How do you even become a champion by fighting for a vacate title. You become a champion by beating a champion.
This is why you have to look at the context. Was the champ they won the belt from a titlist who got it in a vacant belt or a secondary titlist who got elevated? How many defenses did they make? Personally, I think a titlist who won a vacant belt or got elevated doesn't really become champ until they defend it, unless they won it against a top ranked contender with the former champ having moved on.
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