Back in the good old days – so those of us too young to remember them are told – you knew who the world champion of any given division was.  There was only one title to fight for, only one fighter recognised as the champion.  Nowadays it is all so different.  In addition to the four ‘recognised’ boxing organisations – the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO – who each have their own champion, there are now a raft of lesser organisations with their own championship to be contested.  The likes of the WBU, IBO, IBA, WBF and IBC to name but a few have turned the sport of boxing into an alphabet soup, and have allowed fighters who should be nowhere near a championship ring to claim that they are ‘world’ champions. 

For hardcore fans of the sport this causes little more than mild consternation.  After all, the difference between a Michael Jennings (WBU welterweight champion) and a Floyd Mayweather Jnr. (WBC welterweight champion) is clear to see.  It is not so much these lesser organisations that are the problem – it could be argued that anything which brings more money and interest to second and third tier boxing is a good thing – but the fact that there are four ‘legitimate’ world titles up for grabs in each division can leave the casual observer totally bemused.  With boxing now being comprised of seventeen weight classes, there are potentially sixty-eight world champions in comparison to just eight in days gone by.