Let's talk about Dariusz's stripping for a moment. What if he'd have been willing to drop the WBO belt? Then what would have happened?
I can't think of any recent fighters career that were left with as many 'what ifs' as Roy's was. The comparison I use is had Jones fought most or everyone available to him like Oscar did he likely would have had a similar record. Except Oscar was never savagely KOed several times even past his Prime. There is no shame in making big fights and losing a few. With Jones he was reluctant/scared to even try it. That is the difference.
Lets look at Roy Jones 'embarrassing career'..... The naivety of some people is beyond comprehension. Killsomething...please list your accomplishments in comparison to Roy Jones Jr and we'll compare. Only then will I judge who is even more embarrassing..
Ha! He'd give Bailey a run for his money. The highlight of the thread, has to be: Me: Why are you claiming that Roy avoided Liles, Benn and Eubank? KS: Because he didn't find them. Ha! I might start a thread claiming that Dariusz ducked Tarver and Woods etc.
You never really answered the part I was looking for, so I'll ask more directly. Did you view Holyfield as a legitimate champion when he beat John Ruiz in their first bout for the vacant WBA title? Did you view Ruiz as a legitimate champion when he beat Holyfield in their rematch? Or was Lennox Lewis the legit champ at those points in 2000? :smoke
With regards to Dariusz's belt fiasco, didn't he have the option of dropping the WBO, and working something out with WBA and the IBF? :good
As far as I've found, he was stripped when he won the WBA and displayed it with the WBO. No mention of an ultimatum from the WBA. Sounds like the WBA just wanted to get the belt to Roy ASAP. The IBF situation has been discussed. Again, sounds like they were intent on getting the belt into someone else's hands ASAP. So to answer your question, if DM had dropped the WBO he would POSSIBLY have been left with the WBA, but from what I gather the decision to take that away was made the second he won the fight with Hill.