from the boxer before naming him a ´world champ´.
It’s not about sportsmanship.

What’s wrong with you, who either support, or can’t see, the devastating influence the corrupt alphabet orgs have on the sport?

[Eff Pandas]

If WBC & Co. had ruled yesterday, we would have missed for ex. Dempsey vs Firpo or Louis vs. Schmeling. Because they have had held different versions of ‘world titles’, so no reason for them to clash.

When will I ever learn? It’s absolutely meaningless to take this discussion with the younger generation, ‘cause they are happily satisfied with 60+ world champions. Though there are only 17 weight divisions. 250 years of boxing history, mostly with ONE defined champ/division, is thrown out of the window.

Which is the reason why boxing – not long ago the #1 gladiator sport – hardly ain’t of interest anymore for sports people except for its decreasing followers.

Last year Bernard Hopkins said ‘boxing fans want one champ per division´.
He was wrong. Today’s fans don’t.

I'm actually in agreement with you that I wanna see 1 world champion. 4 "world" champions is complete bs without question. I just got a problem with a bunch of boxing nerds with no skin in the game being in charge of it with the current environment we're in. I think you need more structural changes in the sport & not just being one of a dozen or whatever respected rankings in the business to get to 1 champion.

Boxing needs for PBC to succeed or some group that learns from PBC's mistakes that'll create an elite boxing league where all the top guys have lil to no factors in preventing fights (like networks, promoters, alphabet groups, even PED testing groups these days or other nonsense stopping them from fighting) & then Haymon or the next guy who does some Haymon-like **** can hire a bunch of boxing nerds to come up with "the" rankings or something like that. Until you can make all the best fighters fight rankings mean nothing towards getting 1 champion. The problem is bigger than can be solved by ANOTHER group making MORE rankings.

[Ben Bolt]

When I joined boxing in the 1970s, it was only WBA and WBC, and despite what they claimed, it was always obvious who the real champ was.

It seems to me that today the boxing orgs have grown to strong, and gained too much acceptance, for anything to change now.

Which has had me, and so many others, to pay less attention to the sport.
But like you, Eff Pandas, I would certainly welcome “more structural changes in the sport".

[Scott9945]

I'm actually in agreement with you that I wanna see 1 world champion. 4 "world" champions is complete bs without question. I just got a problem with a bunch of boxing nerds with no skin in the game being in charge of it with the current environment we're in. I think you need more structural changes in the sport & not just being one of a dozen or whatever respected rankings in the business to get to 1 champion.

I like outsiders making ratings. Boxing insiders have loyalties, hold grudges, owe favors, and need favors. Using reputable writers, bloggers, etc. prevents (or at least reduces) this.