Which heavyweights unified belts?

[Anthony342]

Yeah but that isn't unifying the belt, that's just beating the guy who unified the belt, or beating the guy who beat the guy and so on...

Ali didn't beat NABF champion when he unified the belts, only beat one champion (Foreman) who held WBC and WBA.

Frazier only beat one champion (Ellis) to WBA title, NYSAC and WBC were both vacant.

Holmes hasn't been undisputed champion because he never won WBA belt, he beat Norton and Smith to WBC and IBF respectively.

Yeah I said Holmes wasn't undisputed. That's what I meant when I said he didn't hold all the belts at the same time. And true, it's not unifying, but the belts were already unified when they won the titles, so I guess I should've said they were undisputed champions. Didn't know that about Ali and Frazier, interesting. So I guess they were just universally recognized or lineal. Almost forgot about NABF and NYSAC from the old days of boxing. In the early days, wasn't it enough to hold one of those to be the champion holding one belt?

[Anthony342]

The point is to find fighters who truly cleaned up the division. For me Lennox, didn't really clean up the division even though he had all the belts. He won WBC champ, but at the same time he didn't fight WBA or IBF. Then when he won WBA/IBF he just fought random guy to WBC.

Frazier, Douglas, Holyfield and Bowe didn't clean up the division either when they were the undisputed champions.

For me that creates a certain respect for Tyson, who truly fought and beat everything in front and side of him, Ali too.

So you're saying Holyfield and Frazier didn't fight everyone? Who did they duck when they became heavyweight champion?

[Ben Bolt]

It must be a waste of money holding all four belts, as all four bodies would demand you to pay their sanction fees.

If I was the No. 1 in my weight division, I would concentrate on defending The Ring title and/or just being satisfied with the fact that I was the rightful champion in the eyes of the people (mostly, we are very aware of who the true champ is).

If I was the No. 1, I would focus on the fighters challenging me, instead of feeling forced to ‘unify the title’ by challenging some guy just because he’s been awarded a bogus belt.

(And, what’s the point of “unifying” belts? One or another of the sloppy orgs will soon have stripped you of it.)

[billeau2]

It must be a waste of money holding all four belts, as all four bodies would demand you to pay their sanction fees.

If I was the No. 1 in my weight division, I would concentrate on defending The Ring title and/or just being satisfied with the fact that I was the rightful champion in the eyes of the people (mostly, we are very aware of who the true champ is).

If I was the No. 1, I would focus on the fighters challenging me, instead of feeling forced to ‘unify the title’ by challenging some guy just because he’s been awarded a bogus belt.

(And, what’s the point of “unifying” belts? One or another of the sloppy orgs will soon have stripped you of it.)

Only Deonte Wilder has the potential to be the undisputed lineal champ heres the video of him defeating Charlie Z for Charlie's belt.

[joeandthebums]

It must be a waste of money holding all four belts, as all four bodies would demand you to pay their sanction fees.

The IBF were holding back on acknowledging Lennox Lewis as "their" champion after he beat Holyfield because there was a delay in receiving their $300,000 sanction fee.

Not sure how they attempt to justify that amount and like you said once you get to that level the titles are irrelevant.

[MisterHardtop]

Very true. Nice post.

...and, to use a tongue in cheek quip, I read once, "If any champion were 'undisputed', he wouldn't have any challengers."

Haha yes, that's well put.

The IBF were holding back on acknowledging Lennox Lewis as "their" champion after he beat Holyfield because there was a delay in receiving their $300,000 sanction fee.

Not sure how they attempt to justify that amount and like you said once you get to that level the titles are irrelevant.

Well, over the last 10-15 years, belts are starting to lose meaning. Most people involved in the sport, in terms of fans, fighters and trainers, can point at the top 3 or 4 boxers in any given division, irrespective of them holding a belt or not.

[Ben Bolt]

Only Deonte Wilder has the potential to be the undisputed lineal champ heres the video of him defeating Charlie Z for Charlie's belt.

The IBF were holding back on acknowledging Lennox Lewis as "their" champion after he beat Holyfield because there was a delay in receiving their $300,000 sanction fee.

Not sure how they attempt to justify that amount and like you said once you get to that level the titles are irrelevant.

Charlie Z – too crazy to be a coward?
Well, he certainly has achieved his aims – the 15 minutes (and more) of fame, here and elsewhere.
Listed on boxrec as 0-1, disqualified against Andrew Hartley, 1-13.
Referee Steve Thomasson: “He [Zelenoff] was shouting at me the whole time that Hartley was cheating. Unless the definition of cheating has been changed to ‘he's hitting me too much,’ I didn’t see much merit in his complaint. I disqualified him for deliberately spitting out his mouthpiece.”

I would have loved to hear IBF:s explanation (if the fee issue hadn’t been solved) to why they couldn’t recognize Lewis. Maybe “Holyfield was hitting him too much”…