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By Brent Matteo Alderson - There have been more than a couple of writers who have stated that Roy Jones Jr. ducked Joe Calzaghe in the late nineties after Joe won the vacant 168-pound WBO title with a win over the dangerous yet ring-worn Chris Eubank. That statement is completely false and an inaccurate portrayal of contemporary boxing history. Circa 1997 the WBO didn’t have the credibility that it does today and their title was seen as a marginalized championship throughout the industry.
Ring Magazine, which prior to the internet age was the sport’s most influential media vehicle, never recognized the WBO title and with the exception of a few established stars such as Naseem Hamed, Johnny Tapia, and Oscar De La Hoya in the early stages of his career, the quality of their champions were generally of a lower pedigree and commanded less respect and generally substantially smaller pay days.
And a lot of fighters like De La Hoya used the WBO championship as a kind of minor league championship that helped prepare them for the next level. A few fighters like Hamed, Barrera, and Tapia were loyal to the WBO because it catered to their whims because the organization was trying to establish itself and needed their notoriety. [details]
Ring Magazine, which prior to the internet age was the sport’s most influential media vehicle, never recognized the WBO title and with the exception of a few established stars such as Naseem Hamed, Johnny Tapia, and Oscar De La Hoya in the early stages of his career, the quality of their champions were generally of a lower pedigree and commanded less respect and generally substantially smaller pay days.
And a lot of fighters like De La Hoya used the WBO championship as a kind of minor league championship that helped prepare them for the next level. A few fighters like Hamed, Barrera, and Tapia were loyal to the WBO because it catered to their whims because the organization was trying to establish itself and needed their notoriety. [details]
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