Who Will Be Next In the IBF 140 Lb. Sweepstakes?

[JakeNDaBox]

I agree with this post 100%. As a champion, you are accepting the obligation to fight the #1 mandatory, and whether that guy sells tickets or not is irrelevant. When you dump that obligation in search of a payday, then you should be stripped of that title. And the IBF should be commended for that, not criticized. Otherwise, they would be just like the WBC, where as long as you are paying big sanctioning fees, you never get stripped even if you dont do a mando for 3 years.

What you say is true in theory, but the reasons for the belt moving around the way it has is absurd. Since Hatton first won a major belt at 140 (as well as the lineal title), his level of comp has been:
- Maussa in a unification match
- Collazo in a 147 lb title fight (forced to give up his 140 lb belts as a result)
- Urango, to reclaim his old title - only to be stripped two weeks later for not fighting N'Dou
- Castillo
- Mayweather
- Lazcano, the lone dunker on both ends (meaning on paper, and the end result) amongst the lot
- Malignaggi, for what was supposed to be a third shot at the same belt he never lost
- and now Pacquiao

The "title" bouts that have taken place in Hatton's absence:
- Urango-Ben Rabah
- N'Dou-Ben Rabah
- Malignaggi-N'Dou I
- Malignaggi-Ngoudjo
- Malignaggi-N'Dou II
and now Ngoudjo-Urango

Ngoudjo beat Randall Bailey (barely) in order to "earn" his title shot.

Urango's been ****ing the dog ever since he lost the belt to Hatton.

N'Dou beat a slew of clubfighters and never even won a sanctioned eliminator in becoming Hatton's mandatory. His lone win against a live body in his ENTIRE CAREER was against Ben Rabah.

Ben Rabah beat the mighty Arturo Morua to earn a shot at the vacant title against Urango. He earned a second shot (this one against N'Dou by LOSING that fight.

Yet these are the four guys that continue to remain in line for this title.

I'm sorry, but common sense has to eventually factor in somewhere along the way.

[TheSurgeonMDMPH]

What you say is true in theory, but the reasons for the belt moving around the way it has is absurd. Since Hatton first won a major belt at 140 (as well as the lineal title), his level of comp has been:
- Maussa in a unification match
- Collazo in a 147 lb title fight (forced to give up his 140 lb belts as a result)
- Urango, to reclaim his old title - only to be stripped two weeks later for not fighting N'Dou
- Castillo
- Mayweather
- Lazcano, the lone dunker on both ends (meaning on paper, and the end result) amongst the lot
- Malignaggi, for what was supposed to be a third shot at the same belt he never lost
- and now Pacquiao

The "title" bouts that have taken place in Hatton's absence:
- Urango-Ben Rabah
- N'Dou-Ben Rabah
- Malignaggi-N'Dou I
- Malignaggi-Ngoudjo
- Malignaggi-N'Dou II
and now Ngoudjo-Urango

Ngoudjo beat Randall Bailey (barely) in order to "earn" his title shot.

Urango's been ****ing the dog ever since he lost the belt to Hatton.

N'Dou beat a slew of clubfighters and never even won a sanctioned eliminator in becoming Hatton's mandatory. His lone win against a live body in his ENTIRE CAREER was against Ben Rabah.

Ben Rabah beat the mighty Arturo Morua to earn a shot at the vacant title against Urango. He earned a second shot (this one against N'Dou by LOSING that fight.

Yet these are the four guys that continue to remain in line for this title.

I'm sorry, but common sense has to eventually factor in somewhere along the way.

Like every other sanctioning organization the IBF has rules/criteria that they adhere to. When you start skewing the rules for the sake of cash, we have problems in the sport. If the popular fighters don't like the rules then seek other belts, simple fix! But proposing other wise is ridiculous.

[JakeNDaBox]

What are the IBF's rules in regards to earning a mandatory position?

I can understand Ngoudjo-Bailey; at least they're both ranked by the IBF.

How has Urango remained in the Top 3-5 for the past two years?

Who did N'Dou beat to earn a title shot against Ricky Hatton? One where Hatton was forced to vacate the belt just 16 days after winning it, no less.

Who did Ben Rabah beat to participate in two consecutive vacant title fights?

It's easy to say "The champion didn't fight the top contender, he should be stripped." Yet nobody can ever seem to follow the road map that lead to said fighter receiving that ranking to begin with.

[OnePunch]

What you say is true in theory, but the reasons for the belt moving around the way it has is absurd. Since Hatton first won a major belt at 140 (as well as the lineal title), his level of comp has been:
- Maussa in a unification match
- Collazo in a 147 lb title fight (forced to give up his 140 lb belts as a result)
- Urango, to reclaim his old title - only to be stripped two weeks later for not fighting N'Dou
- Castillo
- Mayweather
- Lazcano, the lone dunker on both ends (meaning on paper, and the end result) amongst the lot
- Malignaggi, for what was supposed to be a third shot at the same belt he never lost
- and now Pacquiao

The "title" bouts that have taken place in Hatton's absence:
- Urango-Ben Rabah
- N'Dou-Ben Rabah
- Malignaggi-N'Dou I
- Malignaggi-Ngoudjo
- Malignaggi-N'Dou II
and now Ngoudjo-Urango

Ngoudjo beat Randall Bailey (barely) in order to "earn" his title shot.

Urango's been ****ing the dog ever since he lost the belt to Hatton.

N'Dou beat a slew of clubfighters and never even won a sanctioned eliminator in becoming Hatton's mandatory. His lone win against a live body in his ENTIRE CAREER was against Ben Rabah.

Ben Rabah beat the mighty Arturo Morua to earn a shot at the vacant title against Urango. He earned a second shot (this one against N'Dou by LOSING that fight.

Yet these are the four guys that continue to remain in line for this title.

I'm sorry, but common sense has to eventually factor in somewhere along the way.

Jake,

you and I usually agree on most things, but you're just off base a little here. It certainly is no fault of the IBF that Hatton was division shopping (Collazo and Mayweather at 147). No champion should expect the division to come to a halt waiting on them to decide which friggin division they want to be in. (I.E. Pac STILL holding the WBC 135 title to this day). And when Hatton decided to stay at 140, he had a mando due. He decided against it, because the money wasnt enough for him. And thats his right, but when you make that decision, the consequence is losing the title. No different that if we had taken the rematch we were negotiating with Diaz (until they pulled out), instead of doing the Funeka mandatory defense, then Nate would have been stripped. And thats how it SHOULD be. Guys fight for those #1 spots in the IBF, and they earned their shots at the champ.

[OnePunch]

What are the IBF's rules in regards to earning a mandatory position?

I can understand Ngoudjo-Bailey; at least they're both ranked by the IBF.

How has Urango remained in the Top 3-5 for the past two years?

Who did N'Dou beat to earn a title shot against Ricky Hatton? One where Hatton was forced to vacate the belt just 16 days after winning it, no less.

Who did Ben Rabah beat to participate in two consecutive vacant title fights?

It's easy to say "The champion didn't fight the top contender, he should be stripped." Yet nobody can ever seem to follow the road map that lead to said fighter receiving that ranking to begin with.

#1 eliminators are decided by the top 2 available contenders facing each other. The IBF notifies the top 2 guys, and they either agree to negotiate, or they take a pass. If they agree to negotiate, but no deal is reached, it goes to purse bid. Sometimes what can hapen though is if say the top 2 or 3 guys are trying to get money fights somewhere else, they most likely will pass, and you might have a #6 fighting a #10 for a #1 eliminator. Again, no fault of the IBF if the ranked guys dont want to do an eliminator.

With the sole exception of the Judah thing where they let him keep the belt after losing to Baldomir (which was absurd), in my opinion the IBF has been the most consistent in applying the rules evenly across the board. They dont just ignore their rules because a nice sanctioning fee is available. and I think thats to be commended.

[steptwome]

#1 eliminators are decided by the top 2 available contenders facing each other. The IBF notifies the top 2 guys, and they either agree to negotiate, or they take a pass. If they agree to negotiate, but no deal is reached, it goes to purse bid. Sometimes what can hapen though is if say the top 2 or 3 guys are trying to get money fights somewhere else, they most likely will pass, and you might have a #6 fighting a #10 for a #1 eliminator. Again, no fault of the IBF if the ranked guys dont want to do an eliminator.

With the sole exception of the Judah thing where they let him keep the belt after losing to Baldomir (which was absurd), in my opinion the IBF has been the most consistent in applying the rules evenly across the board. They dont just ignore their rules because a nice sanctioning fee is available. and I think thats to be commended.

..................cosign

[JakeNDaBox]

My problem with those rules is that Urango will now participate in his second vacant title match without ever in his life having won an IBF-sanctioned elimination bout, for the #1 or the #2 ranking.

In fact between the four fighters I mentioned, they boast a grand total of TWO wins in elimination bouts - Ngjoudjo over Bailey and Ben Rabah over Arturo Morua (who is a contender ONLY in the alphabet sense).

Yet between the four, after Friday:
- Ngoudjo will have twice fought for the title, plus one eliminator.
- Ben Rabah has twice fought for the title
- N'Dou has twice fought for the title, as well as one unsuccessful defense
- Urango will have twice fought for the title, as well as one unsuccessful defense.

Eight title shots, out of two elimination wins, all in the past 2 1/2 years.

I see the consistency, but nothing in the way of anything commendable.

[OnePunch]

I see the consistency, but nothing in the way of anything commendable.

Well, then maybe they should just do like the WBC and give the belt to the most popular guy, and he never has to do any mandatories.

[JakeNDaBox]

Terry you keep cracking on the WBC, but have yet to answer any question regarding the four guys that remain the IBF carousel.

Right now, of the four I listed, their combined records in IBF-sanctioned 140 lb title fights and eliminators stands at 4-8.
Ngoudjo 1-1
Urango 1-1
Ben Rabah 1-2
N'Dou 1-4 (plus 0-1 at welterweight, "earning" that eliminator against Kermit by losing to Malignaggi).

Again I ask, how can you look at those stats and claim that any have EARNED their rankings? If they were beating stellar competition outside of those fights, I can see that. But again, grace their records and it's clearly not the case.

[Pullcounter]

wait a mthfkin minute, this is what they suppose to do! Fruk chasing big sanctioning fees! The best should be crowned the champion and defend against the best in order of their ranking not their fanbase! The IBF doesn't sellout and gets criticized, WTF. This is when you get those shady decisions and on the whim changes to written guidelines that favor the popular but not necessarily best champions. Good job IBF! Now go and seek some real talent to hold your belts! GTFO!

i respect the ibf more for respecting their own rules than making money off hatton.