December 6, 2007: Here we go. This is exactly what I was worried about! Hide says "I was the first!" While reading the latest boxing news on Fightnews.com, Herbie Hide, The Dancing Destroyer couldn't believe his eyes. WBC Interim Champion Samuel Peter was named first-ever Nigerian-born heavyweight champion in an article regarding celebrations at his latest visit in his home country. Herbie who is now fighting for Hamburg-based arena Box-Promotion said, "Im from Nigeria as well I cant believe anybody forgot that I won the world heavyweight championship twice! And I am going to win the world cruiserweight championship for arena next year to make sure people remember me then!" The former two-time WBO champion (1994-1995 and 1997-1999) will be back in action on December 23rd in Halle (Germany) against unbeaten Russian prospect Mikhail Nasyrov. See? Just what I always figured -and feared- would happen. You have all these sanctioning bodies and sooner or later one of their champions would challenge the big three (WBA, WBC, IBF). Hide honestly considers himself a two-time world heavyweight champion (equaling Floyd Patterson)?? What's next? An IBA, IBC, or WBF champion telling Mayweather he wants to unify? Will one of these guys ask the press, "How can Mayweather claim he's the real champ when he doesn't have my IBC belt?"
Hide is an *******... seriously, I've heard him talk about some elite, great fighters like they're absolute dog crap... I dont have any respect for this man, period.
But our position as FANS on this should be to consider ALL of them illegitimate. As far as I'm concerned, since the title spit in the late 70s/early 80s, all this talk of people being two -or- three- time "champions" is MEANINGLESS, as is Tyson's supposed record of being the youngest "HW champion." Sorry, that's still Floyd Patterson. And he and Ali are the only guys who have won THE title multiple times.
I'd give Hide his credit and call him the first Nigerian-born heavyweight title holder, even if it was the WBO at the time.
He's a two-time titlist. Peter is a one-time titlist. Nigeria's first heavyweight titlist or beltholder was Herbie Hide. Nigeria hasn't had a heavyweight champion.
At the risk of repeating myself and boring people...."tittles mean **** all, it's who you beat that counts not the trinket that your reward is".
He was ****ing good for his size though,i beleive his younger brother died,and that kind of sent him of the rails so to speak
Peter is not even the champ. He is an interim title holder. And who said WBC was better than WBO? They all suck.