What is the most important belts in boxing?

[Thread Stealer]

There's not necessarily a "best" belt. The Ring is usually the lineal champ and most respected, but even then, you can be The Ring champ or lineal champ and not be the "best" in the division.

There was the old Roy Jones/Darius Michalczeswki situation in the 90s. The Ring stopped doing their policy in the early 90s, then re-did their policy in 2001. Roy was the Ring champ because he had the "big 3" (IBF/WBA/WBC) and DM had more of a lineal claim. Nigel Collins, editor of The Ring, even said "if The Ring's policy had been around in the 90s, Michalczeswki probably would've had the Ring belt". But how many people really saw DM as the best fighter in the LHW division, and not Roy?

Or Mike Tyson and Michael Spinks entering their fight. Spinks had the lineal claim and The Ring belt, while Tyson had more or less cleaned out the division and won three title belts.

The WBC is by and large, a more respected belt than the WBO. Andre Berto has the WBC belt at WW right now, which he won when he beat Miguel Angel Rodriguez. Manny Pacquiao has the WBO belt, which he won from Miguel Cotto. Who's the more respected champ?

[al22tec]

the ring belt, because it follows lineal champ lines. plus, being the ring belt champ, there is no "royalty" when you defend the ring belt. The others are classified by all boxing writers as part of the alphabet belts. Among the alphabet belts, the WBC has for the past decades been the more glamorous one. but WBC has diluted its own importance when it came out with the diamond belt, and before that, the intercontinental, then they came out with the youth,...

[tanibanana]

the ring belt, because it follows lineal champ lines. plus, being the ring belt champ, there is no "royalty" when you defend the ring belt. The others are classified by all boxing writers as part of the alphabet belts. Among the alphabet belts, the WBC has for the past decades been the more glamorous one. but WBC has diluted its own importance when it came out with the diamond belt, and before that, the intercontinental, then they came out with the youth,...

yes, that is why I think the WBC and other alphabet belts have the same value, while Ring belt is better like 3x to 5x better than a single alphabet world title.

[IIG]

I think it's mostly opinion. My opinion except the ring belt and the interim belts and such would be
WBC
WBA
WBO
IBF

WBA/WBO can be interchangeable. I think they are lobbying for the IBO to be considered as a major belt now. I saw somewhere that there ranking are computer generated though.

I agree with all of this.

[check hook]

I think it's mostly opinion. My opinion except the ring belt and the interim belts and such would be
WBC
WBA
WBO
IBF

WBA/WBO can be interchangeable. I think they are lobbying for the IBO to be considered as a major belt now. I saw somewhere that there ranking are computer generated though.

"we don't even count that one" - James Toney on the IBO

[markkerr101]

LOL hahaha

[madhatter]

I think they are rated as
#1 WBU
#2 WBF
#3 IBO
#4 ring
#5 WBC
but in all seriousness it is about the ring belt. but about the alphabet belts i think the most respected is the WBC titles. then i would say IBF and WBO then WBA with there two world champs just confuses me most of the time. though the problem is all these boxing organisations are as corrupt as hell and are what is hurting boxing.

[p4p10]

the ring belt followed by the wbc. after that its just a mish mash of ABC titles, its bad for boxing and it gives non-deserving fighters the privlage of being called a 'champion'! but its how the sport has developed unfotunatley, it should go back to how its used to be when the NBA split and became the WBA and the WBC, 2 champs put it all on the line in one mega fight and the winner becomes the top man, end of story!