I dream of having enough money to start a new organization, or buy out one of the existing ones, and hire honest people (FANS with a grasp of history) to help run it. We’d have nine weight divisions (original eight plus cruiser), 15 round world title fights, honest ratings based on current merit (including other organizations champions), regional titles that made sense (continental > national > state or province), no exclusive agreements with promoters or networks (everything done on a fight by fight basis), consistent training and review of officials, a retirement / insurance fund for participants, stringent but logical safety requirements, no stripping of titles without SERIOUS consideration and voting, and a top-notch marketing strategy. One can dream, right?
This is what is needed. Seems so simple.. but boxing never seems to attract incorruptible people. Allegiances emerge. These bodies are not created for the good of boxing.
For the life of me I don’t know why anyone would take any governing body seriously. we don’t need them.
You might be into something! Nonprofit would probably discourage the kinds of people making the wrong decisions.
Include really stringent steroid testing, which might get some people actually willing to donate to the cause. (On the other hand, it might discourage any champions from actually defending or fighting for your title...) I wonder whether the IBHOF is also a nonprofit? You could probably get some added legitimacy if you somehow affiliate with them, IBRO, etc. Also, all champions are required to punch a PSI meter.
And photographic mug shot proof of height for tale of the tape rather than the lies that are printed as fact.
"Welcome to our registration room. Ahead you'll find our height measurement section, which we bought from the local police department's lineup room. After we take your measurements, it's off to the PSI recording section, where you'll see a machine that looks like that Russian gizmo from Rocky IV. That's followed by the full-sized replica of Shavers, which will punch you in the face. You'll be given a survey afterward about how hard it felt..."
To my mind, the WBO became a bigger player when Arum got involved with them, namely around the mid-2000s when Cotto held the belt at 140. Even then it still felt like a second-rate trinket (it still does), given Cotto's reign wasn't that impressive. As has been noted, however, Michalczewski and Hamed assisted their reputation, in part because they became Lineal/Linear Champions by showing us that they had world level talent.
Probably when Morrison fought Foreman. I remember seeing the ads for the fight stressing that it was for the WBO Heavyweight Championship. The WBO jumped on the chance to advertise their belt because they had 2 popular and very marketable fighters fighting for their belt so they used that to advertise and give legitimacy to their organization.
@Rumsfeld would you consider Oscar De La Hoya a 6 division world champion since the title he won at 130 was the blasphemous WBO title that wasnt considered to be a Major world championship at the time in 1994?
