BoxRec

What do you prefer ?
My answer is : the undisputed champion, definitely.

depends on the opposition

being undisputed is much harder these days with the business/politics involved in top fighters squaring off. with belts in different divisions there is more room for fighters with powerful backing to cherry pick a specific champ or go for a vacant belt

The opposition is the only thing that matters to me

jamamb wrote: ↑01 Mar 2019, 16:40 depends on the opposition

being undisputed is much harder these days with the business/politics involved in top fighters squaring off. with belts in different divisions there is more room for fighters with powerful backing to cherry pick a specific champ or go for a vacant belt

Saved me typing. Agreed!

Of course undisputed is harder. Look at multi weight champions like Broner.

If your goal is just to collect any old belt, it's just not THAT hard to win a title in three weight classes these days.

It's akin to being a top 10-15 fighter in three weight classes, not everybody can do it, but a talented fighter? No problem.

Although, I will say I think it depends on the weight classes a bit....Junior fly, fly, and super fly is not easy, but undoubtedly easier than Light heavy, cruiser, and heavyweight.

littlepug wrote: ↑01 Mar 2019, 16:42 The opposition is the only thing that matters to me

Definately. If you’re a 3 division world champion and you’ve beaten 3 genuine world champions. Not picked an easy touch of gone for a Vacant belt, then it would mean sumat. With 4 major orgs around, it ain’t hard to become a 3-weight world champion is it?

Undisputed is a very big thing still. HW’s can’t become 2 weight champions, never mind 3 weight. So for them, the ultimate goal IS undisputed.

If you’ve had to become undisputed, it’s a big thing. Then you have Jermaine Taylor, who didn’t need to unify, he just took all the belts of an undisputed champion.

It’s all depends how it’s done and opposition is key.

With so many weight divisions to go along with countless belts, it's not a big deal.

It certainly shouldn't be compared to what Armstrong did.

Multi-weight titleholders are practically the norm these days. You're considered a somewhat mediocre fighter if you can snare only 1 alphabet belt.

But there still aren't many undisputed champs. That's still quite a feat.

Usyk did it and deserves props. I expect Canelo will join him in achieving that lofty accomplishment this year.

Tough question imo.
I think it depends on the divisions.
In the three/four belt era how many three division title holders got their first belt at 160 and the next two at higher divisions?
Without looking it up I can only think of two. RJjr and Toney. I'm sure there are more but those are the only two that come to mind right now. Please correct me if I'm wrong.
Three division title holder with the three weights being light heavy, cruiser and heavyweight?
I believe we are still waiting for that guy right?

Starting below 160 three division belt winners seem to happen quite a bit.

If you start at cruiser or heavy you can't win titles in three divisions so obviously undisputed is the ultimate goal.

It is about oponents but i say undisputed champion. Multiple weight division chapms often looking for "easier belts". Undisputed champ must defeat all beltholders regardless of their quality.

littlepug wrote: ↑01 Mar 2019, 16:42 The opposition is the only thing that matters to me

You can only fight whoever has the belts, or is mandated in the case of a vacant, if undisputed is the goal.
There are exceptions, beat Canelo and automatically your #1 MW, belt or no belt.

..of course your have to look at it on a case-by-case basis..generally speaking though I would go with the undisputed champion due to the reasons mentioned above..

Now it's being undisputed historically 3 weights .

Undisputed. It's very hard to do it these days. Usyk, Crawford and then who ? No one!

apollo creed wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 07:16 Undisputed. It's very hard to do it these days. Usyk, Crawford and then who ? No one!

I expect Lomachenko will do this (AT LW), definitely.
Thiss might happen at LWW and at HW, too.
I mean by the end of 2020.

It's better to be an undisputed champion at three weight divisions.

DrDuke wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 07:48 It's better to be an undisputed champion at three weight divisions.

I don't think in this era that any fighter can have a long enough career to manage that feat.

Agree they should go back to 1 Champion per Division and 8 Weight Divisions (No more than 12) When it was 1 Champion Per Weight Division and 8 Divisions Henry Armstrong won the Featherweight, lightweight and Welterweight titles and fought the Middleweight Champion to a draw, so he almost won 4 of the 8 titles.

1okstcsb wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 14:22 Agree they should go back to 1 Champion per Division and 8 Weight Divisions (No more than 12) When it was 1 Champion Per Weight Division and 8 Divisions Henry Armstrong won the Featherweight, lightweight and Welterweight titles and fought the Middleweight Champion to a draw, so he almost won 4 of the 8 titles.

And over a large weight discrepancy. No "super" this or "light" that.

I must say that I would have much preferred to see Jeff Fenech try to unify the belt at Featherweight before moving up to fight Azuma Nelson. But to be fair he had brittle hands and tried to make hay while the sun was shining

It can be contentious these days who is or isn't 'undisputed', but when a guy stakes a good long claim like "this is my weight class and nobody's beating me at it," personally I think a lot of people understate how cool that is.

squiggy wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 22:43 It can be contentious these days who is or isn't 'undisputed', but when a guy stakes a good long claim like "this is my weight class and nobody's beating me at it," personally I think a lot of people understate how cool that is.

Like the Monzons and Haglers of yesteryear. They owned their division. Nice point!

In those lower weight classes you are one good crap and an hour in the sauna from one division to another.

tiny_acres wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 23:09 In those lower weight classes you are one good crap and an hour in the sauna from one division to another.

oogiebe wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 23:18

tiny_acres wrote: ↑02 Mar 2019, 23:09 In those lower weight classes you are one good crap and an hour in the sauna from one division to another.

aint't it the truth..