So wait, is Dubois IBF champ, or not?

Effectively yes, but nobody will see it as legit until/unless he earns it - which means beating Joshua, which he won't (IMHO).

 

He's a paper title holder, yes.

 

Danny Dubious has, somehow, managed to rope himself in with the long lineage of men who can say they were the HW champion of the world. Dubious now stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Ali, Louis, and Johnson, take it in while it lasts folks (because it sure won’t last long).

 

This x 1000

 

He stands shoulder to shoulder with other unworthy champions like Charles Martin, Bermane Stiverne and Deontay Wilder until he proves otherwise - taking the Joshua fight gives him an opportunity to get on a totally different level to those guys right from the start.

Or maybe he'll just be a one-fight champion for now, losing in his first defence (like Andy Ruiz and a bunch of others that lost their rematches).



At some point, though, I suspect he'll rule the division - nobody else at remotely comparable age is anywhere near him.

 

F..k paper belts
Usyk is the undisputed champ and unless he retires or gets his butt kicked? These silly belts mean nothing

There's only one champ right now and it's the number 1 guy in the division, maybe the sport

It's why I can't stand the nonsense like, 'Aj has a chance to 3x champ like Ali'

No, Ali was THE champ 3 times, not a champ

 

paper champ

 

Wilder may have his critics but he won his belt in the ring beating the Champion not gifted like Stiverne (WBC) and Martin (IBF) and now Dubois (IBF). Wilder also made 10 defences of this belt, Stiverne and Martin never made a single defence of there belts,as for Dubois we will know soon enough .

 

Harsh but true yet Norton arguably beat Ali all three times

 

Stiverne was not gifted the title. He won vacant championship vs Areolla after Klitchko retired also Martin won his IBF championship in the ring too with opponent injuring himself but not same as getting gifted althought the didnt beat reigning champion

 

Like you mentioned neither Stiverne or Martin ever had to fight a Champion to get there belts,that is a gift as such in my eyes. There is a difference between going in the ring and dethroning a Champion compared to going into a fight and the belt being on the line for the winner .

 

To be honest I don't really see much difference when the challenger is the obvious A side in the situations under discussion. For example,
1) Joshua dethroning Martin (IBF)
2) Wilder dethroning Stiverne (WBC)
or
3) Parker beating Ruiz Jr. for the vacant title (WBO)

Personally I think (3) was the bigger challenge/achievement