BoxRec

All politics aside the UK now has 8 world champions holding one of the 4 recognised belts:

James Degale
Liam Smith
Kell Brook
Terry Flanagan
Lee Selby
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Lee Haskins

And McDonell who deserves to be more than most on the list but the WBA regular isn't really a world title imo. Obviously some such as Quigg, Smith and Haskins can count themselves a bit lucky to be champion and maybe more down to politics. But still impressive.

When was the last time this happened? Has it happened before?

Could be 2 more after tonight as well.

Are any of them the best in their division?

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

You cld make a case for DeGale, certainly

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Na dont think so. Handing out world titles like sweeties these days!

Japanese has 8 or 9 depending on how you regard the WBA-
Uchiyama
Miura
Yamanaka
Kono
Inoue
Ioka (WBA Reg)
Taguchi
Takayama
Tanaka

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Good question although you could also say that 75% of alphabet champions are not the best in their division (sadly). And when it comes to the WBA 66% of their champions are not even the best of their champions!!!

I have to say that in my 40 years of watching boxing this doesn't exactly get me excited. It's more of a combination of boxing's overall lack of quality couple with how much clout UK promoters have at the moment.

But fair play to the fighters. They each worked hard for their status.

By the way, where's Jamie McDonnell?

I'd have ...

Degale as No. 1
Brook as part of a pack that could have any one of them as number one.
Framton or Quigg could be top dog soon.

Some are not real world champions though they are British world champions. That's according to Fury.

ThereByTheGrace wrote:

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Na dont think so. Handing out world titles like sweeties these days!

Exactly that's what it's about winning one of these belts has become far too easy just look at Liam Smith for example. We've not had 'the man ' at a weight class since Calzaghe retired.

Out of the current champs the guys who could possibly be the best at their weight IMO are Degale and Flanagan but need the fights to prove it. Terry Flanagan is boxrec number 1 lightweight though :)

Some titles massively devalued. I mean Quigg basically won his title by getting a draw. The WBA are farcical with their titles. The WBO still doesn't do it for me although obviously they have some very credible champions. To me the IBF seem the most legit governing body these days.

Some good wins by the fighters on the list though, Degale, Brook, Selby and Frampton all have beaten a proven world class fighter. No Coincidence perhaps that they are all IBF champs.

dbf wrote:Some titles massively devalued. I mean Quigg basically won his title by getting a draw. The WBA are farcical with their titles. The WBO still doesn't do it for me although obviously they have some very credible champions. To me the IBF seem the most legit governing body these days.

Some good wins by the fighters on the list though, Degale, Brook, Selby and Frampton all have beaten a proven world class fighter. No Coincidence perhaps that they are all IBF champs.

All as bad as each other though obviously WBA by far the worst. IBF have had shocking mandatories Jo Jo Dan and now Bizier for Brook and Mohammadi was way out of his depth against Kovalev.

James Degale
Liam Smith
Kell Brook
Terry Flanagan
Lee Selby
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Lee Haskins
Jamie Mcdonnell
Anthony Crolla.
Andy Lee (according to Horse)

We maybe don't have a Calzaghe but thats an impressive list regardless of the ABC titles and strength of competition.
Imagine we added the unified heavyweight world title to the list......

How many more could we potentially add to this list in the next year or so?

I don't get the WBA they have world champions and super world champions, what does Crolla come under after Saturday's night ?

When I was a kid (albeit a long time ago) most sports fans could name the 8 world champions. I doubt whether there's a single person in the world who could name all of the current champions.

Nightmare Roy wrote:Some are not real world champions though they are British world champions. That's according to Fury.

Let's face it, he talks a lot of rubbish but he's not far off here. There is a difference between winning a major belt and being the true world champion. If Fury does the business on Sat it will be a better achievement than any of the current titlists' efforts.

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Think you could make a case for DeGale, Flanagan, Brook and McDonnell being the best in their divisions

Doesn't Mexico have more?

Although it's not a nation v nation sport, I'm very proud that we're arguably a top 5 boxing nation and definitely in the top 10.

Nightmare Roy wrote:Some are not real world champions though they are British world champions. That's according to Fury.

I understand what Fury is saying completely, however it is hardly an exclusively British thing.
Weak champions exist all over the world.
It just so happens that this country has more than most at the moment.

ThereByTheGrace wrote:

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Na dont think so. Handing out world titles like sweeties these days!

These days? It's been this way for a quarter of a century.

danamba7 wrote:Although it's not a nation v nation sport, I'm very proud that we're arguably a top 5 boxing nation and definitely in the top 10.

Good point. Who makes up the rest of the top 5? For me its USA, Mexico, Russia and Japan

dr_devious wrote:

danamba7 wrote:Although it's not a nation v nation sport, I'm very proud that we're arguably a top 5 boxing nation and definitely in the top 10.

Good point. Who makes up the rest of the top 5? For me its USA, Mexico, Russia and Japan

Obviously opinions will differ on this but I reckon the top 10 would be made up of USA, Mexico, Japan, Russia, GB, Ukraine, Argentina, Canada, Philippines and Cuba. I think we'd have a fair shout for the top 5 at the moment.

Jack B wrote:

Nightmare Roy wrote:Some are not real world champions though they are British world champions. That's according to Fury.

Let's face it, he talks a lot of rubbish but he's not far off here. There is a difference between winning a major belt and being the true world champion. If Fury does the business on Sat it will be a better achievement than any of the current titlists' efforts.

danamba7 wrote:

dr_devious wrote:

danamba7 wrote:Although it's not a nation v nation sport, I'm very proud that we're arguably a top 5 boxing nation and definitely in the top 10.

Good point. Who makes up the rest of the top 5? For me its USA, Mexico, Russia and Japan

Obviously opinions will differ on this but I reckon the top 10 would be made up of USA, Mexico, Japan, Russia, GB, Ukraine, Argentina, Canada, Philippines and Cuba. I think we'd have a fair shout for the top 5 at the moment.

It's a tough one to argue Japan for example have their concentration of top fighters in the lower weights Russia have theirs in the higher weights.

UK however have top people in a wider variety of weights then anywhere else.

davie wrote:James Degale
Liam Smith
Kell Brook
Terry Flanagan
Lee Selby
Carl Frampton
Scott Quigg
Lee Haskins
Jamie Mcdonnell
Anthony Crolla.
Andy Lee (according to Horse)

We maybe don't have a Calzaghe but thats an impressive list regardless of the ABC titles and strength of competition.
Imagine we added the unified heavyweight world title to the list......

How many more could we potentially add to this list in the next year or so?

How many of that list are likely to become 'the man' in their division?

Sklar wrote:Are any of them the best in their division?

Are any of them p4p elite?

Froch was the last UK fighter that could be qualified as that. Frampton, Brook, DeGale have potential.