Outside of Zurdo(who is a top 2-3 guy i nthe diviison to be fair) Zuffa could literally sign all the top 10 contenders at cruiser. So all this talk guys like @Franko_Haggis and the like that the league is exclusionary is false,at least with the data we have now.
It is exclusionary in that they’re freezing out the sanctioning bodies from having involvement in their title fights, trying to overturn the Ali act so that they can remove any and all autonomy and earning potential from fighters purely to line their own pockets, and frontloading their offers to big names to try and create a facade legitimacy where there isn’t any (ie Opetaia and Conor Benn). It is not a good thing that they’re doing. Just look at how broken the UFC is which operates on a similar set of principles. Zuffa are trying to use exclusion tactics to create disruption in the market. Just look at the optics if nothing else: having people fight in plain black or white trunks in a literal warehouse for a Happy Meal belt, streamed for free on YouTube. Dana White is a cúñț.
The first paragraph has nothing to do with sporting achievements which we are discussing here. The UFC is lacking some traction now but as far as broken....meh.It s the premier MMA organziation in the world,a synonym for the sport many a time.Me as a Rizin fan hate this but that s the truth. I dont care about the politics or money as longas Iget the fights. Don King robbed all his fighters but we watched his bombastic cards in the 90s didnt we?
The first paragraph is a direct response to the suggestion that I was wrong for calling Zuffa exclusionary, which it is. It is because of the exclusionary nature of it that the belt means nothing, which in turn has everything to do with what we’re discussing in the thread. If the fights get made, I ageee, that’s great. But the best fighters aren’t going to fight at all if the legislation surrounding boxing is changed to financially favour the promoter over themselves. Ultimately it is the fighter who is taking the risk. And this is all being driven by Dana White with the financial backing of Turki. The UFC is the premier promotion in terms of its name value only. Very few fans are truly engaged with it. And as far as Don King is concerned, I didn’t watch any of his cards, as I wasn’t alive. As a fan of the sport though, I think there should be an element of caring about the wellbeing (physical and financial) of the people taking a huge personal risk for your entertainment. Maybe that’s just me though. Anyway, at this point, I’m fully aware I’m encroaching into irrelevant territory for this thread so it’s the last I’ll say on the matter.
The IBO middleweight title comes to mind; the great (or greatest?) Eubank has held the title for an imperious 567 days. Whilst this seems impressive, Iglesias has held the IBO SMW title for a miraculous 1240 days; in conclusion, the IBO is love, the IBO is life, and if you disagree take it up to SFW champion Jono Carroll.
To all the people mentioning the Ring belt Currently I understand why but Turki will massively devalue that belt over time as he manipulates it
Being undisputed, holding all titles at a weight class, are the single most meaningful accomplishment in boxing. Its that easy
WBC was the most prestigious Belt but this was the Organisation that allowed Fury to fight Ngannou and then allowed Usyk to fight Verhoeven,whilst leaving the Division held up and leaving both Boxers and fans wondering what’s coming next. The other Organisations have also let Usyk fight the Kick-boxer,so the WBA and IBF are no better than the WBC,the WBO Belt is the newest Belt but Usyk vacated that and now Wardley wears it. The two most important accolades for me are the Lineal Title and the Ring Title (now that it is out of De La Hoyas hands) the jury being out now that Turki is in charge of it .
Like I say, all of them are shady I do like how they enforce mandatory fights quickly normally The IBF guy just got caught, the others just haven't.. Yet lol The Ring belt now to me is on its way to being a tool for Turki