Crowning And Recognizing A Lineal Champion – Part I

[BattlingNelson]

I agree in a general sence with every weight ranking by ring, I cannot find a single glaring error or abnormality in the top 3-4 ranking at any weight in the ring rankings.

Certainly at LHW Ring >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Linear.

Ring is also more reactive to fighters fading or ducking and reflecting ranking accordingly.

No question that the ring's rankings are one of the better independent sources. It's just that one shouldn't assume that the ring's champions is the linear champion.

Regarding Erdei I obviously agree that's he is not the best LHW around, but had the ring initially installed him as their champion, he might have had better opportunities for fighting the top guys given the recognition a ring magazine champion gets.

[Pullcounter]

Good article but I think Michalczewski's resume is better than given credit for in this article, it is by no means the best resume but it wasn't that bad and is pretty solid. And I agree, like it or not, Erdei is the the lineal champion.

i also agree that erdei is the lineal champ, but since he refuses to up his competition or come to the US and fight, he deserves to be ignored like Michalczewski

[Dave Rado]

And having Erdei as lineal champion for the last 10 years when frankly he's not even close to top 5 and never has been isn't flawed?

lets put it this way.

i've looked and can't find a glaring abnormality in the Ring rankings, you have a look and tell me what is massivly wrong in the top 5 of any weight.

http://www.ringtv.com/ratings/

The Ring made a big thing once of having Michael Spinks as their Heavyweight champion rather than Tyson, even though Spinks was avoiding Tyson, because Spinks had beaten the man who beat the man. That eventually put enough pressure on both fighters - and created enough public demand - to make the Spinks-Tyson fight happen.

If The Ring had had the integrity to acknowledge that Michalczewski was the lineal champion, the demand for the fight to happen would have been there and Jones would probably have fought him. And if Erdei had been acknowledged as the lineal champion, the demand would probably have been there for Jones, Tarver or Hopkins to have fought him.

BTW, there is a glaring anomaly in the current rankings. Paul Williams has not left Welterweight, any more than Pacquiao has left Lightweight (in fact much less so, because Pacquiao has not made it clear that he'll ever fight at Lightweight again if offered an opportunity, whereas Williams has made it abundantly clear that he'll take a fight against any of the top Welters the moment one of them agrees to fight him, and he called out Mosley only last week, and was met with a deafening silence). So for The Ring, to continue to rate Pac at Lightweight while refusing to rate Williams at Welter is a serious anomaly, and a criminal one, because it means a new Ring champ could be crowned at Welter without that person having to fight Williams. Given they rated Williams at #2 only 6 months ago, that smells.

[Pullcounter]

i dont see erdei ever coming to fight in the US or making competitive fights. he's making too much money in germany... he's got the calzaghe syndrome.