So what does it mean when someone says a champion is a 3 time world champion? Does it mean he's won the championship, and defended it 2 times? or he's won championships on 3 separate occasions after vacating/losing/other?
Each "time" counts when you are not a champion and you become. For example, Haye is a world heavyweight champion . If he loses his belt and he wins it back again(or winning another belt) he will be 2-time world champion. But , if he wins another belt now(a unification bout ) , that he already has one , then he won't be 2-time WC. I hope I explained it clarly :yep
The last one, it meant a lot more back in the day when there was only one title to go around. Louis IIRC was the first to man regain the HW title.
thats stupid that suggest that 5time champion who 4time lost his champion belt is better that the one who never lost and defend his title 10times
Well a X time champ could also refer to someone who has vacated titles and moved up in weight to win another, so it might be deemed as impressive as defending a title at the same weight multiple times. Of course that depends on level of opposition.
Sometimes I find it weird. Kessler is now a 3 time world champion, however had he beaten Ward he would still be a 2 time world champion.
Sometimes it's pretty meaningless. I'll show you just how silly it can be. Felix Sturm is a 3 times world champion. Alexis Arguello is also a 3 time world champion.
Nowadays it doesn't say much at all when it's in the same weighclass. Because of the many different belts available and certainly not with the WBA constanly giving their ex champs shot after shot.
It's idiotic. It should mean how many times he defended the belt (which doesn't exactly make sense either but there's a point to it, it actually tells you smth about the fighter)
Winning a vacant ABC belt shouldn't count...but it does. In fact, if vacant titles count so should the IBA WBF and all those fringe belts ... Hell.. Evander Holyfield is like a 9 time world champ under those circumstances.