Phil D. Jay
WBN Editor
When I heard that three Namibian boxers with virtually no proven fight record were rated in the top ten by the WBO just because they hold a WBO Africa belt, it made me long for days gone by when we only had one champion for each division.
With WBA Super title, the WBC Diamond belt and so on and so on, interim champions, Inter-Continental champions…need I go on. Its just getting a bit too much of a much-ness and something radical needs to be done soon.
I would be happy with two rated contenders for each weight division, who are put in place and made mandatory challengers to face the champion. Then the two fighters must face off against each other first, unbeaten record or not, before they gain a title shot.
There is so many players in the boxing game that politics dictates that the powers that be would never allow such a change, as too many of those players in the boxing game would lose too much money.
From the promoters, trainers and TV companies, to the managers, the venues and pay-per-view, its all rolled into one bundle to make the most out of the many champions in the seventeen weight classes.
Lets face it, if half of these fights today did not involve a title, they would make virtually no money so a title has to be manufactured or arranged so that the fight sells tickets, it is a as simple as that.
Give me seventeen weight divisions, seventeen champions and the whole sport would re-ignite with a vigour not seen in the last 25 years.
One weight division, one champion, is that too much to ask?
WBN Editor
All four organisations should merge into one
When I heard that three Namibian boxers with virtually no proven fight record were rated in the top ten by the WBO just because they hold a WBO Africa belt, it made me long for days gone by when we only had one champion for each division.
With WBA Super title, the WBC Diamond belt and so on and so on, interim champions, Inter-Continental champions…need I go on. Its just getting a bit too much of a much-ness and something radical needs to be done soon.
I would be happy with two rated contenders for each weight division, who are put in place and made mandatory challengers to face the champion. Then the two fighters must face off against each other first, unbeaten record or not, before they gain a title shot.
There is so many players in the boxing game that politics dictates that the powers that be would never allow such a change, as too many of those players in the boxing game would lose too much money.
From the promoters, trainers and TV companies, to the managers, the venues and pay-per-view, its all rolled into one bundle to make the most out of the many champions in the seventeen weight classes.
Lets face it, if half of these fights today did not involve a title, they would make virtually no money so a title has to be manufactured or arranged so that the fight sells tickets, it is a as simple as that.
Give me seventeen weight divisions, seventeen champions and the whole sport would re-ignite with a vigour not seen in the last 25 years.
One weight division, one champion, is that too much to ask?
.