Four remaining WBA 'regular' belts

[dan-b]

Despite the WBA not publicly acknowledging Devin Haney's vacation of the lightweight title, one must assume he has done so. This leaves minimumweight, welterweight, super-middleweight and heavyweight with secondary WBA beltholders.

Minimumweight: attempts at consolidating this belt have descended into farce due to visa and other hosting issues.

Welterweight: This belt was supposed to be consolidated as far back as 2021, with Ugas ordered to face Stanionis. In the end a deal was reached for Stanionis to step aside and allow a Spence - Ugas unification. Inactivity and a further unification have stalled the consolidation process and I expect this will now be resolved by attrition once Crawford declines to further defend his welterweight title.

Super-middle: How likely are the WBA to order Canelo - Morrell and where does it sit in the rotation anyway?

Heavyweight: since Mahmoud Charr's reinstatement in August he has been unable to secure a fight in order to defend his trinket. He will presumably be stripped for inactivity before long. With it being last in the rotation, the likelihood of anyone using this as a route to fighting the Fury - Usyk winner is slim to none.

[dan-b]

MoonCheese MusoMeanderings

[daggum]

tank is the perpetual 'regular' wba champ

[dan-b]

We're now down to three with Erick Rosa vacating his WBA minimum weight belt.

However, I have today noticed that the WBA have begun listing 'Gold Champions' on their 'World Champions' page. 140, 168, 200 and 'bridger' each have 'Gold Champions'. Now, they're still listed in the rankings so this is not as bad as 'regular champions' but why, why do they do this?

The WBA will never change.

[dan-b]

Morrell will trade his 168lb 'regular' for a 175lb 'regular' maintaining a net three overall. However, the WBA have not ordered Isaac Cruz v Ismael Barroso and apparently Tszyu v Ortiz will be for an 'interim' belt, so it looks like they're proliferating belts again. Profit margins obviously not high enough.

[Marchegiano]

We're now down to three with Erick Rosa vacating his WBA minimum weight belt.

However, I have today noticed that the WBA have begun listing 'Gold Champions' on their 'World Champions' page. 140, 168, 200 and 'bridger' each have 'Gold Champions'. Now, they're still listed in the rankings so this is not as bad as 'regular champions' but why, why do they do this?

The WBA will never change.

Gold is a little bit old at this point, but yeah it is another unterbelt. I think Joyce or DDD had one for a minute.

Haney's has been dropped by the WBA listing him on their rankings as LW reg champ.

Okay, so, here's the thing. Boxers sue bodies, so the bodies, in order to appease both the fans and the courts created championships in name and legal definition alone.

So, while we are able to say things like the WBA Reg is not equal to the WBA Super, the WBA can say differently. If you have a contract with the WBA that says you will be given a world championship match and they decide to pass on that, you can sue, and force the WBA to give you a world championship match but you can't force which of their world championships.

This was Lennox Lewis's idea after he was stripped of undisputed for fighting McCall over WBA mando Ruiz. Lennox explained the money situation. WBA explained the legal situation, Lennox came back with a proposal than ended with the wba reg being a thing.


That's a bunch of preface so that you understand when I say WBA Reg = WBA Super I mean this in a legal definition. Not as a fan.


The Gold belt is officially less than. It is a second place belt and so can not be used as an appeasement trinket for the courts.

All Interims are equal to all regulars. The WBA Super is the only belt recognized as equal to the WBC/IBF/WBO by the WBC/IBF/WBO but since the WBA says the Reg is equal to the super and the super is just an extra trinket for a long serving champion that has to get unified, in any legal framework from the boxers and WBA the Reg is also equal to the top belts. Not in respect, but in litigation.


I don't remember them all but I do remember some off the cuff

Reg=Super=Interim=Franchise

Recess=Silver=Gold=Emeritus

I don't remember where BS like Diamond falls. There's a lot more belts but those are the one we deal in often, I think.


So to US a WBA reg isn't a real champ, second to the super, so on, but to a judge it is, however the Gold is not.

[dan-b]

Gold is a little bit old at this point, but yeah it is another unterbelt. I think Joyce or DDD had one for a minute.

Haney's has been dropped by the WBA listing him on their rankings as LW reg champ.

Okay, so, here's the thing. Boxers sue bodies, so the bodies, in order to appease both the fans and the courts created championships in name and legal definition alone.

So, while we are able to say things like the WBA Reg is not equal to the WBA Super, the WBA can say differently. If you have a contract with the WBA that says you will be given a world championship match and they decide to pass on that, you can sue, and force the WBA to give you a world championship match but you can't force which of their world championships.

This was Lennox Lewis's idea after he was stripped of undisputed for fighting McCall over WBA mando Ruiz. Lennox explained the money situation. WBA explained the legal situation, Lennox came back with a proposal than ended with the wba reg being a thing.


That's a bunch of preface so that you understand when I say WBA Reg = WBA Super I mean this in a legal definition. Not as a fan.


The Gold belt is officially less than. It is a second place belt and so can not be used as an appeasement trinket for the courts.

All Interims are equal to all regulars. The WBA Super is the only belt recognized as equal to the WBC/IBF/WBO by the WBC/IBF/WBO but since the WBA says the Reg is equal to the super and the super is just an extra trinket for a long serving champion that has to get unified, in any legal framework from the boxers and WBA the Reg is also equal to the top belts. Not in respect, but in litigation.


I don't remember them all but I do remember some off the cuff

Reg=Super=Interim=Franchise

Recess=Silver=Gold=Emeritus

I don't remember where BS like Diamond falls. There's a lot more belts but those are the one we deal in often, I think.


So to US a WBA reg isn't a real champ, second to the super, so on, but to a judge it is, however the Gold is not.

Why is this situation more prevalent now than it was in the 80s/90s? Tyson, Spinks, Holyfield and Hagler never had 'interim' titleholders beneath them when they were each holding three belts.

Interestingly, Hopkins sued the WBA in an attempt to prevent them recognising the Joppy - Eastman winner as 'world champion'. His attempt failed so it would appear litigation does not work in reverse in this situation.

[MusoMeanderings]

You know me, I'm always game for a good ol' dumpster fire farce.

I say, keep 'em comin', WBA (We Be A$swipes).

[Marchegiano]

Why is this situation more prevalent now than it was in the 80s/90s? Tyson, Spinks, Holyfield and Hagler never had 'interim' titleholders beneath them when they were each holding three belts.

Interestingly, Hopkins sued the WBA in an attempt to prevent them recognising the Joppy - Eastman winner as 'world champion'. His attempt failed so it would appear litigation does not work in reverse in this situation.

That's actually the only reason I mentioned Lennox.

While the ability to do such legal ****ery was there the idea and intent was not. Classically an interim was used for when a champion is unable to meet provided timetables but their excuse was good enough it would be wrong to strip them. A meantime champion. So for most of interim history you'll recognize its usage as just that. They used it properly until Lennox gave the WBA this great idea.

The criticism given by fans are all true. This idea was the spark for all the rest of the unterbelts, the bodies are pulling in more sanctioning fees, growing their reach and using that money to make boxing more global than ever. They are muddying the waters and making it unclear to fans who is and is not a champion because they're making money. That is true and part of the creation of the belts but not the full story.

So the WBC, not one to be left out of a money making gambit, joins with unterbelts that are legally equal to their main titles.

This format works so ****ing well both the WBA and WBC start to make purely marketing belts. You know, like the "Money" (Floyd-Conor WBC) or the "Man of Achievement" (Floyd-Manny WBA) and lesser belts also good for marketing but secondarily suing for a number 1 contendership that does not equate to mandatory. Your Golds and Silvers and Globals and such.

The IBF and WBO see this marketing by the other two as an opportunity for some juxtaposed marketing. "We don't make up belts like they do" sort of bull.

Which works, plenty will tell you they respect the IBF/WBO more than WBA/C because of the belts.

However, have you paid attention? The IBF and WBO are following the WBA's lead as well, just in a more deceptive manner. They're crowning Interim champions while a reigning champion asks for no time off. They didn't make new belts but that didn't stop them from using their interims like they are Reg belts.

Then the ABC steps in.

The ABC does not sanction fights, the ABC sanctions bodies. Damn right brah.

ABC says chill tf out and consolidate or we will black ball the WBA in the USA. Damn right brah.

WBA says okay and starts to reel in WBA regs like as if that changes how they, the WBC/O or IBF handle interims.


The fans need to cry another decade before the ABC will speak to that, I think.







Yeah, it's not a guaranteed win for the bodies, it's a protective measure. I think Pov beat them too. Over the WBC Silver actually ... so I guess even to the boxers having a Silver does matter. Point is it's not a 100% thing but hardly anything in civil court is. The original WBA rules and such were for real just trying to avoid situations like Lennox-Ruiz but like everything that makes money, once money is involved the plot thickens and original intent becomes an afterthought.