In the boxing Arena, there are many different types of titles. The titles that you see on a professional boxer's ring card usually have some meaning to them. Some may be given out for winning fights or being in certain weight classes, while others can signify an achievement such as becoming a champion at a particular weight class. There is also another type of title called "world championship belts", which has been around since the early 1900′s and was first used by world heavyweight champions like Jack Johnson, who held two separate world championships simultaneously.
To understand a lot about boxing titles, read more in this article.
Different Boxing Titles
In this article, we will discuss all these various boxing titles:
World Championship Belt
This belt signifies the holder's status as World Champion. It is awarded only once per person. A WBC-holder must defend their title against any other contender before they can challenge for it again. If no one challenges them within 12 months, then the belt becomes vacant. When a fighter loses their title, they lose their right to wear the belt until someone else wins it back from them. This means if a fighter holds multiple world titles, then when they lose either of those titles, they would not be able to keep wearing both belts together.
World Heavyweight Title
The world heavyweight title is considered to be the most prestigious title in boxing. Only three men have ever won the undisputed version of the world heavyweight title. These three fighters were Muhammad Ali, Joe Louis and George Foreman. To become a true world heavyweight champion, a man needs to win four major world titles in five years. To date, only six people have achieved this feat. They include Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Larry Holmes, Michael Spinks, Riddick Bowe and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
WBA Super Welterweight Title
When it comes to this title, it is important to know what makes up its weight division. The super-welterweight category is made up of boxers weighing between 140lbs – 154 lbs. The current reigning champion is Amir Khan. He defeated Kell Brook via unanimous decision last year.
IBF Light Middleweight Title
In this title, the contenders weigh between 155lbs - 168lbs. The 2021 champion is Demetrius Andrade. He beat Joseph Diaz twice earlier this year.
IBO Junior Bantamweight Title
It is rare for anyone to hold more than one junior bantamweight title at a single time. However, the IBF does recognize the existence of this title. The 2021 champion is Jermall Charlo.
WBO Featherweight Title
Featherweights are generally lighter than regular light heavyweights. Their weights range from 126lbs – 135lbs. The current featherweight champion is Gary Russell Jr. He defeated Jose Ramirez in 2018.
WBO Super Flyweight Title
Flyweights are smaller versions of regular lightweight boxers. They typically weigh between 118lbs – 125lbs. The current flyweight champion is Josh Warrington. He defeated Carl Frampton in 2021.
WBO Strawweight Title
Strawweights are often referred to as female boxers. They usually weigh less than 115lbs. The strawweight champion is Christina Linardatou. She became the new champ after defeating Mariana Juarez in 2017.
WBC Female Minimum Weight Title
Minimum weight champions are usually women who weigh under 112 pounds. There have been two minimum weight champions so far: Laila Ali and Claressa Shields. Both these ladies fought each other in 2015.
IBO Junior Middleweight Title
It is worth noting here that the IBF does not recognize the IBO junior middleweight title. However, the IBO recognizes the IBO light middleweight title, so technically speaking, the IBO junior middleweights should fight under the IBF rules.
International Boxing Hall of Fame
There are currently seven members of the International Boxing Hall of Fame. They are; Roy Jones Sr., Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Robinson, Roberto Duran, Thomas Hearns, Marvin Hagler and Bernard Hopkins. All of these guys are former or present world champions.
Boxing Records
Here we will look into some of the records which various boxers have set over the course of history. It is also possible to find out how many times certain events happened during any boxer's career. For example, if you want to see how many times someone knocked down an opponent, then check out his knockdown record. You can do the same thing with all sorts of statistics such as wins, losses, knockout percentages etc.
Most Knockdowns Ever Recorded
This statistic shows us just how dangerous a punch is.
The most knockdowns ever recorded were done by Floyd Patterson when he faced Ezzard Charles on November 23rd, 1951. During their bout, they exchanged punches until both men were exhausted. In total, Floyd threw eight punches while Ezzard only managed to throw 2. As a result, Floyd landed seven straight lefts to Ezzards head before knocking him down. After getting back up, Ezzard continued fighting but eventually lost the match.
This event took place at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
In another instance, Joe Louis knocked down Max Baer twice in their first-round encounter. On December 14th, 1935, Joe hit Max with a right hand, followed by a left hook. Then again, Max got dropped with a combination of hooks and uppercuts. These two knockdowns occurred in Detroit, Michigan.
Bottom Line
In boxing, we have various titles like the heavyweight championship belt, cruiserweight championship belt and super welterweight. Each one of them represents a different division within the sport. We also have several types of belts for different weights, including flyweight championship belt, strawweight championship belt, international boxing hall of fame belt and boxing records belt. The article above explains what precisely a boxing title means.
