If Wlad dropped the WBO belt?

[LacedUp]

He should definetely keep it so he can become undisputed champion when Vitali retires which hopefully will be soon.

If he dropped the WBO and still kept the IBF/WBA and won the WBC down the line I'm sure everyone would consider him the undisputed champ.

And yes, if he dropped the WBO belt to secure a better fight he'd most definitely win more respect.

[LacedUp]

With all due respect, show me which WBO heavyweight champion was regarded as the true champion besides Wlad. He doesnt need an org feeding him stiffs to be regarded as the champ, and i think histors bears that opinion out.

George Foreman? I guess.

[GoldenGloveLove]

I don't care either way. He earned that belt and has a right to keep it as long as he can unless there's some great, hot contender who wants it and deserves it more than Leapai. And there isn't. Especially since Pulev wants another before Wlad. Leapai pulled the upset and should get his if he wants it.

Just because Boytsov was supposed to win and just because he lost more on his fault than Leapai's ability doesn't mean Leapai didn't earn his shot by agreement. It wasn't pretty and it wasn't too impressive but it was an honest job done and opportunity earned by Leapai. If there was someone ready and worth dropping the belt for, I'd say yes without a doubt. Now? Probably people trolling about how Wlad ducked Leapai if he ditched the belt and then trolling about how Wlad's disgraceful for fighting Leapai if he fights him. Whatever.

[yoz]

He can't win either way.

[molinari]

Why would he do that? Every belt provides him a weak ass mandatory opponent and 75% of a purse bid, he is making milions of of it, he would have to be insane to not do it, unless he cares more about random peoples opinions on some forum than his life, in which case again, he would have to be insane.

Would "u" give up a payday like this for "fans" respect? Get real.

[yoz]

Wlad shouldn't give away his belts. He's the champion FFS; contenders SHOULD take the belt from him!

[techliam]

Not sure I agree with the "major belt" comment. A belt is only as good as the guy holding it, in the case of the heavyweight division the WBO belt is worth more than the WBC belt, because to win the WBO belt you'd have to beat the reigning heavyweight, unified champion of the world and the best heavyweight in the division. Where as the WBC looks like it's gonna be won by two guys fighting each other, neither as good as Wlad, for the vacant title.

I think its a case of the WBA (Super)/WBC/IBF belts being pretty much universally recognised as world titles. Especially now the IBF is recognised in Japan, one of the last places to refuse. The WBO isnt recognised on the same scale, though a lot of places count it as a world title. I think its a step up from the IBO, but pretty much a WBA clone, in porto rico, without regular titles...

[Burt Saxby]

How much shame is he going to bring upon himself when he walks to the ring in the usual over the top fashion while holding up all the belts only to climb in and greet some stooley nobody ever heard of.
Wlad when is gone , he's gone , because nobody will remember such an uninspiring champion.

[Burt Saxby]

There are cases of the belts make the fighter and the fighter makes the belts.

In Wlads case its very much the case of the belts make the fighter. Without his belts he would of been DQ'd against Povetkin and fighting Mormek, Thompson, Wach, Pianeata and Leapi would would not even get him a top 10 ranking.

[Jack Napier]

Wlad's the HW champ, the belts themselves don't matter
problem is, nobody can beat Wlad, and they all know it
for that reason, he needs to keep all the belts consolidated
that way, everything at HW has to go through him
look how long it took him to get Povetkin in the ring
he had a fake WBA belt to hide behind, so he milked it
would prefer Wlad keeps all belts so HW's must fight him
you know the scramble will be on once Vit lets go of the WBC belt