Was Ricky Hatton a 3 time World Champion?

No, he didn't drop the IBO LWW title when losing to Floyd

 

The titles that count are the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO

He's not mentioned as a 3 x World Champion but if you look into it, he is, technically.

Was IBF and WBA (Super) Champion at 140lbs - 1st reign
Then stripped of IBF title, WBA regular belt vacated.

Won WBA 147lbs title against Castillo. - 2nd reign

Then, holding no version of the 140lbs title...
Won IBF 140lbs title from Urango - 3rd reign

It's not very clear cut, but technically he is. He does correct journalists in his press conference when he announced his comeback, he hadn't recognised his 2 different reigns as IBF 140lbs champion

 

Froch is a belt holder, not a champion. Lewis was a champion AND a belt holder.

 

He's won world titles four times but only three different belts.

Won the IBF 140lbs title by beating Kosta Tyszu. and then won a unfication fight for the WBA 140lbs title by beating Carlos Moussa. He vacated both belts and then moved up to 147lbs. Won the WBA 147lbs title by beating Luiz Collazo. He then vacated that belt and moved back down to 140lbs which was his far more comfortable weight class. Won the IBF 140lbs title back again by beating Juan Urango.

In my eyes he's a four time and 2 weight world champion, definitely a British legend. He also picked up some lineal IBO and The Ring titles but no one really counts those.

 

He was actually stripped of the IBF title for not making a mandatory defence.

And his first IBF and WBA 140lbs count as one reign as a World Champion.

He's held 4 World Championships, but a 3 x time world champion

 

And he'd have won the IBF title once more against Paulie but Malignaggi was stripped for not fighting his mandatory and taking on Hatton instead.

 

Why is that the case for you? Does that mean you do not consider there were any world champions before 1962?

 

They are the recognised ABC titles

Lineal/Actual World Champions is a different topic

 

Proper world champion once. 2 weight multiple title claimant.

 

from memory he was stripped within about 48 hrs of the win. atsch

 

What about Mckenzie? Was he a champion?

 

The way announcers are sometimes advised to say it, and media following suit, often, is how many times they got whatever title. Like they claim RJJ was a 467-time champion, but he was not. The only way that makes sense to me is how many times they became a legit major world titleholder. Hatton, to me, regardless of losing titles out of the ring never lost his claim to being THE champion at 140, and nothing else should be entertained, I feel, as far as how many times he was getting titles when he was always the champion anyway. Therefore, he is a two-time world champion.

 

I guess that's the best way to put it. :good