Just something I've noticed isn't well known and have gotten a few requests and confirmations so I think it is something of interest to some of you lot. The more academic ones at least. I always begin at the beginning. The Greeks did not use the word "champion" The Romans did not use the word "champion" The titles back then would have been relevant to the events. There are four major games, The Namean, Isthmian, Pythian, and Olympian. The Olympics or Olympia being the highest honor. For boxing Pythian, or the games that honor Apollo would be second. Followed by Namean(Herc) and finally the Isthmian(Poseidon) Periodonikes = Circuit, meaning won all four. Triastes = Triples, sometimes won 3 in boxing, sometimes won 3 different crowns at one event like won boxing, pancratium, and wrestling at Olympia. Barynikes = Heavy victor, the "heavy" events were combat sports, the three i mentioned before. Campio = Warrior During the dueling period is where "Champion" first appears. In French! Maybe Old French if that's a thing. I don't know much about French, but champion is a Frenchification ... Francification? of Campio. To be fair to all the curious minded and those who have reported on this period, no one knows much because the Catholic Church controlled everything. Purely from a boxing standpoint, I am so glade Henry kicked the Pope TF out of his kingdom. Sorry for the personal opinion and historical poltics but it should be said KH8 did do at least one thing right. So says some rando latino in Florida. Anyway, what my point is, is the best kept history after the fall of the pagan and rise of the christians is the christians and they officially saw boxing as devil worship. So you could duel, and with fists, but you better not box! There's all sorts of MY-UH-EATS-THIS ... ... ... Y'all are significantly European so I dunno if you know what I just said actually. Plenty of mental gymnastics and trickery so that officially speak and most importantly by record, boxing did not occure so no man needs to be tried for boxing. Point here being you have to be VERY loose with the rules to consider anything from this period boxing. Ancient boxing is similar to modern and BK but medieval is like okay bro round one is just hands until someone lands or gets toss then round two we use sticks until someone is welted and then for round three we use knives until there is blood. See what I mean? Boxing is there, but no boxing event took place. A champion is a fighter. A pliable one. A Pugil, Pygmachia, Pugilist, Pygme, and maybe some terms I don't know, is a boxer who strictly just boxes. They spoken about, referenced to as trainers, but never as a fighter. In English "Champion" becomes "Champioun" and then "Champion" but doesn't lose its semantics until the Renaissance period. English got a heap of new terms and changed the meaning of heaps of terms right around the same time the colonies were going on. That's why Virginia features older English than England but Australia has wacky fancy new English-kinda. We didn't actually use the term "Pugilist" in the English speaking world until this time. The skinny there is Puritanism. Puritans sucked nuts, plenty of places pushed back but the English way was to highlight and revive the ancient roman practices England inherited. It was like 1642 or abouts when England held its first "Olympiks" Among those sports and the idea of sports was pugilism, the pyx, pygmachia; boxing. With it and the French champion combined, we start naming some names: James Figg, Champion during his time still mean representative, fighter, warrior, elected combatant, that sort of deal. Does not mean best. Both mean who fight are "champions" and when they lose they continue to be "champions". James Figg is the champion as you know him because historians decided to package his story that way. He was the expert on boxing his entire lifetime and called champion thee entire latter end of his career, but so were his students. Of which there are about 8 "champions" most lists avoid because they just have the very much retired Figg covering those years. When Whittaker defeated the Venetian Figg claimed Robert was the best in England and so would represent England. When he won Figg promised in two weeks his next ward would defeat Robert to prove he is the best. And Peartree did. Champion would continue on as representative until the fame of Tom Cribb elevated the title of "champion of England" to be one int the same as "Best in England" From there you get the formation of American boxing and the idea of the world champion. Kinda ran out of time here at the end. If you want me deets just hit me. I'll be back. Gotta get the dotter ya I mean?