Let me start by saying im happy to recognize Fury as Lineal in the heavyweight division as the Heavyweight scene is what im going to use as my example of my point. Joshua has 4 belts, 4 world titles. Wilder has 1 and Fury has none. I didnt see him walking into the Wilder fights with any belts held aloft like Wilders team did with their WBC belt. So how official is this Linealship? Wlad was the man, Fury beat the man and so i will go along with that but just how powerful is it in regards to negotiating a fight? Im seeing people claim Wilder Unified with Fury in their fight. I hear that Fury should negotiate 50-50 demands as he is bringing something to the table. I dont know for sure but i cant remember any negotiations where the Linealship is used as a bargaining tool before to a point it equals the other A,B,C,s as a negotiating tool. Is this a real enough thing to claim you are putting it on the line? Is enough of a real thing to demand a higher split? Does Fury have something on paper to put on the table? A belt to put on the table? The argument against Fury deserving to be seen as Lineal is pretty strong anyway, he lost a Boxing licence, he retired, was he even banned for a while? He never defended a single one of the belts he won. Like i say im happy to still recognize him as Lineal but thats cuz i dont thinks its a particulary important thing anyway. I look at the belts over it thats for sure.
I don't see it as important at all. Some purist like it but that connection the past has some weak links. I respect it however.
More like a gimmick as anything else. If you have multiple beltholders and one is the "lineal" one, it might give him that extra push toward being the division's #1. But just take a look at Stevenson's last couple of years and Cotto for instance (he never even fought at full 160). Most didn't consider them "the man" in the division, and for good reason.
To me it has the most legitimatecy ..way more than all the WB belts.. But I know most people don't see it that way
I think that fact that all of Joshua's belts previously belonged to Fury and he never lost them in the ring give him a better bargaining tool tbh.
I look at it as a bit of fun for boxing fans rather than being any legitimate status or belt. But that's just my personal opinion. Speaking generally though, most have no idea what it means or how it works, so in the end, it's not very powerful at all. Even fighters who are "lineal" probably don't know that they are except for an odd case like Fury, who's really only using it to gain leverage/hype himself after being on the sidelines for 3 years.
Joshua has 3 belts, the IBO is not a major title. And it should be the ultimate championship in any division, but considering there is no actual belt for it and it's so debatable now. Really I think now we have to wait til winner of Fury-Wilder fights Joshua for all the belts for a new lineal champ.
Well if we're talking casuals, I don't think they understand the belts themselves. I remember watching AJ vs Parker and having to explain to someone how they're both world champions. Then when AJ won having to explain about Wilder. While I was explaining it I realised how ridiculous it sounded.
You cant bargain with phantom titles. Fury unofficially defeated wilder and most know that. Hearn SHOULD give Fury 50% just because you have another champion unwilling to fight who tried to side step you, so return the favor. wilder is not marketable without either AJ or Fury. Joshua's resume that has Klitscko and Fury on it as well as Parker makes wilder that much more easier to deal with the mental midget bc his stock goes down and this big issue of lineal that wilder claims is the real champion ( he said it ) is now under Joshua's name. Lineal itself doesn't do much here,both AJ and Fury won...one guy won a boring SD, the other stopped him. Figure out who the actual top guy is, and that's the active one on a 22 fight win streak!