Pacman gives up LW crown, no longer needs to pay WBC's $100K fee!

Absolutely, as of today I think the Ring title is the only credible one.

 

The Ring belt? Don't make me laugh! That's not a title! It's just a shiny prize given by a magazine that wants to pretend it's more than just another magazine! The Ring belt counts for nothing because there are no mandatories to contend with. It's not like you could only keep it if you constantly fought whomever was considered second best in your division every time you stepped into the ring. Now that would be a real belt worth having.

 

Calzaghe is 'the man' at LH, does he have a Inter-Alphabetty strap? No.
Hatton is 'the man' at 140, same applies, no Inter-Alphabetty, just the legitimate Ring title, which can't be stripped for political or finanical reasons. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best and most credible title available? Yes.

 

If the Ring forced mandatory defences it would take over - because then you wouldn't have these bull**** mandos that are barely capable of throwing a jab.

What does seem odd about boxing, in comparison to other sports, is that there is no worldwide governing body ala FIFA, the ICC etc - instead there are all these stupid little commissions and sanctioning bodies and other bull****.

Also odd that winning the world title isn't necessarily the pinnacle of someone's career!

 

It's not a title, mate. It's a prize. It would only be a title if he had to defend it against fighters that weren't of his own choosing. He doesn't. He can fight whomever he likes for ever and as long as he keeps winning, he's holding on to that prize. Calzaghe could fight Joe Bloggs, Tom, Dick and Harry from across the road at 175 and still hold on to his Ring Prize as long as he beats them. Therefore this prize has no credibility whatsoever. It's just a publicity stunt from a boxing magazine. A bunch of boxing commentators, writers and former fighters give the fighter they consider the best in the division the prize once they think he's proven to be the best in the division. That's all. No mandatories, no nothing. You could send Calzaghe or Hatton a Mars bar and call it the Mars Bar Title and it would mean as much as the "Ring belt" prize. Some sanctioning bodies have some credibility because they enforce mandatories. The IBF does, for example. At least once a year, you will have to fight a credible opponent, and it's usually someone from the Top 5. With the Ring belt prize around your waist, you don't have to fight anyone you don't want. Hatton could fight de la Hoya and then Mayweather and lose to them all and then beat Lazcano again and he'd still have the Ring belt prize. It means Hatton was one of the best if not indeed the best in his division at some time in the past, when they gave him the prize, but no more than that. It doesn't necessarily mean he's the best currently.

 

The buy out didnt affect anything, because even if GBP were manipulating the rankings, it wouldnt matter. Thats the main problem I have with the Ring title is that rankings are NOT a path to a title shot. You could sit at #1 in Ring for 20 years and still never get your shot, while the so-called "champ" fights whoever he feels like fighting.

 

...and Valero would have been $100k richer laughing his way to the bank without having to sweat it out. :yep Imagine the crap that this sanctioning bodies pull--Valero, having just relinquished his WBA jr. lw belt and moved up to lw, was instantly rated not just in to the top 5, but THE #1 (!) by the WBC without having fought a single fight to earn that rank. (Word has it that the comebacking MAB will soon barge in to the top 10 rankings, thanks to Don King, MAB's new promoter).

Valero (their #1) and some Colombian dude named Pitalua (#2).