The new linear lt heavy champ and his #1 contender

[BattlingNelson]

There was no reason to vacate even that paper title. He could have moved up and made a decision later. He didn't and that paper title was the most tangible cue there was to his claim on the title. And he has not continued to campaign. I don't care why. He's not active at any weight and will soon hit two years without a fight at 175.

If the act of vacancy is a good enough standard for Joe Gans who only briefly went to Welterweight (before returning to unseat your pseudonym inspiration), it's good enough for Zsolt freaking Erdei.

The era of Gans is an entirely different ballgame as there was no alphabet boys around. If you really want to put todays standards over the old days you'd have a hard time having Jack Dempsey as a champion for long as he went some 3 years between defenses. You can find plenty other examples through history of fighters who has kept their lineal title while committing 'harsher crimes' (cannot find a better phrase) than Erdei.

[BattlingNelson]

BNelson:

I wrote on this at the time of vacancy: http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&id=23459

Erdei Vacates: Ding-Dong, the Lineage Argument is Dead
Posted by: Cliff Rold on 11-14-2009.

It was the world title history which few cared about. Those who did just shook their head waiting for it to end.

And now it has according to various news reports. It ends with a fitting whimper.

In preparation for his challenge of WBC Cruiserweight titlist Giacobbe Fragomeni next Saturday, WBO Light Heavyweight champion Zsolt Erdei (30-0, 17 KO) has vacated that belt. In doing so, he has also vacated the last link to a debate about the lineage of the World Light Heavyweight championship which extends over much of the last thirteen years.

It was a debate which mattered once upon a time. During the height of his WBO title reign, Dariusz Michalczewski was regarded by most as the second best in class in comparison to American superstar Roy Jones Jr.

What made Michalczewski worth paying attention to while he and Jones stood atop the division from 1997-2003 was an action style, an undefeated record, and a claim to the lineal championship at 175 lbs.

Michalczewski defeated Virgil Hill by decision in June 1997, adding Hill’s IBF and WBA belts to a WBO belt he’d held since 1994. Hill was one year removed from defeating Henry Maske, adding Maske’s IBF belt to his own. During his second WBA title reign, Hill has successfully defended against a Fabrice Tiozzo who would, prior to Hill-Maske, win the WBC belt.

All roads led to Hill. Then they passed to Dariusz. Michalczewski was forced out of/stripped of the WBA and IBF belts for nonsense reasons; they ended up with Jones who also captured the WBC belt when Tiozzo vacated. Dariusz vs. Roy was never much more than banter between hard core followers, but it was a merit debate and fun in its time, at least until Michalczewski began to visibly slip around 2001.

When Michalczewski lost in October 2003, at age 35, to a Julio Gonzalez who hadn’t really won a round against Jones in July 2001, the lineage argument lost some steam. When Gonzalez lost in his first title defense to undefeated former Olympian Zsolt Erdei, it was a moment of wait and see.

Maybe Erdei could make some hay with the lineage.

But he didn’t.

As BoxingScene’s Jake Donovan stated in a piece on October 22 of this year, a real champion is a man who takes on “all comers” in his class and

For champions such as Zsolt Erdei…such interest has proven to be all but non-existent.
Erdei’s embarrassment of a light heavyweight title reign could potentially come to an end next month, if only by default. On tap is a foray to the cruiserweight division, where he will challenge alphabet titlist Giacobe Fragomeni.

The scheduled fight represents a stiffer challenge than anything he’s attempted in more than five years as lineal light heavyweight king, where he feasted on the division’s bottom feeders far more than he’s attempted to face any semblance of respectable contenders.

All of this probably wasn’t Erdei’s fault. His promoter, Klaus Peter Kohl, has always been a savvy and sometimes careful match maker. Results are results though, and Erdei did not have them.

For historical purity purposes, Erdei couldn’t be denied his place in the lineage. Early in his WBO reign, he had some interesting wins against real contenders like Hugo Garay, Mehdi Sahnoune, and Thomas Ulrich. But as his reign wore on and the mid-level challengers gave way to no-level of challenge at all, the Ring Magazine title passed between Jones, Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson, Bernard Hopkins, and Joe Calzaghe.

Erdei became proof that while the concept of a champion needing to lose a title in the ring is solid, the practice is sometimes highly flawed.

And now it’s over.

BoxingScene rates Chad Dawson and WBC titlist Jean Pascal as the top two fighters at 175 lbs., Dawson largely regarded as the top dog right now. They may square off next year. Former Ring Magazine titlist Bernard Hopkins is still rated number two by Ring Magazine; they would recognize a Dawson-Hopkins winner as the new ‘real’ World Champion. Somewhere, IBF titlist Tavoris Cloud (20-0, 18 KO), who Dawson gave up the IBF belt to avoid when Cloud was a mandatory, will have his say as well.

One of them will emerge as the new king. Whoever that is, they will matter in the role. Erdei, as the lineal king if nothing else, never really did.

Oh yeah.

I'm also quite pleased with you saying Erdei's mediocre reign is over. I just think an argument can be made for him still being champ if he can get a fight again at 175.

[Tiozzo]

He beat Gonzalez. Who beat Michalszewski. Who Beat Hill. Who beat Maske for the vacant title. Hill and Maske was no 1 and 2. The title was vacated by Spinks.

Pascal is the Ring champion. NOT linear. Erdei is.

Erdei is a bum, Rold accurately exposed why he has no claim to the linear title anymore (if ever had)

and this is typical Bat here : anything to discredit north-american fighters to elevate european fighters

usually, you're on Bute's back ; now that Pascal has become the man at 175, you'll get on his back, claiming nonsense proposition like in the case of Erdei

you're not a boxing fan, you're a nationalist xenophobic turd

Pascal is now the man, the linear champion, live with it, move on

[crold1]

I'm also quite pleased with you saying Erdei's mediocre reign is over.

It was and it is.

[MetalVomit]

Erdei is a bum, Rold accurately exposed why he has no claim to the linear title anymore (if ever had)

and this is typical Bat here : anything to discredit north-american fighters to elevate european fighters

usually, you're on Bute's back ; now that Pascal has become the man at 175, you'll get on his back, claiming nonsense proposition like in the case of Erdei

you're not a boxing fan, you're a nationalist xenophobic turd

Pascal is now the man, the linear champion, live with it, move on

what is exactly your deal? I've never noticed things like this about Batting, and I keep an eye out for his posts because he seems to know his ****. Please, do go on.

[B.U.R.N.E.R]

Ring and Linear are 2 different things noobs.

[crold1]

what is exactly your deal? I've never noticed things like this about Batting, and I keep an eye out for his posts because he seems to know his ****. Please, do go on.

BNelson may have his favorites (who doesn't) but he's always reasonable and a great BScene poster.

[crold1]

Ring and Linear are 2 different things noobs.

True, but they are pretty much in lockstep except at 115 where they should have Vic in place of vacant (and that's Ring rules thing). 175 is an example after last night.

[Tiozzo]

what is exactly your deal? I've never noticed things like this about Batting, and I keep an eye out for his posts because he seems to know his ****. Please, do go on.

me and Battling have argued more than once

first time was about his boy Kessler
I owned him when I proved Kessler made excuses after Calzaghe beat him (he was saying Kessler never made excuses)

ever since Kessler has been beaten by Ward, he has become way more critical of the north-american fighters

it's not because you have never noticed Bat is bitter about the north-american fighters like Ward and Bute who are having success that it's not the case

he particularly likes to say Bute only fights club fighters and doesn't want to fight better opposition even if he gets the chance down the road (everytime he gets the chance, he repeats it, even creating the chance if you see what I mean)

and he says Ward won thanks to his headbutts when in fact Ward headbutted and opened Kessler's cuts as late as round 9

he also likes to point at the fact that Ward is working with Conte (peds), openly suggesting Ward is juiced

Bat is my ***** and I won't let him off the hook when he despises north-american fighters

[Tiozzo]

BNelson may have his favorites (who doesn't) but he's always reasonable and a great BScene poster.

he's not reasonable when it comes down to his favorites and other european fighters

not at all

aside of that he's a good poster

but despising Ward and Bute time and time again just because he is bitter over the fact that Kessler isn't at the top of the division anymore or arguing Pascal is not linear champion because it fits his euro-agenda, it's inacceptable

we're talking about bias, bitterness