I dont remember ever seeing a picture with Dempsey, Louis or Johnson wearing a world championship belt, so what i want to know is when was title belt introduced and if there are any pictures of the aforementioned with their belts. when did the belt become common practice, who issued them, the first one that I can remember was when one of the American newspapers in the 20's (maybe earlier) issued a diamond studded belt to afighter who wasnt actually recognised the world champion (I forget his name, was it Driscoll :huh )
There have been belts since the early 1800s. To my knowledge the first was a lion skin belt presented to Tom Cribb after he efectivley unified the British and American titles.
Sullivan had a very famous one given to him by his supporters. And the World Heavyweight Championship belt, (Richard K. Fox's Police Gazette's one if memory serves me right), was always displayed before a match, and indeed was before Dempsey/Willard. Jake Kilrain was given the first Police Gazette belt in the late 1880's.
