The Ring & Alphabet Bodies

One of the most confusing things that boxing fans have to deal with is the presence of so many different "types" of world champions. Isn't a world champion supposed to be the only champion for his weight division? Why are there so many so-called world champions claiming to be just that: world champions, but of the same weight? And why the presence of so many boxing organizations claiming to be the rightful "owners" of the real world champion?

I remember the times as a kid when I was told by my father that the organizations that mattered most were the World Boxing Association (WBA) and World Boxing Council (WBC). But today, you also hear of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and the World Boxing Organization (WBO). On the side, there is the IBA, IBO, WBF, etc., etc., etc! Confused? So am I!

Let's take Manny Pacquiao's case as an example. Did you know that the Pacman is not even a world champion of the WBC, WBA, IBF or WBO? Officially, he's the WBC International super featherweight champion. The official world champ of the WBC is Marco Antonio Barrera. The other champs are Vicente Mosquera (WBA), Cassius Baloyi (IBF) and Jorge Barrios (WBO). The irony of it all is that Pacquiao is acknowledged to be the best among the five champions just mentioned. And so we go back to zero. If Pacquiao is considered the best but isn't even the world champion of any world body, how do we know who's the real deal? Who's the real champ?

Fortunately for us boxing fans, there's the Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing that has covered the boxing scene since 1922. It's the most respected magazine in boxing that tells it like it is and manages (somehow) to stay away from the politics that has stained the sport. And for us boxing fans who are already confused as to who is who among the various champs, the Ring magazine awards championship belts that is intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class. (Source: www.thering-online.com).

While it isn's involved in the staging of world championship fights, the Ring Magazine is more credible than any "ratings" committee you'll find in any boxing organization. While I'm not saying they're perfect, their ratings are the most credible, accurate and realistic since these are based not on the connections of the boxer and his manager, but on the real worth of the boxer.

In Pacquiao's case, the Pacman is rated # 1 by the Ring Magazine, but the champion's slot is vacant. That's how stringent their championship scheme runs. Barrera is # 2; Erik Morales is # 3 followed by Mosquera (# 4) and Barrios (# 5). I don't think they'll give the belt to Pacquiao until he beats Barrios and Mosquera unless the two shy away from such a fight.

The other official Ring Magazine champions are O'Neil Bell (cruiserweight); Bernard Hopkins (light heavy weight); Joe Calzaghe (super middleweight); Jermain Taylor (middleweight); Carlos Baldomir (welterweight); Ricky Hatton (super lightweight); Diego Corrales (lightweight); Israel Vasquez (super bantamweight). The Ring Magazine doesn't have champions declared for the following divisions: heavyweight, super welterweight, super featherweight, featherweight, bantamweight, super flyweight, flyweight, light flyweight and straw weight. All these are valid for the period until July 23, 2006.

On top of this, they have a pound-for-pound list, ranking the best boxers across all divisions. Floyd Mayweather is # 1, Winky Wright is # 2, Pacquiao is # 3, Jermain Taylor # 4, Bernard Hopkins # 5.

Another added highlight from here is that we also get to see who among the Philippines' top boxers are considered by the Ring Magazine as legit prospects for a world crown. Did you know that Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista isn't rated in either the bantamweight or super bantamweight division? This gives us an idea of where Bautista is in the world scene. While I'm certain he's a world champ in the making, the ratings gives us a better perspective of the mountain that he's got to climb. Among other boxers who are absent include Malcolm Tuñacao, Randy Suico, Z Gorres, Bobby Pacquiao and Yuka Gejon.

But guess who's ranked in the top ten of their respective divisions? Gerry Peñalosa is ranked #10 in the super flyweight division while Rodel Mayol is # 9 among all straw weights. Brian Viloria is expectedly ranked, but at # 5 in the light flyweight division. I was surprised to see Peñalosa still there but I guess they see something that we don't.

For the boxers who were not rated, this should serve as a reality-check and trigger point at the same time. While Bautista, Suico, Gorres et. al. are being touted as the country's next champions, they should also see how much better they need to become in order to be considered among the best of the world. It's the only true test to becoming a world champ. They've got to be better than everyone else on this list. For those already ranked, they should realize that they're already up there with the world's best, and must not stop in their drive.

Amidst all the clutter with all these alphabet organizations, are you still confused? You just found the answer.

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Time-out: Happy birthday to Idol Lito Ondap! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].