What do world title belts actually mean?

[Box Up!]

I think most people will now agree that the Lonsdale Belt is far more prestigious, beautiful and honourable that any of the bogus so called world titles.

Yes, being in possession of one of the 4 belts might get you noticed, but really, they don't mean anything.

I think we can all agree that this is the fault of the Americans.

Bum champions, making over exaggerated claims of grandeur. I find it quite disrespectful and ultimately, embarrassing.

Thank goodness then for the British.

Once again we show the world how to perform, behave and exceed in boxing.

Wrapping out beloved champions of the coveted gold of the Lonsdale Belt, making them feel wanted, precious, loved and adored. Unlike the Americans who throw belts in the bin when they should be using them to keep their trouser held around their over grown obese guts.

When Buster Douglas claimed he'd rather eat a cheese burger then keep his world title belt, i think we can agree that was moment when America ruined the glow of being a world champion and attempted to ruin the sport of Boxing in general.

[Box-Office]

Lonsdale belt is a classic one, I won't mind buying a replica, but it doesn't put food on the table the same way even a WBA Interim belt would.

[-PBP-]

It's the highest possible achievement you can obtain as a professional fighter.

[HughJass]

It means the sanctioning bodies can swindle money off you.

[Crazylegs77]

I think most people will now agree that the Lonsdale Belt is far more prestigious, beautiful and honourable that any of the bogus so called world titles.

Yes, being in possession of one of the 4 belts might get you noticed, but really, they don't mean anything.

I think we can all agree that this is the fault of the Americans.

Bum champions, making over exaggerated claims of grandeur. I find it quite disrespectful and ultimately, embarrassing.

Thank goodness then for the British.

Once again we show the world how to perform, behave and exceed in boxing.

Wrapping out beloved champions of the coveted gold of the Lonsdale Belt, making them feel wanted, precious, loved and adored. Unlike the Americans who throw belts in the bin when they should be using them to keep their trouser held around their over grown obese guts.

When Buster Douglas claimed he'd rather eat a cheese burger then keep his world title belt, i think we can agree that was moment when America ruined the glow of being a world champion and attempted to ruin the sport of Boxing in general.

Well they used to be a way to find out who was the best, and create some system of a goal for fighters to work their way up to becoming mandatory challenger. Now its mostly politics and/or gaming the system with fluff undefeated records and hype.

[Weltschmerz]

They mean more the more of them you unify.

[-Kev-]

It's the highest possible achievement you can obtain as a professional fighter.

I know what you mean, for the average boxer, a title is the highest thing they will ever achieve.

In terms of actual highest achievement, I think that FOTY and FOTD honors are much, much higher than winning a title. You can win FOTY without having a title fight that year, just beating the best. Becoming champ one year, does not mean you were the best fighter that year.

[soul_survivor]

At one time, being a world champion meant you were the best fighter in your division, or one of the best (top 2 or 3).

Let me qualify the second half of that statement: Boxing, for however long it's been around, has always had an array of "world" champions. For years the Europeans would crown their own "world" champion and in America, various organisations and magazine publications would do the same.

However, it became the logical thing for magazine publications, especially The Ring, to start following the NYSAC in most cases, and who ever was regarded as the champion by that commission, was regarded as the champ by most others.

Either way, for many years, the world champion was always the best or one of the top 3 guys in the division. Nowadays world titles and their interim versions can be held by guys who havent even made it into the top 10 or haven't fought any one in their divisional top 10.

[titan m]

As a fan they don't mean much anymore, they certainly don't mean you're the best but from a fighters point of view they still mean the world to them since they dreamed of having a belt since the day they started fighting, plus the belts do bring them much better paydays.

[-PBP-]

I know what you mean, for the average boxer, a title is the highest thing they will ever achieve.

In terms of actual highest achievement, I think that FOTY and FOTD honors are much, much higher than winning a title. You can win FOTY without having a title fight that year, just beating the best. Becoming champ one year, does not mean you were the best fighter that year.

Oh yeah I agree with that. I'm just saying, as an amatuer turning pro, you want that world title.