The Undisputed Champion: Is it Garbage or Exactly What We Fans Have Been Waining For?

[caldo2025]

Since the dreaded 4 belt era began in 2004, we all complained about the belt situation. Too many belt holders and never mind the ridiculous minor “belt holders” through the verbal masturbation these alphabet idiots try to make fans absorb. We’ve longed for the UFC model and their righteous recognization of one true champion per weight division.

Well, at this point, are we not seeing not only more undisputed champions in Boxing but more of an emphasis of fighters to strive to become THE true and only champion amongst their peers? Since 2004, we’ve seen only 7 undisputed champions crowned but the majority of these quests have been achieved recently. Do I dare say that Boxing is experiencing progress within a sport that treats the idea as death?

But let’s face it, we’ve just crowned a 23 year old undisputed champion who clearly stated that he cared not for anything else but being the only one. I call it progress. I see these legislations working together a bit more freely to achieve fan’s longing to streamline the sports true champions. Am I crazy or do we have a reason to be hopeful for once in this sport?

[KiwiRider]

For a start Haney only has the belts, he isn't considered #1 by most yet.
And 4 belts is stupid, as are all the minor ones like super/world/international/recess/franchise/intercontinental/gold etc.
It's a mess fuelled by greed. And it's bad for the sport

[caldo2025]

For a start Haney only has the belts, he isn't considered #1 by most yet.
And 4 belts is stupid, as are all the minor ones like super/world/international/recess/franchise/intercontinental/gold etc.
It's a mess fuelled by greed. And it's bad for the sport

I understand that but you can’t deny that there’s now some very extra luster put on being “undisputed”. For years, we’ve been arguing about who was the linear champion. We put up our poster board mob hierarchy-like faces to see who is the true top and who beat the man who beat the man. You don’t hear much crap anymore about linear champions. It’s more about the undisputed guy. And to me, I think that’s been pretty good for this sport. It takes the arguments away and finally boxing is awarding it more often than it has in last 18 years.

[gregregegg]

being "undisputed"/having 4 belts is great, but Actualy being the definitive top dog is better. Being both is best.
additionaly the depth of the division matters lots. Being definitive top dog at 135 or 147 would obviosly mean more than at cruiserweight or 126.

Its still a great lable to have, and use to promote with, but as it becomes more common and a few "eh" undisputed champs its taken a bit of the shine of. Haney and josh taylors (since catteral) undisputed means less than Inoues domanance.

[Mexi-Box]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

[BROZO]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

my feelings exactly

[Syntax Error]

For a start Haney only has the belts, he isn't considered #1 by most yet.
And 4 belts is stupid, as are all the minor ones like super/world/international/recess/franchise/intercontinental/gold etc.
It's a mess fuelled by greed. And it's bad for the sport

I understand that but you can’t deny that there’s now some very extra luster put on being “undisputed”. For years, we’ve been arguing about who was the linear champion. We put up our poster board mob hierarchy-like faces to see who is the true top and who beat the man who beat the man. You don’t hear much crap anymore about linear champions. It’s more about the undisputed guy. And to me, I think that’s been pretty good for this sport. It takes the arguments away and finally boxing is awarding it more often than it has in last 18 years.

I have noticed that it's only in respect of the heavyweights that folk seem to get exercised about the linear champion; it doesn't seem to resonate with the lower weight classes for some reason.

[RScarf1]

We’ve longed for the UFC model and their righteous recognization of one true champion per weight division.

There are other MMA promotions that have their own belts such as Bellator and ONE. It is just that the UFC overall has the better talent, so the UFC champions are considered the best in the world. There are some Bellator and ONE fighters on the MMA Junkie/USA Today world ranking lists.

[margaret thatcher]

For a start Haney only has the belts, he isn't considered #1 by most yet.
And 4 belts is stupid, as are all the minor ones like super/world/international/recess/franchise/intercontinental/gold etc.
It's a mess fuelled by greed. And it's bad for the sport

I understand that but you can’t deny that there’s now some very extra luster put on being “undisputed”. For years, we’ve been arguing about who was the linear champion. We put up our poster board mob hierarchy-like faces to see who is the true top and who beat the man who beat the man. You don’t hear much crap anymore about linear champions. It’s more about the undisputed guy. And to me, I think that’s been pretty good for this sport. It takes the arguments away and finally boxing is awarding it more often than it has in last 18 years.

I have noticed that it's only in respect of the heavyweights that folk seem to get exercised about the linear champion; it doesn't seem to resonate with the lower weight classes for some reason.

heavyweight obsession over past few years with it has mainly been due to fury fans + his team obsessing over it. when he came back he didnt have a belt, so they just went on about the lineal. and then someone else still had more belts than him....but but but......he's lineal! and ring magazine!

[funso banjo baby]

Some us complained long before 2004
The weights and titles were being devalued some time before then

[cpx2]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

I don't necessarily disagree with the general premise of this; it's not Haney's fault that the title holders (Lomachenko, then Lopez, then Kambosos) all put in abject performances in their defences though. Mentioning Garcia is also extremely questionable, but that's beside the point.

[Bandog]

It obviously doesn't prove you are the best without fighting the other top guys, but don't blame the boxer.

With boxing politics the way it is, it is extremely hard to do. It is an incredible feat that know one can take away.

[caldo2025]

It obviously doesn't prove you are the best without fighting the other top guys, but don't blame the boxer.

With boxing politics the way it is, it is extremely hard to do. It is an incredible feat that know one can take away.

I agree. I mean, no boxer can legitimately fight and prove that they can defeat everyone within their division. Some of the posts so far just seem to point to, for instance, other fighters within a division that COULD be better than Haney. But, guess what, when you own all the belts then that crap doesn’t matter. The undisputed champion owns the belts and I don’t care who is below them, it’s a pretty amazing accomplishment considering how many great champs never did it.

But the fact that it now appears to be the goal of many fighters is a great thing imo. I think Boxing needs to find a better way for these undisputed champions then defend and maintain their reigns but it’s a good step in the sport to me.

[Finkel]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

He didn't break anything. Loma was beaten by Lopez, Lopez was beaten by Kambosos, Kambosos was beaten by Haney.

It is as it ever was.

Haney is #1 until proven otherwise. And he has the belts to show for it.

[giacomino]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

Don’t disagree with your overall assessment but find it ironic you describe Kambosos as a “Euro-level titlist” when shortly before the fight we had boxrecers putting him in the top 10 pfp and somebody actually started a thread asking if he was the best Aussie fighter ever,

[Mexi-Box]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

Don’t disagree with your overall assessment but find it ironic you describe Kambosos as a “Euro-level titlist” when shortly before the fight we had boxrecers putting him in the top 10 pfp and somebody actually started a thread asking if he was the best Aussie fighter ever,

You can search my posts. He didn't even beat Selby all that clear in my eyes. Aussies love their fighters and overhype them. I don't see anything in Tszyu, but the Aussies seem to hype him.

He is lineal, but he's also not the best in the division. I'd honestly have Tank above Haney.

[Mexi-Box]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

He didn't break anything. Loma was beaten by Lopez, Lopez was beaten by Kambosos, Kambosos was beaten by Haney.

It is as it ever was.

Haney is #1 until proven otherwise. And he has the belts to show for it.

If you think Haney is the best after performing worse against Gamboa than Isaac Cruz then all power to you. The belts mean nothing at this point. Do you think he beats Lomachenko, Garcia, or Tank? I don't think he beats any of them. This is contrary to Usyk and even Charlo who, at the time of being lineal, were definitely the #1, and I had no doubts they would beat everyone else.

[Finkel]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

He didn't break anything. Loma was beaten by Lopez, Lopez was beaten by Kambosos, Kambosos was beaten by Haney.

It is as it ever was.

Haney is #1 until proven otherwise. And he has the belts to show for it.

If you think Haney is the best after performing worse against Gamboa than Isaac Cruz then all power to you. The belts mean nothing at this point. Do you think he beats Lomachenko, Garcia, or Tank? I don't think he beats any of them. This is contrary to Usyk and even Charlo who, at the time of being lineal, were definitely the #1, and I had no doubts they would beat everyone else.

Sometimes in boxing the guy at the top holding the belts isn't the best in the division. Whether I think he beats Loma or not is something we can have fun discussing, but at the end of the day Haney is #1 in the division and is the champ. The man to beat as it were.

Having one champion and one belt doesn't guarantee the best man is always the one holding the title.

It never has.

However it tells people that fighter has earned the right to call themselves the champ and that they are the guy to beat.

The reason Loma isn't that guy, is because he didn't turn up for half a fight when everything was on the line against Lopez... It is what it is.

[Enlightened-One]

Am I crazy or do we have a reason to be hopeful for once in this sport?

Undisputed champions are usually only created under two scenarios:

• A single promoter and network (i.e. Top Rank at 135lbs or the PBC at 154lbs) controls all the titleholders in a weight class (including free-agents willing to sign one-fight deals)
• A title unification bout between two fighters from opposing sides of the street (holding all four titles) would inevitably result in a mega-money super-fight, where all interested parties are well paid

Those two situations are relatively rare.

Devin Haney only became the undisputed champion at 135lbs because Top Rank either promoted or co-promoted the fighters that held the titles.

Haney probably wouldn't be the undisputed champion at 135lbs had he remained with Matchroom/DAZN.

Jermell Charlo only became the undisputed champion at 154lbs because the PBC controlled the fighters that held all the titles.

The PBC promoted the event between Canelo and Caleb Plant to unify the 168lbs weight class.

This bout probably wouldn't have happened if Canelo wasn't a free agent when he signed the one-fight deal with the PBC.

The 147lbs weight division will eventually be unified before the end of the year, because the PBC will be controlling Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr.

This bout probably wouldn't have happened if Terence Crawford was still contracted to Top Rank.

Josh Taylor only managed to unify the 140lbs weight class, because Top Rank controlled all the fighters.

The WBC, WBO & IBF straps at 175lbs will be unified soon, because Top Rank control Joe Smith Jr. and Artur Beterbiev.

And if Canelo successfully avenges the Bivol loss, then the Mexican will likely sign a one-fight deal with Top Rank in order to unify the all the titles within the 175lbs weight class.

Tyson Fury will likely engage in a title unification bout against the eventual victor of the AJ-Usyk rematch, because it would likely result in a money-spinning super-fight.

Therefore, I really don’t think the boxing landscape has changed.I think we've just been very fortunate lately.

All we can do (as fans) is hope that an individual promoter/network manages to successfully orchestrate control over all the fighters holding all the titles within the same weight class.

[giacomino]

It doesn't mean much anymore. I think Haney pretty much broke it. He's in a division that is talent-laden, Lomachenko, Tank, and Garcia. He won those belts fighting a Euro-level titlist. We also don't even consider him hands down the best in the division.

Don’t disagree with your overall assessment but find it ironic you describe Kambosos as a “Euro-level titlist” when shortly before the fight we had boxrecers putting him in the top 10 pfp and somebody actually started a thread asking if he was the best Aussie fighter ever,

You can search my posts. He didn't even beat Selby all that clear in my eyes. Aussies love their fighters and overhype them. I don't see anything in Tszyu, but the Aussies seem to hype him.

He is lineal, but he's also not the best in the division. I'd honestly have Tank above Haney.

Didn’t mean to imply you were one of the fan boys. I was just saying in general, that some of the boxrec posters treated him like Superman because he beat a disinterested Lopez. Like Tsyzu, who is already in the HOF according to some posters

[margaret thatcher]

i dont think timmy gets wildly overrated by most fans, at least outside aus

[giacomino]

i dont think timmy gets wildly overrated by most fans, at least outside aus

Agree, just talking about on boxrec, where it might be mostly Aussie fans. Given the right opponent he can win an alphabet belt, but you can say that about a lot of top 20 fighters in each division

[daz74]

Don’t disagree with your overall assessment but find it ironic you describe Kambosos as a “Euro-level titlist” when shortly before the fight we had boxrecers putting him in the top 10 pfp and somebody actually started a thread asking if he was the best Aussie fighter ever,

You can search my posts. He didn't even beat Selby all that clear in my eyes. Aussies love their fighters and overhype them. I don't see anything in Tszyu, but the Aussies seem to hype him.

He is lineal, but he's also not the best in the division. I'd honestly have Tank above Haney.

Didn’t mean to imply you were one of the fan boys. I was just saying in general, that some of the boxrec posters treated him like Superman because he beat a disinterested Lopez. Like Tsyzu, who is already in the HOF according to some posters

Disinterested Lopez ? He was fired up for the Kambo fight

[daz74]

He didn't break anything. Loma was beaten by Lopez, Lopez was beaten by Kambosos, Kambosos was beaten by Haney.

It is as it ever was.

Haney is #1 until proven otherwise. And he has the belts to show for it.

If you think Haney is the best after performing worse against Gamboa than Isaac Cruz then all power to you. The belts mean nothing at this point. Do you think he beats Lomachenko, Garcia, or Tank? I don't think he beats any of them. This is contrary to Usyk and even Charlo who, at the time of being lineal, were definitely the #1, and I had no doubts they would beat everyone else.

Sometimes in boxing the guy at the top holding the belts isn't the best in the division. Whether I think he beats Loma or not is something we can have fun discussing, but at the end of the day Haney is #1 in the division and is the champ. The man to beat as it were.

Having one champion and one belt doesn't guarantee the best man is always the one holding the title.

It never has.

However it tells people that fighter has earned the right to call themselves the champ and that they are the guy to beat.

The reason Loma isn't that guy, is because he didn't turn up for half a fight when everything was on the line against Lopez... It is what it is.

Top post