"Five belt era" or "post belt era" - what's more likely?

[dan-b]

Will we reach a "five belt era" where the IBO becomes "recognised" or will boxing move away from sanctioning body belts to a better system? E.g the TBRB.

Is that even desirable to you? I know some people really like belts and unifications. I was among them for a while but the WBO becoming recognised was intolerable to me. Not least because it retrospectively gives their "champions" a status they don't deserve (Tommy Morrison, Herbie Hide, Damiani, etc.).

[Zelda]

I think at least 2-3 belts will retain some respect but a lot will depend on the fighters. If you have good boxers that people like and respect, then the names are equal or more important than the belts but if you have champions like Charles Martin, then the only credibility they have is the belt. Already, we saw that IBF was struggling to get a guy to fight for their mandatory position against Hrgovic.

Overall, money will determine everything and whatever gets the boxers the money will be more important. I do not see a five-belt era though. As soon as either Fury/Usyk unifies, he will vacate all but 1 or 2 belts. And we'll see some of the top contenders fighting for 1 of those belts but the other(s) may become less popular. I reckon the WBC will remain the most respected, followed by the WBA.

[TelMex]

Sanctioning bodies seem to create more problems than they solve. I can see more fighters in the future chasing big pays than titles, especially with the popularity of all these circus fights.

[dan-b]

I think at least 2-3 belts will retain some respect but a lot will depend on the fighters. If you have good boxers that people like and respect, then the names are equal or more important than the belts but if you have champions like Charles Martin, then the only credibility they have is the belt. Already, we saw that IBF was struggling to get a guy to fight for their mandatory position against Hrgovic.

Overall, money will determine everything and whatever gets the boxers the money will be more important. I do not see a five-belt era though. As soon as either Fury/Usyk unifies, he will vacate all but 1 or 2 belts. And we'll see some of the top contenders fighting for 1 of those belts but the other(s) may become less popular. I reckon the WBC will remain the most respected, followed by the WBA.

The WBA have partly redeemed themselves by working towards having a single titleholder again, but then there was the setback with Charr being reinstated as 'regular' champion.

Like it or not, the imagery of holding the same belts as historic fighters resonates with boxers.

[Marchegiano]

TBRB and Ring can't take over because they don't enforce ****. They are commentary on the enforcers enforcement. If they did start to enforce **** they'd become corrupt just like what's already happened at least 8 times to get to the current big 4 as they are today.


Boxing has already consolidated titles, spread them out, consolidated, and spread out again. TF makes anyone think now makes a difference? I don't mean like bareknuckle or ancient **** either. the history of the bodies should tell you why you don't want to replace the bodies with new bodies exactly like the old bodies except "pure". you don't need to go back any farther than that, but if you did, yes, boxing spreads and consolidates titles all the ****ing time in the big scope of things.

There is never a "post-title" era ... because that's ******. The explanation doesn't even fit the label ... dumbass.



What's most likely is eventually the big four concede to fan whining and make an enforced path to undisputed. They'll bond together as one before they hand control over to internet article writers. ... duh.

[dan-b]

There is never a "post-title" era ... because that's ******. The explanation doesn't even fit the label ... dumbass.

It's shorthand for moving beyond the sanctioning bodies. They are unaccountable private businesses and an unsatisfactory way to run a sport. I know it's your online persona to be an abusive edgelord, but it's boring.

[famicommander]

The IBO is just as old as the WBO. If it were going to be recognized it would have been by now.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

I think the sanctioning alphabet soup bodies know that most fans don't care for this 4-belt era which is why we see a lot of unification fights these days. I mean, we may have a unified heavyweight champion soon and cruiserweight was unified a few years ago and super lightweight has been unified recently twice and welterweight is now unified and junior middleweight was unified and middleweight was close and we have one super middleweight champion and light heavyweight is close and should be unified and I
d love to see that. Lightweight was recently. It's like boxing is actually going in the right direction as far as this is concerned. I'll hand it to the alphabet crooks. They wised up and started giving us one champion per division. If they start recognizing the IBO, that won't go over. It's way too much to ask of any fighter to have to do that. Four is hard enough. I'd love to see one champion per division and fewer divisions in the future and we may get that in a way but it's hard to say. I'm all for just eight champions honestly but we will see. I do like current trends, though.

[daggum]

well tank davis is pretending his little interim belts are legit so we are already there

[IronDanHamza]

It’s possible.

It happened with the WBO which once upon a time was no different from the IBO.

Pretty much all the belts really.