Is Winning 3 World Titles in These Times Mean Something Now?

[elmersalsa]

I remember back when I started following the sport of boxing that when someone won a third world title in three weight classes was considered definitely an all time great status for a boxer.

The first time that ever happened in my consciousness was when the great Wilfred Benitez became the youngest triple crown titlist at age 22. Back then, that was an accomplishment of itself. Then the great Alexis Arguello followed suit. Arguello beat the best champion in each weight class he was stepping up. He took no shortcuts.

Then greats like Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard raised the bar in winning more than 3 titles in different weight classes.

While I was checking the records of some champions today, I see that lots of them are three-division titlists, but, not many people considered them all time pound per pound greats.

My question is, what these champions gotta do to get the all time great pound per pound status? They have won 3 titles. What's the bar for them to consider them great boxers?

[littlepug]

world titles are devalued these days but they still mean something, ultimately though its the fighters you face and the results you get that determine your worth, I think the days are gone when your gonna be world famous for winning a world title unless you can unify the division and make 60 defences all by knockout

[Rexob]

world titles are devalued these days but they still mean something, ultimately though its the fighters you face and the results you get that determine your worth, I think the days are gone when your gonna be world famous for winning a world title unless you can unify the division and make 60 defences all by knockout

Pretty much sums it up.

[SenorPipino]

Fight and beat elite fighters will determine your place in boxing lore, NOT the number of meaninglesss titles you win.

Even title unifications hold little interest. Was the sports world drooling last year because Mayweather and Pacquiao were putting their WBC and WBO welterweight titles on the line? No one cared, most didn't even know.

It's nothing like when Leonard and Hearns unified the welter division. Championships meant something then. Now it's simply who you beat that counts.

Too many titles and weight divisions have made championships worthless--except to the lucky guy who carries the champ's belt above his head when walking down the aisle on fight night.

[crusader]

As others have suggested, winning titles isn't impressive on its own---it's about who you beat and how you beat them.

[elmersalsa]

Well, for me, it's going to be very rare to see an all time TRUE GREAT like Pretty Boy Floyd or Pacman. Two guys that are considered pretty high in the ATG pound per pound rankings.

In the first 100 years of the gloved era (1882-1982), there were only 7 boxers in the history of the sport that achieved triple crown champ status:
Bob Fitzsimmons
Henry Armstrong
Tony Canzoneri
Barney Ross
Emile Griffith
Wilfred Benitez
Alexis Arguello

Since then, we have more than 25 boxers that have been triple crown kings it in the last 34 years!

It means to many that triple crown division champions is not that impressive of an achievement any more.

[stevedoc]

Well, for me, it's going to be very rare to see an all time TRUE GREAT like Pretty Boy Floyd or Pacman. Two guys that are considered pretty high in the ATG pound per pound rankings.

In the first 100 years of the gloved era (1882-1982), there were only 7 boxers in the history of the sport that achieved triple crown champ status:
Bob Fitzsimmons
Henry Armstrong
Tony Canzoneri
Barney Ross
Emile Griffith
Wilfred Benitez
Alexis Arguello

Since then, we have more than 25 boxers that have been triple crown kings it in the last 34 years!


It means to many that triple crown division champions is not that impressive of an achievement any more.

I haven't checked but I thought Griffith won welter and middle

[davie]

I think the best way to answer that is Bob Fitsimmons was first to win titles in 3 weight classes, Henry Armstrong was the first man to hold 3 titles, Adrien Broner is a 4 weight world champion.
Take from that what you will.

[davie]

http://boxrec.com/boxer/483786
http://boxrec.com/boxer/296008

Narrow weight classes also mean that these ATGs now rank as triple champions.
105-112lbs.
Jimmy Wilde didn't have this option. He just fought for Fly weight titles weighing as little as 94lbs

[giacomino]

No. Acre won two "world titles" fighting the same Indonesian club fighter at different weight classes to win two vacant "world titles." World titles these days are about being able to sell a gullible public on a fight, not the greatness of the fighter involved

[TBEwasLangford]

I think if you look at how many boxers have won Lineal world titles at 3 different weights this paints a different story. Few boxers in the alphabet era have accomplished this. Pacquiao and Mayweather aside who can be considered to have won them at 4 weights each there a very few I can think of straight away...very difficult achievement.

[SaadOffTheDeck]

Depends on how they're won.

[elmersalsa]

Between the first one hundred years of the gloved era of boxing (1881-1981), there were only 7 world triple crown world champions in the history of the sport:
1. Bob Fitzsimmons
2. Tony Canzoneri
3. Barney Ross
4. Henry Armstrong
5. Emile Griffith
6. Wilfred Benitez
7. Alexis Arguello

Since then, without counting WBO titlists, we have seen in the last 35 years alone, 29 triple crown world champions!

The last 29 triple crown titlists:
8. Roberto Duran
9. Wilfredo Gomez
10. Thomas Hearns
11. Sugar Ray Leonard
12. Jeff Fenech
13. Julio Cesar Chavez
14. Iran Barkley
15. Pernell Whitaker
16. Mike McCallum
17. Wilfredo Vazquez
18. Roy Jones, Jr.
19. Oscar De La Hoya
20. Leo Gamez
21. Felix "Tito" Trinidad
22. Johnny Tapia
23. James Toney
24. Shane Mosley
25. Erik Morales
26. Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
27. Manny Pacquiao
28. Juan Manuel Marquez
29. Koki Kameda
30. Nonito Donaire
31. Abner Mares
32. Miguel Cotto
33. Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez
34. Kazuto Ioka
35. Leo Santa Cruz
36. Akira Yaegashi