Yeah but Williams hadn't been around welterweight in a while. Dan Rafael was very critical of The Ring using that as part of their justification for not making Margarito-Mosley a championship fight. And of course, 1-3 matches are allowed to be title fights for The Ring belt when its vacant.
Because Cotto took a beat down against Margarito and Clottey did too. He did face Shane Mosley, who conquered Margarito.
I say Mayweather. I understand people who say it's vacant though. For me, the idea that a lineage ends on a boxer's retirement entails the assumption that 'retirement' is a permanent state of affairs. If you 'retire' and then later decide to fight again, you were never actually 'retired' in any meaningful sense of the word in the first place. I think of it this way. If a boxer says they are retired, we then look for a new lineage. If that boxer then changes their mind before any such new lineage has been established, the old lineage remains in place. Mosley retired and returned before any new lineage could be established (Cotto/Margarito couldn't establish a new lineage when Margarito had lost to another WW contender in the previous year. Mosley/Margarito definately couldn't establish a new lineage when Mosley had lost his previous fight at the weight!), therefore Mayweather retains the lineage he inherited from Baldomir.
Has to be Floyd, only other option is that it is vacant cause you consider that Floyd lost it when he retired.
cotto was top 5 so was clottey, oscar cherrypicked pac as an opponent. Mayweather was the champ at WW, but not after may 2nd
Who did Paul beat at WW again?? Margarito, Quintana and hmmm Matthysse. The closes since the official one was PBF could be Mosley and thats just cause MArgarito went on that run beating Cintron and Cotto who were both top WWs. Even then it wasnt actually official.
There is no lineal champ. You MIGHT be able to argue that the Pacquiao-Mosley winner would become lineal since Mayweather won't have fought in over a year, but I don't buy it. The only way Cotto-Margarito could have started a new lineage is if you completely ignored the existence of Paul Williams, who was still a WW at the time.
Either Mayweather since he doesn't retired completely or No one else ... Williams established new lineage by beating who exactly? ... Its more Mosley by beating Margo (who beat Cotto who beat Mosley in the first place) but then Mayweather beat Mosley ... so its still Floyd or nobody else :deal .... And people who knows me know I'm Floyds hater.
So do you think Vitali Klitschko is lineal champ? He retired for four years as champ and then came back. What would have happened if while he was retired #1 and #2 had fought? If someone retires, that's it, even if it's fleeting.