My 2 bones to pick w/ boxing

[sugar ray lenrd]

My bone to pick w/ boxing. I couldn’t help noticing an article named “rewind” written by Nick Parkinson’s on Muhammed Ali vs Joe Frazier’s “Thriller in Manila”. I couldn’t help noticing the author while describing Ali’s successful title defenses, refers to Ali defending the WBA & WBC titles. Excuse me, but up to that point there was only one (1) Heavyweight Champion of the World, while yes WBC & WBA might have been in the organizations that represented the undisputed champion, clearly at that time there was only one Heavyweight champion, one title & one belt. If you want to check it, go to youtube & you will see as the announcer introduces Ali, there is no mention of the WBA or WBC titles. Instead Ali is introduce as the Heavyweight Champion of the World!



My other bone to pick w/ boxing is, while it is bad enough that we have 4 world champions per wgt class now a days. Do we really need this” interim title” /”secondary world title”? I mean, why isn’t being ranked #1,2 or 3 in the world (contenders) good enough? Call me old skool but really think about it, if that was the case Jacobs would not & really isn’t a world champion yet, same as some other fighters…And what’s with this, if the real World Champion give s up his belt, they automatically appoint the interim champion to World champion. There’s something just wrong with this the title is suppose to be vacant. And the title should be won in the ring. This is just so wrong for boxing.

[Larry the boss]

1-well it was for both the titles

2-i agree the interim belt but we all know it is all about the money

[sugar ray lenrd]

1-well it was for both the titles

If you get the chance listen to the annoucement as the champ is introduce, there is no mention of the WBA nor WBC titles. In other words the general public never heard of such a thing.

2-i agree the interim belt but we all know it is all about the money

You got that right brother, but this does diminishes the champs integrity to have someone walk around this planet with the words "World Champion" as well.

[sicko]

The WBA Super Champion and World Champion is absolutely Ridiculous to me and I'm going to assume this is a way for Belt Organizations to collect MORE Belt Fees by having all of these Belts. WBC with their Silver Champions it is just too much going on with all of these Belts, no wonder guys don't fight each other, why should they when they're all "Champions" already

[Barcham]

I have no problem with the 'Interim champion' designation as it does not come with a title belt as far as I know. All it indicates is the mandatory challenger position or someone who is holding the title while awaiting the actual champion to return from a serious injury at which point they will fight each other.

What I do have a problem with is sanctioning bodies not standing up and forcing champions to fight their mandatory or be stripped.

I do feel that other than an 'interim champion' designation, there should only be one world title holder per organization per division. I do not consider Jacobs to be a World Champion.

If for some reason a sanctioning body feels it is important to have an American fighter holding a title, then bring in a US Championship belt that is only available to US based fighters.

[Contra]

Muhammad Ali was referred to as THE heavyweight champion of the world because, at the time, holding both of the belts meant you were the undisputed champion.


As for the multiple beltholders in each division and the interim, silver, regular, super, etc. designations given by each organization, the answer is simple:

Everyone who has the power to change this, like the promoters, the networks, the belt organizations, and the fighters themselves, benefit too much from this situation to do anything about it.

[sugar ray lenrd]

Muhammad Ali was referred to as THE heavyweight champion of the world because, at the time, holding both of the belts meant you were the undisputed champion.

As for the multiple beltholders in each division and the interim, silver, regular, super, etc. designations given by each organization, the answer is simple:

Everyone who has the power to change this, like the promoters, the networks, the belt organizations, and the fighters themselves, benefit too much from this situation to do anything about it.

Nice post,
but the only time that I remember when the Heavyweight title was split between two fighters was when Muhammed Ali opted to fight Leon Spinks instead of the #1 contender Ken Norton & #2 contender Larry Holmes, once Ali fought Spinks the WBC went ahead & had Norton fight Holmes for their belt & i think it was 1979. There was no reason to have an undisputed champion prior to that cause their was only 1 champion.

[Contra]

Also, being the #2 ranked contender, the #4 ranked contender, etc., used to mean something. Now these guys are all referred to as "bums" and "nobodys."

No title, no respect on BoxingScene. Just ask Martin Murray. Best MW in europe, best MW without a belt, robbed in his two fights for a title, one being against the lineal champ, but when he signed to fight Gennady he was instantly labeled as a bum by the GGG-hater crowd.

[sugar ray lenrd]

Also, being the #2 ranked contender, #4 ranked contender, etc., used to mean something. Now these guys are all referred to as "bums" and "nobodys."

No title, no respect on BoxingScene. Just ask Martin Murray. Best MW in europe, best MW without a belt, robbed in his two fights for title, one being against the lineal champ, but when he signed to fight Gennady he was instantly labeled as a bum by the GGG-hater crowd.

yes! the top contenders (#1,#2 ,#3 , & #4) have become extinct...

[Contra]

Nice post,
but the only time that I remember when the Heavyweight title was split between two fighters was when Muhammed Ali opted to fight Leon Spinks instead of the #1 contender Ken Norton & #2 contender Larry Holmes, once Ali fought Spinks the WBC went ahead & had Norton fight Holmes for their belt & i think it was 1979. There was no reason to have an undisputed champion prior to that cause their was only 1 champion.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_undisputed_boxing_champions

This wiki page explains how fighters were designated as the "undisputed" champion and has a list of these champions throughout the 20th century.