Being really picky you could argue that Erdei isn't lineal champ because...

[warp1432]

Going back all the to 1996, Roy Jones beat Mike McCallum a day before Henry Maske and Virgil Hill unified. You could argue since Roy Jones entered the Light Heavyweight division a day before with a win over McCallum and he was P4P #1 or #2, that he Maske vs Hill was not for the title since the number #1 or #2 contender ranked at Light Heavyweight was Jones, therefore making Maske vs Hill's fight not to be a new lineal champ.

To think if Jones vs McCallum would have been a ****ing week earlier, Zsolt Erdei wouldn't be lineal champ....Joe Calzaghe would. (Because 1 vs 2 Tarver/Johnson squared off)

[Silencers]

Was Jones officially ranked number 1 or 2 when he moved up?

[warp1432]

Was Jones officially ranked number 1 or 2 when he moved up?

He was 2. Infact, Henry Maske wasn't even ranked in the top 10 at the end of 1996, but that's because he announced retirement before hand. Still, you could argue it I guess. It'd be a lot clearer if Jones-McCallum was a week before. Though, Jones would have still made his debut at 2 because of his impressive win. Hill had done more work prior so he was ranked one.

http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.ph...yweight--1990s

[Dice]

I forgot Erdei was alive

[Silencers]

He was 2. Infact, Henry Maske wasn't even ranked in the top 10 at the end of 1996, but that's because he announced retirement before hand. Still, you could argue it I guess. It'd be a lot clearer if Jones-McCallum was a week before. Though, Jones would have still made his debut at 2 because of his impressive win. Hill had done more work prior so he was ranked one.

http://www.boxrec.com/media/index.ph...yweight--1990s

That was the rankings at the end of 1996 though, was Jones ranked 2 at the time Maske and Hill fought?

[Miburo]

The concept of a true "lineal" champion is somewhat ridiculous when the line has been irrevocably broken (i.e. Michael Spinks retiring). Jones proved himself the best at the division, grabbing three belts in the process - that should be good enough in most cases.