Has wlad done enough such that he's began a new universally accepted lineage?

Little Floyd vacated the WBA championship not too long ago. If he had fought Berto instead of Ortiz, I would have considered it a contest for the lineal title, wouldn't you?

It gets tricky. Like I said, I don't have all the facts concerning the muddled business of his so-called retirement. I, personally, was never under the impression that his time-off carried any amount of permanence. I seem to remember him stating flat-out it was a one-fight deal.

Agreed.

A good case could be made.

 

whoever holds the Ring belt is the linear champion. Why do people say "the linear title is vacant?" The linear title cant be vacant.
Lennox Lewis was the linear champ when he retired. HE vacated the title and then Vitali picked it up when he was the most dominant fighter in the division and then he retired and vacated. The title was then picked up by Wlad who has it still. Easy to understand.

 

You are correct. I was laboring under the false impression that Mayweather acquired the strap through Mosley, but he refused to fight for the distinction, apparently. The point was, in this highly-political era vacating a belt for another or being stripped of the belt does not necessarily take away a claim to the imaginary lineal title. Floyd is clearly the man at welterweight. If he so chose, he could defend against Berto immediately after the loss to Ortiz, and it would be for the welterweight championship even sans the alphabet boys.

 

I'm not debating the issue. I trace it back to his victory over Mosley myself, as I've already said.

It's true, Lewis does not currently own the heavyweight crown. I've never claimed otherwise. But all belts separately or combined does not translate to the lineal championship; they stand apart. Erdei vacating his WBO title is no different from Lewis giving up his WBA title back in the day.

Well, I asked nicely, and you were kind enough to reply. I'm willing to discuss this further if you're still game.

 

Is there any question?

At the very least, Vitali doesn't get KO'ed by the likes of Purrity, Sanders and Brewster.

 

Sorry but when you look at a fighter's record, you don't just consider the wins - you have to consider the losses also.

The Sanders and Brewster KOs stick out like a sore thumb on Wlad's record.

 

Erdei has a better claim than anyone else.

 

Wrong and wrong.

 

If that's true then please explain why the Ring chose to give its 175lb trinket to Roy Jones instead of Dariusz Michalczewski?

 

Erdei is the champ @ 175.