The IBF - Love 'em For Enforcing Their Rules or Hate 'em for Their Terrible Rankings

[OnePunch]

Really? Who prevents them, actually? The global warming?

This is simply hilarious... So: other organizations' champs are nullified only because they are somehow champs and/or good fighters?...

(I don't have something in particular against IBF, though...)

Organizations typically dont rank other organizations because it is a waste of time and effort. Fights between champions can be made as unifications on their own, and dont need any "mandatory" designations to make them happen.

You need look no further than 2 recent examples of one organization ranking another organizations champion (Kovalev-Stevenson and Canelo-GGG) and in neither case has it resulted in a fight as of yet......

[OnePunch]

I don't know that always enforcing the rules benefits us as fans. Their ranking system seems to have suffered because they are inflexible. Fighters often "opt out" of the IBF rankings so their rankings are not truly reflective of the sport.

If they followed the rules and their rankings reflected the best fighters in the division, then it would be great for fans.

In a perfect world that would be nice, but unfortunately in todays climate it seems to be an either-or type of proposition. Top fighters dont want to follow the rules, and most dont want to be "burdened" with mandatories that interfere with their estate planning.....

[The Big Dunn]

In a perfect world that would be nice, but unfortunately in todays climate it seems to be an either-or type of proposition. Top fighters dont want to follow the rules, and most dont want to be "burdened" with mandatories that interfere with their estate planning.....

Mandatories are not what they used to be. Usually the #1 contender earned his way into that position by winning fights against better competition. So a #1 contender was almost always a quality fighter that had won a number of 50/50 fights.

Nowadays with promoters having major influence over sanctioning body rankings, the mandatory contender may or may not have actually earned the spot. Instead of winning in the ring, the promoter promises something behind the scenes.

One of the main reasons Hagler is my favorite. He got shafted for years and just kept beating everyone.

[OnePunch]

Mandatories are not what they used to be. Usually the #1 contender earned his way into that position by winning fights against better competition. So a #1 contender was almost always a quality fighter that had won a number of 50/50 fights.

Nowadays with promoters having major influence over sanctioning body rankings, the mandatory contender may or may not have actually earned the spot. Instead of winning in the ring, the promoter promises something behind the scenes.

One of the main reasons Hagler is my favorite. He got shafted for years and just kept beating everyone.

Agree 1000%. And unfortunately in the IBF, where you actually have to EARN the #1 or #2 spot, the top tier fighters usually are not interested in having to "earn" it........

[LacedUp]

Therefore: enforcing mandatories based on (generally) crap rankings equals credit??? WTF...




In a normal world you get normal rankings...

Wow dude you clearly don't get it

[The Big Dunn]

Agree 1000%. And unfortunately in the IBF, where you actually have to EARN the #1 or #2 spot, the top tier fighters usually are not interested in having to "earn" it........

It's awful hard to get mad at the guys that opt out of the IBF rankings given that mandatories and rankings are controlled more by promoter association than winning fights. It also is hard when the IBF does stuff like forces Fury to drop the HWT belt.

Fury made 5-10 times the purse fighting Wlad than he would have defending against his mandatory. It would be ****** to make that fight.

If a guy earned the #1 ranking by beating Povetkin, Ortiz, Wilder, then he'd be worth it financially for Fury to fight. If a guy just gets the spot because the best guys in a division get hurt by the IBF's rigid stance, no one really cares about the fight.

[OnePunch]

It's awful hard to get mad at the guys that opt out of the IBF rankings given that mandatories and rankings are controlled more by promoter association than winning fights. It also is hard when the IBF does stuff like forces Fury to drop the HWT belt.

Fury made 5-10 times the purse fighting Wlad than he would have defending against his mandatory. It would be ****** to make that fight.

If a guy earned the #1 ranking by beating Povetkin, Ortiz, Wilder, then he'd be worth it financially for Fury to fight. If a guy just gets the spot because the best guys in a division get hurt by the IBF's rigid stance, no one really cares about the fight.

It shouldnt be the concern of the sanctioning body whether or not its "worth it" for someone to do their mandatory. You either have rules, or you dont. And when you dont, then it all just becomes the whim of Mendoza, or Suiliman, or whoever is making the decisions......

[The Big Dunn]

It shouldnt be the concern of the sanctioning body whether or not its "worth it" for someone to do their mandatory. You either have rules, or you dont. And when you dont, then it all just becomes the whim of Mendoza, or Suiliman, or whoever is making the decisions......

I agree they shouldn't be concerned. I was just pointing out that if rankings were based solely on merit, then the financial piece would take care of itself and the fighters wouldn't have such a choice to make.

[OnePunch]

I agree they shouldn't be concerned. I was just pointing out that if rankings were based solely on merit, then the financial piece would take care of itself and the fighters wouldn't have such a choice to make.

and if my aunt had a **** she'd be my uncle. lol

I think we pretty much agree here. The issue is trying to find a balance between unwavering rule enforcement and not having lousy champs as a result. Problem is that there is no clear solution. Anytime you start with "exceptions" or "flexibility", then corruption / favoritism is not too far behind.......

[bigjavi973]

**** it I like'm. Force the strippage & force the mando fights.

If other belt organizations did that..... we woulda had some good fights. DSG vs Postol, GGG vs Cotto, etc.