The Many Titles Boxing has to Offer:
Being a world champion isn’t like it used to be, with so many weight divisions and titles in each division, it is understood why many belts and champions are called Paper Champions.
Boxing Fans first inkling to this article is that I will make a case that there should only be one title and one champion in each weight division like so many people want and believe. But it’s actually quite the opposite.
After understanding and digesting the world and culture of boxing, I realize that the current system is probably the best system- almost the perfect system.
Boxing is mangled up and more complicated than a fresh batch of mashed potatoes. The truth is times have changed and sports have changed. It’s natural for sports athletes to take advantage of their profile and brand them selves to make a lot of money whether it be selling shoes, making commercials or creating there own clothing line.
Make no mistake, boxing just like any other sport is a business. Ask yourself why does the NFL have a salary cap? NFL teams want to win but they want to make money as a first priority. Take a professional athlete whether it be a boxer, baseball player or basketball player, would they rather make big money and make their families comfortable for generations to come or simply be known as a champion? Most choose the dough first.
Yes, we want to see the best fighting the best, there’s no doubt about that but the boxers, promoters and broadcast engines need to have these fights marinate, they need to build up fighters, they need you to watch not only the best in the world but the future stars and there is a lot of mangling and a lot of planning to plan the course of what’s best for business.
The current chaos, the current system of multiple belts (alphabet titles) is a wonderful and beautiful and healthy thing for many reasons. For the casual boxing fan it is of course difficult to follow who the champions are and who they’re connected to with regard to broadcasting rights and promotions. Most diehard boxing fans know what’s going on in the world of boxing. Putting all that aside, I believe the most important things for the people who enjoy the sport, who love boxing is having the sport thrive; having the sport grow and currently it is growing and it’s probably in the best place it has been since all the other major sporting events have taken the country and the world over (remember there was a time when the sport of boxing was the king of all sports). There are always multiple boxing cards around the world every weekend and because of computers, tracking and keeping statistics on fights and fighters, information is at an all time accurate level. This is probably as good as it gets in the world of Boxing.
So we have a bunch of paper belts and a bunch of champions and many divisions and interim champions and temporary champions and country & regional champions, but as long as we enjoying the sport, as long as there’s boxing cards every weekend that are broadcast comfortably to our living rooms, let’s enjoy this time; this is a very special time.
So the question is, is boxing broken? Many people believe so and make the argument that there should be one sanctioning body, but I believe the current system is really a great system and the best system. I urge everyone to sit back and enjoy the fights, enjoy the promotions and all the smack talk the boxers, trainers, promoters and even networks talk in the spirit of competition. And if certain fighters want to fight each other, there’s always that saying “where there is a will, there is a way”
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