WBA - couldnt make it up...

[Loynesy]

6′8, 270lb heavyweight Tye “Big Sky” Fields (41-2, 37 KOs) faces Nicolai Firtha (16-5-1, 7 KOs) on June 20, 2009 at River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The bout will be a twelve rounder for the vacant WBA Native American heavyweight championship.

Why am I not surprised that this belt is vacant?

[banjo]

Either the belt is just made up recently OR it's been vacant for decades seeing how not many Native Americans survived the slaughter when the yanks decided to build casinos in place of their teepees.

[Asterix]

It's not on Boxrec so I'm guessing it has only just been created!

[adwatson]

i think i won that once in a box of corn flakes....

shocking way of getting sanctioning fees really. somehow it wouldnt surprise me if fields gets made the "native american champion super in-recess emerites" if he doesnt decide to defend it

[Cannibal]

I think with the way WBA has 3 world champions in some divisions lately, I'm unofficialy shifting it down the pecking order and ranking it below the WBO in terms of belts now. They just keep devaluing themselves.

[steve689]

A disgraceful turn of events Why was I not informed of this new title?!

[whicker]

Is this the first modern title that makes elegibility by racial group, rather than geographical region?

[Exoddus]

[adwatson]

out of interest does fields actually classify as a "native american"??? as in cherokee type

i would be interested to know how many professional fighters there are from native america.

[Dioufy]

Trust me, I'm waiting for the WBA Cheshire belt and the WBA "Super Duper" world champion belt to procreate themselves.

[Adamj1987]

Trust me, I'm waiting for the WBA Cheshire belt and the WBA "Super Duper" world champion belt to procreate themselves.

id fight fo the WBA chesire belt lol im from lancahire its like golota winning the WBA fedelatin belt (id still like to know how he qualified for it)

[Loynesy]

A disgraceful turn of events Why was I not informed of this new title?!

Steve, as boxing's premier alphabet follower - I thought of you when I saw this mate

[oliverfennell]

Is this the first modern title that makes elegibility by racial group, rather than geographical region?

There was a "Hispanic" title in the early 90s and the "WBC African" title was pushed as not just for African-licensed boxers but for anyone of African descent. Thus Floyd Mayweather beat Henry Bruseles for an "African" title.

(At least the WBC made that distinction; I have no idea how the IBF justified Irish-Kiwi Shane Cameron vs Croatian-Aussie Bob Mirovic for their "African" title)

As for Tye Field, no idea about his ethnicity. I always assumed he was white, but could be at least part Native American. No idea. But Nicolai Firtha is Russian!

[THEBUTCH]

The WBA need to give Joe Hipp a call. Will the nonsence ever end!?

[HomicideHenry]

Hipp! Hipp! Hipp!

[jeej]

These fornicating belts. I wish they'd pack it in.

Would be so much simpler if it went something like this;

[*]National Title
[*]Continental Title
[*]World Title

Just three major types of belt for each weight division. But it seems like such an unreasonable and unreachable dream these days...

[oliverfennell]

I don't mind any form of geographical title, so long as it's properly enforced (no Australian-Aboriginal "Latin" champs). Whether the world, a continent, a country or even a state/area, as it least that means you're a champion of something.

I didn't even mind Intercontinental/International titles when they were more strictly enforced. With the major four belts, it used to be for boxers ranked 11-30, with the IC/IN champion becoming eligible for a world shot. That's fair enough. It actually meant something, roughly like a Division One. But nowadays these belts can seemingly be contested by anyone.

But if a title is not either (a) representing a specific place, or (b) representing a clearly defined segment of the rankings, forget it. That means modern-day IC belts, lesser sanctioning bodies, geographical titles that are open to anybody, and the Masters titles. If you can't easily say what it's a championship of, then it's not worth bothering with.

IMO the legit major titles at the moment are:

WBC
IBF
WBO
European
Commonwealth
NABF
USBA
PABA
OPBF

- plus legit national titles such as British, Japanese, Canadian, French, etc.

I don't include the WBA for now, because they've completely muddled things up, and while I like the IBO's policies, as long as their world title employs a top 100, I can't take them seriously.

[bigjack]

6′8, 270lb heavyweight Tye “Big Sky” Fields (41-2, 37 KOs) faces Nicolai Firtha (16-5-1, 7 KOs) on June 20, 2009 at River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The bout will be a twelve rounder for the vacant WBA Native American heavyweight championship.

Why am I not surprised that this belt is vacant?

Hey i might have a go at winning that,I have never put on a pair of boxing gloves,have no skills,would be s##t scared,and am too old,BUT i did have a holiday in America once years ago,so i suppose i'm as qualified as anyone for a TITLE SHOT

[Chambers2]

Any really small blokes want to fight me for the World Boxrec Association Northern European title, I've always wanted to be a Champ

[Bard of Boxrec]

Sorry, I would but I'm fighting that night for the World Boxrec Association Northern Indo-European title, in Reno, Nevada.

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

The authorities had a 'coloured' world heavyweight title - last winner was Larry Gains in 1935 and when Jack Johnson was champ - they had a 'white' world heavyweight championship which Luther McCoy and Gunboat Smith both won.

In South Africa - they had the national title (for white boxers) and the 'native' and 'coloured' titles - a load of shit if you ask me!

[Poncey]

For those that care Fields is part native american.

No-one? Oh well.

[Bard of Boxrec]

does anyone remember that night when herbie hide won one of these belts vs conroy nelson? The actual title and relevance of the win was bigged up by the commentary team and i think herbie years later actually said it was his best win.

[chinny]

does anyone remember that night when herbie hide won one of these belts vs conroy nelson? The actual title and relevance of the win was bigged up by the commentary team and i think herbie years later actually said it was his best win.

I remember, it was the WBC Intl. I think he went onto unify with the WBA Penta continental, but I could be wrong!

[Bard of Boxrec]

lol just watched it on youtube. The caption they used said it was the WBC title, that Conroy Nelson had a 'rating' of '10', and Jim McDonnell saying 'It's great for Herbie to be boxing in front of his hown fans for a major world title' Jim also said 'They say Conroy is the best in the world'