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Boxing

Boxing's Real Champions

Posted Mar 01, 2009 6:39AM By Michael David Smith (RSS feed)

Filed Under: WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO

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Boxing has a hard time attracting new fans for many reasons. Two of the biggest are that no one can keep the weight classes straight and no one can keep the champions straight. Below is my attempt to fix that, listing the legitimate champions in each of the eight traditional weight classes.

Heavyweight: Vitali Klitschko

Light heavyweight (175 pounds): Bernard Hopkins

Middleweight (160 pounds): Kelly Pavlik

Welterweight (147 pounds): Manny Pacquiao

Lightweight (135 pounds): Juan Manuel Marquez

Featherweight (126 pounds): Chris John

Bantamweight (118 pounds): Vic Darchinyan

Flyweight (112 pounds): Ivan Calderon

Tags: Bernard+Hopkins, BernardHopkins, Chris+John, ChrisJohn, Ivan+Calderon, IvanCalderon, Juan+Manuel+Marquez, JuanManuelMarquez, Kelly+Pavlik, KellyPavlik, Manny+Pacquiao, MannyPacquiao, Vic+Darchinyan, VicDarchinyan, Vitali+Klitschko, VitaliKlitschko

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

3-01-2009 @ 8:30AM

Mike said...

I have no problem with that list.

3-01-2009 @ 10:04AM

tanday said...

I think this is pretty acurate but even though I love manny pacquio how are you gunna say hes the king of welterweight when he only fought once againtst dlh who everybody agrees is to old to fight anyway?.

3-04-2009 @ 7:17PM

musicanman226 said...

manny would get spanked by cotto and mosley and margarito and maybe a bunch others at that weight class.he beat a fighter who was done at least 5 yrs ago.

3-01-2009 @ 10:14AM

connieev50 said...

Great fight Marquez

3-01-2009 @ 9:49PM

boxer129 said...

100% agreed with Tanday. Paq is definately not welterweight champ. DLH was/is not one of the top fighters, and that's the only guy Paq beat. Also not sure how you're gonna put Vitali above Wladimir since he only what, one fight since coming back from retirement?
Two Fights I want this year.
JM Marquez vs Floyd Mayweather
Bernard Hopkins vs Chad Dawson

3-02-2009 @ 4:46PM

champ said...

Dont you think Marquez is to small for Mayweather?

3-02-2009 @ 1:01PM

horsecreek35 said...

vitali's brother is definetly the heavyweight champ but i would love to see them fight each other.... and i have a problem with their lack of media coverage ... could it be that is because they r white or because they r not Americans????

3-02-2009 @ 5:10PM

mjohara said...

Michael....I don't always agree with you but I think your IDEA is very good. A return to one universally recognized champion in the basic weight divisions maybe with a "super" subdivision between each would be great....HOWEVER you have to convince the boxing culture/world that THAT (one champion)would be the THING that would restore to boxing some degree having it's intrinsic value and history, and value in culture. ( e.g. Joe Louis wasn't just fighting Max Schmeling for the $$ and not even just to avenge his only previous loss BUT because Schmeling was perceived to be a Nazi prior to and during WWII he was fighting for America. Jimmy Braddock was the Cinderella man who rose from public relief to heavyweight champ in less than a year etc.)

3-03-2009 @ 10:04PM

eddiehaeffer said...

This is what I've been asking for for years, all we need is eight weight classes, more guys will have to fight more times to prove themselves, it'll bring boxing back to the public eye - Eddie Haeffer The LONG ISLAND BOXING GYM.

3-04-2009 @ 7:22PM

musicanman226 said...

marquez is my favorite fighter on the planet but i dont think he could stand up to floyd.the fight is cotto-mayweather.they are both true welterweights.both are true champions and there styles would make for a cloassic boxing match.this would be a fight for the records.ask any expert i think they would agree.

3-05-2009 @ 5:09PM

grassjocut said...

UM Where is Chad Dawson???

3-10-2009 @ 5:58PM

Bishop Palmer said...

I think everyone is on the right track. However, Manny does not have a case to be Welterweight champ. Moseley/Cotto rematch or one of them against Mayweather would probably be a great fight for topdog of Welterweight division. Yes, unify the belts and have one universal champ at each weight class. It's time! Dawson vs. Hopkins and Pacquiao vs. Marquez again, in addition to Moseley vs. Mayweather will be the best fights to see happen. Also, Paul Williams vs. Vernon Forrest would be a good match up.

3-12-2009 @ 8:58PM

RyRy said...

like many others have said, manny has no right to be named welterweight king. let mosley and cotto decide who's the true welterweight king. manny would be completely destroyed trying to face any of the TRUE top welterweights. if it took his power that long to to take down DLH, then he has no chance right now against Cotto, Mosley, or any other top WW.