Confused? Take comfort in knowing you’re definitely not alone.
Since the end of the 80s – possibly a little before – the boxing landscape has become increasingly saturated with world titles. Otherwise known as boxing’s ‘alphabet soup’.
But why so many? A lot of people will mention greed as the reason. And unfortunately they’re probably right. Sanctioning bodies stand to make a lot more money by giving away more belts than one. Plus, any boxing event with ‘world title’ on the poster is likely to sell a lot more tickets.
For the record, there are currently a disgraceful number in existence – somewhere around 100 or so titles (taking into account the various sanctioning bodies). The result: multiple world champions and very, very confused fight fans.
But what do all those belts mean? Less and less is probably the answer, so let’s just concentrate on the one’s that matter the most (if we have to be objective):
World Boxing Champion Status Types
Super Champion
A fighter who holds a title, such as the WBA, who also holds another, say the WBC, or has unified the division, capturing the WBC, WBA and IBF, for example. This fighter has been upgraded from ‘Regular’ (below) to ‘Super’. Also – just to add confusion – a single-belted fighter can become ‘Super’ by defending that one belt 5 times.
Regular Champion
(read above) Now that the belt, say the WBA, is available, it can be won by another fighter. That belt is known as the ‘Regular’ variety – even though it is a world title belt, it is still trumped by the ‘Super’ variety (if a champion holds one at the time).
Interim Champion
Even stranger. One exists when a current champion, be it ‘Super’ or ‘Regular’, can’t defend his title due to an injury or other circumstance. In those instances, an ‘Interim’ title becomes available for other fighters looking to land a belt at world level.
Note: The above definitions may vary slightly depending on the sanctioning body.
If you’re still confused, it’s probably easier to just consider the Super Champion as the division top dog, and if one doesn’t yet exist, the Regular champion. Consider the Interim guy a world champion in waiting – just a contender. (In Boxing Base’s News, Rankings, Results and Schedules, we only mention Super titles – sometimes Regular when necessary – purely to steer clear of creating champion confusion).
For what it’s worth, the main (more respectable) sanctioning bodies to follow are the WBC, WBA and IBF. A pinch of salt may still be needed. Other bodies in existence are the WBO and IBO, among others. As with all of these organizations, opinion dictates which you prefer to place your faith in.
So Who Are the Real World Boxing Champions?
Want to know a secret? There aren’t any true world boxing champions (unification bouts rarely happen these days). The best way to decide who boxing’s greatest fighters are is to forget about titles and just decide for yourself. It sounds strange, but it’s often the best policy. Consider that there are a vast number of questionable world champions at any given time. There’s a stench of suspicion in the air, and you may ask yourself two things about a fighter (for example):
- How was he ever ranked so highly by a sanctioning body to get a title shot in the first place?
- Is he really better than ‘that dangerous guy’ everyone in the division is avoiding right now?
So, what are you gonna do? Believe in ‘the champion’ just because he has a belt? Or believe in ‘that dangerous fighter’ who’s blazing through the division? We’ll let you answer that.
If you still have questions about World Boxing Champions status and boxing’s many belts, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us via the Contact Page, Facebook or Twitter. Or, if you spotted something we missed, feel free to make us aware.
Like to know more about boxing? Our extensive Boxing FAQ has lots more information on the sport.
