Yeah look its the most obvious one but its not even in the realms of reality. There are a few practical things that can be done to improve the sport as a whole and there are a couple of decent ideas in this thread. 1 world, 1 champion ain't ever going to happen though :-(
Honeslty i think it is. All you need to do is get the fans on the 3 major boxing forums (ESB, Boxrec, DogHouse) and the 2 major boxing websites (Boxrec, Fightnews) to only recognise the one title belt or one champion at each weight. Then the networks who no matter what they say love having 4 belts as it means more shows, so you get HBO, Showtime, ESPN, Sky, Setanta, RTN in Germany only pushing one belt. Then the promoters will have to follow, and then the fighters will have to follow.
Here is what I would do. 1/ 1 World Title, 1 European Title, 1 British Title per division....simple that one. 2/ 2 MAJOR cards each year. These would be in March, and September - These cards would consist of 5-6 fights and ALL be for World Titles at different weights. The TV rights would be offered to be purchased to Sky, Setanta, ITV etc. All fighters would clamour to fight on these cards, with huge publicity, purses etc. Promote these events like a Superbowl, Wrestlemania, Champions League Final - hold them at Wembley, MSG, Japan etc. 3/ Make it MANDATORY that a fighter MUST fight outwith his home country at least once in every 10 fights. (For a British fighter that is outwith Great Britain!) 4/ World Titles MUST be defended every 6 months at least. 5/ Proper Rankings Compilers and system to be enforced. A boxer can not fight someone ranked below him more than 3 times in a row. This means that a boxer cant progress by fighting complete CANS all the time. Each country to have an individual system, and an overall world system.
If Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson gave up their WBC and IBF titles respectively so that they could fight each other where does that leave those bodies' legitimacy? How about inactive Evander Holyfield magically returning to the WBA's rankings for a timely shot at Nicolai Valuev? If successful, how could Holyfield have been viewed as a legitimate champ? And what of the IBF and their title that can be bought - as proven in court. All this is just the tip of the iceberg as I'm sure we all know. My point is how have these scandalous bodies earnt so much respect amongst fans when? Their world titles on whose say so? Theirs? Despite what they've done. More so, it's illogical that a world can have more than one world champion. Surely there's either one or none? A big step in the right direction for the sport would be for fans to actually both want and expect the press/media to make these ruling bodies accountable and not for them (the press) to continually turn a blind eye.
One World championship in each weight division is not going to help matters, it would make it worse. Finally after years of struggle, top fighters finally get paid what they are worth. This is in part because many of them bring a title to the table, which TV likes. Stripping fighters of a better pay day is not helping the sport. Giving the fancy value for money is the best way to help the sport. Braver matchmaking, and teaching the fans that a defeat does not necessarily finish off a prospect is what is needed. I would also like to see proper proposals, without the loop holes to stop promoters managing fighters and viceversa.
it goes against the Ring's ethos to enforce mandatories. Back in the old days before mandatories, champs could put the belts on ice or fight non-title bouts until the public demanded they fight the #1 contender. The best I can hope for is that the Ring (with GBP behind it) goes from strength to strength and their belt becomes the only one worth having. Although without financial incentives it's hard to see it influencing the fighters, promoters and the sanctioning bodies (a cancer on the sport - hopefully as proliferate they will implode on each other). It's up to us - the fans to stop accepting the garbage and buying in to the ballyhoo.
LOL, The Ring unlike some of the other alphabet organizations, have been proven to of taken bribes for ratings. Thus, The Ring has shown itself to be as corrupt, if not more so, than other alphabet group. The Ring is a problem, not a solution......
You're talking about a totally different organization. Different staff, different writers, different owners. Its unfair to tarnish todays magazine with the sins of 30 years ago.
All rating agencies are open to corruption. What appeals to me about the Ring's policy is that they respect linear claimants, do not try to control the fighters and have the respect of (most) fighters and fans alike, unlike the alphabets.
How come they do not have Erdei as their Light Heavyweight World Champion then? They are just as bad; no worse, because at least the other alphabet organizations are pretty much open to bribes, The Ring tries to pretend it is not, but as history shows, we would be fools to believe them.
I think it is, The US Championship almost destroyed the sport in its powerhouse of the time (The USA). We were so lucky the Fantastic Four clicked in, in 1980, because I suspect without them, the sport of would died (as a mainstream event much sooner) post US Championship.
Simple - though he's been active, Erdei hasn't fought any top contenders. He's Sven Ottke all over again. I'm not saying the Ring are THE answer just the best option. What's your suggestion? Continue with the 60+ champs of the alphabets?
Very much so, it has helped big time improve many fighters purses. If a match is wanted enough, and someone is prepared to pay the money needed, the fights that matter to the fans will be made.
i think there should be 2 titles per division,that way you dont get guys waiting years to get their title shot. i dont rate the ring title any higher than an alphabet title personnally.you dont have to pay fees to fight for it and you cant get stripped of it but oon the downside you can be really inactive or fight garbage opposition & still be champ.