Tweet
By Lyle Fitzsimmons - Every couple of days, there's something else.
Another of my colleagues in the boxing media business – be they friend or foe in terms of affiliation – comes out with an online or print opinion that laments the existence of sanctioning bodies and the often-dubious role they play in our sport.
It's always easy copy. And it's generally pretty justified.
The premier target of late has been the World Boxing Association, whose interpretations of words like "world" and "interim" have changed from scenarios involving championship injury or layoff to ones simply involving extra sources from which to siphon sanctioning fees.
Specifically raising ire this time was Friday night’s bout between unbeaten Cuban import Yuriorkis Gamboa and 33-fight veteran Jose Rojas – billed by the Panama-based group as an "interim" championship event in the featherweight division and won by Gamboa in 10 one-sided rounds.
To my knowledge, the collective disgust is nothing personal against Gamboa. He's shown talent and mettle over 15 pro fights in splashes across American cable TV. And it wasn’t an indictment of Rojas, in spite of seven career losses and winless record (0-3-1) in four previous WBA title tries since 1997. [details]
Another of my colleagues in the boxing media business – be they friend or foe in terms of affiliation – comes out with an online or print opinion that laments the existence of sanctioning bodies and the often-dubious role they play in our sport.
It's always easy copy. And it's generally pretty justified.
The premier target of late has been the World Boxing Association, whose interpretations of words like "world" and "interim" have changed from scenarios involving championship injury or layoff to ones simply involving extra sources from which to siphon sanctioning fees.
Specifically raising ire this time was Friday night’s bout between unbeaten Cuban import Yuriorkis Gamboa and 33-fight veteran Jose Rojas – billed by the Panama-based group as an "interim" championship event in the featherweight division and won by Gamboa in 10 one-sided rounds.
To my knowledge, the collective disgust is nothing personal against Gamboa. He's shown talent and mettle over 15 pro fights in splashes across American cable TV. And it wasn’t an indictment of Rojas, in spite of seven career losses and winless record (0-3-1) in four previous WBA title tries since 1997. [details]
puted champion. It used to be the WBA WBC & IBF belts. Do you have to have the WBO belt as well to be considered the undisputed champion? Is this writer on crack? Adding the IBO belt to the mix only confuses the casual boxing fan who doesnt understand what all these belts really mean. Why not throw the USBA belt in there as well, so U have to have 6 belts to be considered the undisputed champ? Which is ridiculus because he would then have to fight 6 fights a year just to stay undisputed cause the sanctioning bodies require U defend against the number one challanger once a year. Shame on Wladimire For even saying that, The IBO is no more important than the USBA or WBO belt. When these organisations want to be considered the real belt, they give it away to a big name that doesnt have one, remember Rid**** Bowe, he suddenly became the WBO champion after his lose to Hloyfield. Ever since the mid ninties then the WBO has been considered a real belt, f that. All those fake belts out there need to be trashed, the real belts are the WBA WBC and IBF.
Comment