Title Belts
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Photo: Terry McGovern's 1899 "Police Gazette Bantam Weight
Champion of the World Prize Ring Belt"
It is believed that the first championship belt was awarded in 1809 to Tom Cribb after his defeat of Jem Belcher.
A history of championship belts can be found in the October 1977 issue of the The Ring magazine. The Ring presented its first title belt to Jack Dempsey September 1921, following his knockout of Georges Carpentier. (Its 267th belt was given to Alexis Arguello in 1977.)
Some examples of title belts:
- Lonsdale Belt
- Terry McGovern's 1899 "National Police Gazette Bantam Weight Champion of the World Prize Ring Belt" (Photo above). History of belt here.
- The Boston Belt (circa ?)
- Max Baer's The Ring title belt
- Sixto Escobar wearing his 1934 Seagram's Belt (Bantamweight World Title, as recognized by the Montreal Athletic Commission), which he won by defeating Baby Casanova in Montreal: image
- Jimmy McLarnin wearing his Welterweight Title Belt (photo taken circa 2000): image
- Nat Fleischer & Hogan (Kid) Bassey with the 1959 The Ring Championship Belt: image
- Lennox Lewis with the The Ring, WBC, IBF and IBO Belts: image
- Audley Harrison with the WBF Belt: image
- Nicky Cook with the European Featherweight Belt: image
