It seems that this is the year of unifications and becoming the lineal champion for British boxers. So lets see which British boxers over years the have become recognised lineal/Ring champions in their respected weight divisions. To start of I believe the following became lineal champions: David Haye - cruiserweight Joe Calzaghe - Super Middleweight Ricky Hatton - Light welter weight Lennox Lewis - Heavyweight Other maybes: Calzaghe - Light Heavy (I'm not sure but he did beat Hopkins) Naseem Hamed - Featherweight (I think he did but not totally sure)
Lloyd Honeyghan. McGuigan has a half reasonable shout. He won the WBA title off Pedroza who had beaten LaPorte in a title defence. Laporte went on to win the vacant WBC title after Sal Sanchez had died.
Surely we had some in the 70s and previous decades when there was far less belts going around? I'm not knowledgable enough but someone on here will know.
The Hopkins one is strange as he wasn't lineal but was Universally (well almost) recognised as the champ. Erdei was the lineal champion, but due to the Ring's policy of not handing out belt during a certain time period he never became their champion and what America and most other people same as the champion of the World. Erdei was indeed however, the man who beat the man. McGuigan was Ring champion after beating Pedroza, and did beat the man recognised as the #1 in the division. Although Pedroza was awarded the Ring title for continued dominance not for ever beating the #2 guy the division, as far as I'm aware. if you accept Pedroza as lineal champion, then Hamed along with McGuigan is indeed a former lineal champion.
There may be a few early ones missing. Heavyweight Bob Fitzsimmons (March 17, 1897 - June 9, 1899) Lennox Lewis (March 28, 1998 - April 22, 2001 & November 17, 2001 - February 6, 2004) Cruiserweight David Haye (November 10, 2007 - May 23, 2008) Light Heavyweight Bob Fitzsimmons (November 23, 1903 - December 20, 1905) Freddie Mills (July 26, 1948 - January 24, 1950) Super Middleweight Joe Calzaghe (March 4, 2006 - September 28, 2008) Middleweight Randy Turpin (February 14, 1951 - July 10, 1951) Terry Downes (July 11, 1961 - April 7, 1962) Alan Minter (March 16, 1980 - September 27, 1980) Welterweight John H. Stracey (December 6, 1975 - June 22, 1976) Lloyld Honeyghan (September 27, 1986 - October 27, 1987 & March 29, 1988 - February 4, 1989) Light Welterweight Ricky Hatton (June 4, 2005 - May 2, 2009) Lightweight Ken Buchannon (1970 - June 26, 1972) Jim Watt (April 12, 1981 - June 20, 1981) Featherweight Nasseem Hammed (April 18, 1998 - April 07, 2001) Flyweight Bennie Lynch (January 19, 1937 - March 24, 1938) Terry Allen (April 25, 1950 - August 1, 1950) Walter McGowan (June 14, 1966 - December 30, 1966) Charlie Margi (March 15, 1983 - September 27, 1983)