“All Belts Do Is Collect Dust”

By maxwritings - 03/22/2015 - Comments

LR_TRAPPFOTOS-MAYPAC PRESSER-8865(Photo credit: Stephanie Trapp/Mayweather Promotions) By Bryant K. Maxwell:–Floyd Mayweather Jr. is one of the most decorated champions this planet has ever seen. 11 time champion in 5 divisions. But he could have been a 12 time champ, but Mayweather refused to fight for Shane Mosley’s WBA strap in their 2010 mega fight.

Standing up against one the major sanctioning bodies and their fees; Floyd did something that night that not too many boxers today would do.

A belt used to mean something. You could walk into a stadium on fight night or turn on your television and hear the fighters’ introductions, and instantly once you hear the words “world champion” from the announcer, you knew the fight was bigger. You knew it wasn’t just any fight.

And when that fight ended you knew who the champion of the world was.

Mayweather didn’t need a belt to tell him that he was a champion. After he had beaten Mosley he knew he was champion and everyone around him knew it too. He was the best fighter in the world.

Some boxers need that validation from a sanctioning body.

Lamont Peterson, a fine boxer, and the current IBF 140 lb. champion didn’t lose his belt to Lucas Matthysse even though he was knocked out within three rounds.

Why?

Because the fight was held at one lb. over the weight limit and was then a non-title bout against two rightful light welterweights. Great fight on paper, quick fight in the ring as Matthysee blasted through Peterson.

Matthysee had never won a championship, even after he had just beaten the IBF champion. Matthysee would go on to lose in his championship bid against current undefeated champion Danny Garcia in his next fight. A fight that could be re-matched and should, but lets not get into that.

Matthysee never won his belt that could have served as validation for him. But Matthysee wasn’t seeking to fill his space on his mantel with the Peterson fight. And Peterson wasn’t thinking about letting his belt go.

Now Peterson will fight Danny Garcia for the…

Wait.

This one is at 143 lbs.

So although they both have belts they aren’t on the line? Televised by NBC where the largest possible audience for this fight could possibly happen, they will be announced as 140 lb. champions but neither will be putting their belts on the line?

Am I typing this correctly? Am I hearing this right?

I guess Mayweather was right in saying “All belts do is collect dust.” Because on Saturday April 11th, 2015 on NBC, two champions will battle to the finish and they both will go home to their trophy case and see their belts through a glass…

…A dusty glass.

-Bryant Maxwell can be reached at @BryantKMaxwell on Twitter



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