Modern Multiple Division Champions Compared to Old

[Tony Trick-Pony]

If regards to the original eight divisions that so many great fighters fought under, it's interesting how close they all are.

Pacquiao is considered an 8-division champion but under the old weight system, he's four- Flyweight, Featherweight, Lightweight and Welterweight.

Mayweather is considered 5, but would be two under the old weight system- Lightweight and Welterweight.

Duran is considered 4, but would be three with titles at Lightweight, Welterweight and Middleweight.

Thomas Hearns is considered 5 but is 3 with Welterweight, Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.

Roy Jones Jr. is 4 unless you count his WBU Cruiser title but is 3- Middleweight, Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight.

Sugar Ray Leonard is listed at 5 but is 3 under the old system- Welterweight, Middleweight and Light Heavyweight.

Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr. is considered 3, but just one with Lightweight.

Oscar De La Hoya is considered 6 under modern rules, but would be 3 with Lightweight, Welterweight and Middleweight.

It's funny to see the differences. Have standards dropped?

[TonyGe]

No standards haven't dropped. There are simply more divisions. You can't tell a fighter your title doesn't count because your division didn't exist in the past.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

No standards haven't dropped. There are simply more divisions. You can't tell a fighter your title doesn't count because your division didn't exist in the past.

Oh no. I'm suggesting that. Of course they should fight in whatever division they feel is a good weight for them.

It's funny to me that Henry Armstrong is called a 3-weight division while Pacquiao and others are called 5, 6, 7 and 8 division champions, knowing that Armstrong definitely would have been 6 easily. Just a reflection on how things have changed in the sport.

[TonyGe]

They sure have. The modern boxers get too much credit for multiple weight jumps.

[daggum]

broner and floyd both tied at 2! lol!

[daggum]

No standards haven't dropped. There are simply more divisions. You can't tell a fighter your title doesn't count because your division didn't exist in the past.

standards def have dropped. with twice as many divisions that means the talent is spread more thinly across twice as many divisions. in the past you would have twice as many good fighters in the same division so rising to the top was a real task. also 4 belts compared to 1 or 2 in the past so once again 2 to 4 times more people are considered champs than would be in the past. thats why when goofs like larry say floyd beat more champs than anyone else in history hes being disingenous and pretending stat padding is the same as beating quality opposition, and no one likes stat padding. most of the guys he beat never ever would have been champs in other eras based on the criteria i just listed

[Tony Trick-Pony]

standards def have dropped. with twice as many divisions that means the talent is spread more thinly across twice as many divisions. in the past you would have twice as many good fighters in the same division so rising to the top was a real task. also 4 belts compared to 1 or 2 in the past so once again 2 to 4 times more people are considered champs than would be in the past. thats why when goofs like larry say floyd beat more champs than anyone else in history hes being disingenous and pretending stat padding is the same as beating quality opposition, and no one likes stat padding. most of the guys he beat never ever would have been champs in other eras based on the criteria i just listed

So true.

That's the bad part. If combine a lot of these divisions, the talent pool would vastly increase and with 1 or even 2 champs, many quality fighters would be forced to fight each other for title shots, top spots, etc. It's watered down from past eras.

TC wouldn't be wasting his time by any means if 140 didn't exist. He'd be in the mix with Thurman, Porter, Garcia, etc. Not by choice. The system would make it happen.

And yeah, a lot of guys would have never gotten close to titles. Guerrero? Highly doubtful. Ortiz? Maybe but doubtful. Maidana? I think so but I don't know. In forty fights, he won one alphabet belt and made no successful defenses. The odds don't favor him. Pac definitely would have but not nearly as many. With only 1 or 2 belts per division, he probably would have never been flyweight champion at least. Berto might have been champion but I don't know. Castillo? Maybe. If it were set up this way, May would have maybe ten champions on his cv if that. Modern times are too belt happy.

[TonyGe]

standards def have dropped. with twice as many divisions that means the talent is spread more thinly across twice as many divisions. in the past you would have twice as many good fighters in the same division so rising to the top was a real task. also 4 belts compared to 1 or 2 in the past so once again 2 to 4 times more people are considered champs than would be in the past. thats why when goofs like larry say floyd beat more champs than anyone else in history hes being disingenous and pretending stat padding is the same as beating quality opposition, and no one likes stat padding. most of the guys he beat never ever would have been champs in other eras based on the criteria i just listed

That's a good point. I hadn't considered that.

[Tony Trick-Pony]

That's a good point. I hadn't considered that.

Boxing's a totally different world these days.