Vitali Klitschko - The current Linear Champion

[theguvnor]

I am still a little confused as to what qualifies as “linear”.
I know it is “the man who beat the man” but. What about where the line is broken or the linear champ is stripped of the title.

I don’t agree that Shannon Briggs should be part of the line. OK, he did beat Foreman, but in a non title fight, so it should not count should it?????

Also in the case of James J Jeffries. Should Hart and Burns be included in the linear??. Jeffries retired, the linear should pass to the person who won the vacant tile, Hart, then to Burns.
Before Jeffries comeback on 4th July 1910 the linear line was as follows, Jeffries, Hart, Burns, and Johnson. After Jeffries unsuccessful comeback, Hart and Burns find themselves eliminated from the linear line. That isn’t right, For the purpose of linear integrity, maybe unsuccessful attempts by previous linear champs should be disregarded.

What would have happened if Marciano had come out of retirement in 1965 to fight Ali. Patterson, Johansson, and Liston would have been eliminated from the linear line

What would have happened if Foreman had retired as champ in 1977. He would have reclaimed the linear champ in 1994 when he beat Moorer, thus eliminating Spinks, Ali, Tate, Weaver, Dokes, Coetzee, Page, Tubbs, Witherspoon, Smith, Tyson, Douglas, Holyfield, Bowe, and Moorer from the linear line.

The only problem I have with my theory is that it totally overlooks one of the best Heavyweight champs of all time…. Larry Holmes.
But it has to be that way because when the WBC stripped Ali of their title, they effectively cut themselves off from the rightful linear champion.
So now only the WBA could claim the linear champ.
So when Ali finally retired, John Tate succeeded him, when he won the vacant title held by the previous linear champ.

Anyway its one theory.

Here is how I see the “line”.

John L Sullivan
James J Corbett
Bob Fitzsimmons
James J Jeffries
Marvin Hart – ("won" the vacant title held by the previous linear champ.)
Tommy Burns
Jack Johnson
Jess Willard
Jack Dempsey
Gene Tunney
Max Schmeling – (won the vacant title held by the previous linear champ.)
Jack Sharkey
Primo Carnera
Max Baer
James J Braddock
Joe Louis
Ezzaed Charles
Jersey Joe Walcott
Rocky Marciano
Floyd Patterson – (won the vacant title held by the previous linear champ.)
Ingemar Johansson
Floyd Patterson
Sonny Liston
Muhammad Ali (Clay)
Joe Frazier
George Foreman
Muhammad Ali
Leon Spinks
Muhammad Ali
John Tate – (won the vacant WBA title held by the previous linear champ.)
Mike Weaver
Michael Dokes
Gerrie Coetzee
Greg Page
Tony Tubbs
Tim Witherspoon
James (Bonecrusher) Smith
Mike Tyson
James (Buster) Douglas
Evander Holyfield
Riddick Bowe
Evander Holyfield
Michael Moorer
George Foreman
Francois Botha – (won the vacant IBF title held by the previous linear champ.)
Michael Moorer
Evander Holyfield
Lennox Lewis
Hasim Rahman
Lennox Lewis
Vitali Klitschko – (won the vacant WBC title held by the previous linear champ.)

[kovit]

Don't forget Ernie Terrell and Jimmy Ellis who are both WBA Champion.

[mrbassie]

I don’t agree that Shannon Briggs should be part of the line. OK, he did beat Foreman, but in a non title fight, so it should not count should it?????

I do. Foreman was the champ title or no title.

[theguvnor]

[/quote]Don't forget Ernie Terrell and Jimmy Ellis who are both WBA Champion.

Terrell and Ellis were not linear champions.
The linear champ in 1964 was Clay (Ali) who beat Liston. the WBA stripped Ali of the title because he fought a rematch with Liston. Both Terrell and Ellis were WBA champs, but Ali was the linear champ until he lost to Frazier in 1971

[robert.snell1]

it would look very different if the non title bouts were counted as valid and tracked it through on that basis. The whole idea of the non title bout has seemed ludicrous to me for years. you lose but don't !!!