So is the lineal 160 title now vacant?

[OnePunch]

With Canelo leaving 160 (errrr 155) to go fight for a 154 title, will the 160 lineal title now be officially vacant?

[Eastcoast]

With Canelo leaving 160 (errrr 155) to go fight for a 154 title, will the 160 lineal title now be officially vacant?

Unfortunately according to a expert like Cliff Rold, no. He says Canelo can still return to MW, so he's still the lineal champ. BS.

The lineal title means jack **** anyways. After Leonard beat Hagler, he eventually lost to Terry Norris at 154 and eventually he lost to Keith Mullins at 154. Hopkins never beat anybody for a lineal title, he just won all the belts. So this lineal title we're talking about, doesn't even come from the very beginning of the division. The MW lineal title has gone dark like 7 times (since Greb beat Nelson). In my opinion, Canelo who never beat anyone who weighed over 155lbs, is not the lineal champion.

[-PBP-]

It should be. Andre Ward can't move back to 168 and still be considered lineal champ. If you leave the division, you lose that title.

[ИATAS]

Hopkins never beat anybody for a lineal title, he just won all the belts. So this lineal title we're talking about, doesn't even come from the very beginning of the division.

That's how a lineal title is created when there is none though. Hopkins did it the right way, unifying and becoming undisputed.

I disagree that it's been trash at middleweight. The middleweight lineal crown is one of the few remaining that can be traced back over a decade. It's a complete mess though now since Cotto & now Canelo.

I'm guessing The Ring belt will be taken away and Golovkin can win that, but that obviously isn't synonymous with lineal. I would ask Cliff Rodd how long he considers it would take for Canelo not to be lineal champ anymore. If he campaigns at 154 for 2-3 fights, why would he still be lineal middleweight champ? I thought if a fighter loses, retires or leaves the division the lineage is broken.

[DoktorSleepless]

There's several unofficial middleweight lineages going around right now. Golovkin has an unofficial lineal title after beating Murray if you think he unofficially beat Martinez. Alfonso Blanco has an official lineal title after beating Sergey Khomitsky, who unofficially beat Murray before Golovkin. Eubank Jr might have an unofficial lineal title for beating Nick Blackwell, who may have unofficially beaten Sergey Khomitsky before Blanco.

I guess after fighting Eubank, Golovkin should go for Blanco to cover all his bases.

[mick1303]

There's several unofficial middleweight lineages going around right now. Golovkin has an unofficial lineal title after beating Murray if you think he unofficially beat Martinez. Alfonso Blanco has an official lineal title after beating Sergey Khomitsky, who unofficially beat Murray before Golovkin. Eubank Jr might have an unofficial lineal title for beating Nick Blackwell, who may have unofficially beaten Sergey Khomitsky before Blanco.

I guess after fighting Eubank, Golovkin should go for Blanco to cover all his bases.

The majority of fights you mentioned took place above 160 limit. One was 8-rounder ))))

[ИATAS]

There's several unofficial middleweight lineages going around right now. Golovkin has an unofficial lineal title after beating Murray if you think he unofficially beat Martinez. Alfonso Blanco has an official lineal title after beating Sergey Khomitsky, who unofficially beat Murray before Golovkin. Eubank Jr might have an unofficial lineal title for beating Nick Blackwell, who may have unofficially beaten Sergey Khomitsky before Blanco.

I guess after fighting Eubank, Golovkin should go for Blanco to cover all his bases.

haha fortunately there is no such thing as unofficial lineages since normal people just follow the official wins and losses and don't go by who they personally thought won the fight.

[Mitchell Kane]

The middleweight lineal title was already a joke with all the catchweights it's been fought at recently.

Golovkin is the champion at 160...anything else is pretty meaningless.

[DoktorSleepless]

The majority of fights you mentioned took place above 160 limit. One was 8-rounder ))))

Doesn't matter. They were all really career middleweights fighting slightly north of the division at a catchweight just to have an easier time making weight. For all intent and purposes, they were all really middleweight fights. If unofficial lineal titles ignore the official verdicts, they will also ignore the official weights if appropriate.

I don't see why number of rounds matter. If you beat the champ, then you beat the champ. There's sanctioning body rules regarding number of rounds. There's no official unofficial lineal championship rule regarding number of rounds.

[Kagami Taiga]

Canelo is still Lineal until he abandons 160 completely.