No lineal champion since 2004? How do you win the title?

[Hougigo]

I think back in the day, you won the ring belt by unifying 3 belts. Then it was changed to the winner between the top two contenders. Now either the #1 contender or the #2 contender can win it by beating the #3, #4, or #5 contender.

It'll be top 10 if top guys keep on not fighting each other

[-Kev-]

The two very best fighters of a division have to fight. Not only #1 vs #2, it has to be agreed upon by fans and media that they are #1 and #2.

[HanzGruber]

Lineal titles are fun

LHW lineage: Hill->Michalczewski->Gonzalez->Erdei->Grachev->Rodriguez->Ward***10;***10;Ward lineal champ @ 168 & 175. And that***39;s why lineage is dumb.

— Ryan Bivins (@RyanBivins) March 31, 2015

Wut. Since when was ward lineal at 175 lol

[FightFan80]

I'm talking heavyweight division.

So the holder of WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO is the undisputed champion? Or is 3/4 good? Or is it just the ring belt?

[FightFan80]

Also if the championship is determined by the top ranked 1 and 2 fighter what official rankings would they be going by? Transnational Boxing? If so the top two are Klitchko and Pov, and they fought a while back with Klitchko winning.....so is he lineal now?

[Hougigo]

Wut. Since when was ward lineal at 175 lol

Since he beat Rodriguez

[techliam]

Also if the championship is determined by the top ranked 1 and 2 fighter what official rankings would they be going by? Transnational Boxing? If so the top two are Klitchko and Pov, and they fought a while back with Klitchko winning.....so is he lineal now?

Undisputed means you hold all of the major belts (WBA Super, WBC, IBF, WBO) 3/4 used to be enough, but Hopkins effectively changed it. Just like lineages though, this may not reflect the best fighter in the division, but more than likely will.

Lineages are a bit different, and theres two aspects to them, one which causes trouble. Consensus 1 vs 2 creates a new lineage. Wlad vs Povetkin fits that bill nicely. However, its the other aspect of lineal titles that make it flawed. A lineal champion retains that title when he first establishes it, unless he loses or retires etc. Most thought Wlad was already the lineal champ of the division, so a new lineage wasnt created nor required. The flaw here is that the lineal champ can sit on this title all he likes, and depending on who this champion fights, the lineal title can gradually separate from the consensus best fighter. Not to mention, 1 vs 2 is subjective in of itself, as indicated by Mayweathers currently semi-recognised 147 lineage (though the Pac fight will erase all doubt). I think the lineal system attempts to bring some objectivity to a sport that inherently rejects it.

[HanzGruber]

Since he beat Rodriguez

What lineal is he going by. Pretty sure Adonis is lineal

[daggum]

What lineal is he going by. Pretty sure Adonis is lineal

no not really. if you follow the actual lineage ward is. there was another new lineage established but since erdei never lost and never officially retired he was still the real lineal champ but no one really knew who he was so they just pretended he wasn't champ. rodriguez coming in at light heavy to fight ward means ward won the lineal championship at light heavy.

[Pigeons]

Since he beat Rodriguez

Well Ward beat Dawson too, and that was below the 175 lb. limit. So either way you slice it, Ward is lineal 2 weights.