By Gari Jones: Going by most boxing websites there are currently FOUR world of professional boxing organisations each with there own versions of a world title. Although there is the IBO and WBF who also have world titles for various weight classes, it seems the most recognized are the WBA, WBC, WBO and the IBF.

With 17 different weight classes to choose, starting at 105lbs to Heavyweight that’s 68 world titles floating around at any one time.

1.Strawweight/Minimumweight/Mini-Flyweight (105 lbs),
2. Junior Flyweight/Light Flyweight (108 lbs),
3. Flyweight (112 lbs),
4. Super Flyweight/Jr. Bantamweight (115 lbs),
5.Bantamweight (118 lbs)
6.Super Bantamweight/Jr. Featherweight (122 lbs)
7.Featherweight (126 lbs)
8.Super Featherweight/Jr. Lightweight (130 lbs)
9.Lightweight (135 lbs)
10.Super Lightweight/Jr. Welterweight (140 lbs)
11.Welterweight (147 lbs)
12.Super Welterweight/Jr. Middleweight (154 lbs)
13.Middleweight (160 lbs)
14.Super Middleweight (168 lbs)
15.Light Heavyweight (175 lbs)
16.Cruiserweight/Jr. Heavyweight (200 lbs)
17.Heavyweight (unlimited)

With the proud name of POUND 4 POUND best fighter on the planet belonging to only one fighter at a time, It makes we wonder – should there be only one true champion per weight class? The answer to that is should be a resounding yes.

In the Olympics there’s only one true champion for every one event and even Football/Soccer and Rugby the title of World Champion only goes to one winning team. By using this example then the world of Professional boxing should only have one recognized Champion.

But on the flipside unification fights have become something of spectacle in recent times, the expected fight between Haye and one of the Klitschko’s would be a unification fight, Devon Alexander, Timothy Bradley Amir Khan or Marcos Maidana any one of these names would make an exciting unification fight also.

Even in the past when Lennox Lewis fought Evander Holyfield for a unification fight for the WBA, WBC and IBF heavyweight championshp’s that became a huge box office sell-out. Its not just unification fights it also becomes exciting when a boxer defends his unified titles as well, during the 80’s when a young Iron Mike Tyson defended his IBF, WBC and WBA heavyweight titles or when Bernard Hopkins defended his WBC, WBO, WBA and IBF Middleweight belts they did manage to draw a huge crowd, It can also make the fights more interesting for the fans when there’s so much to lose for the defending champion.

But in that sense it also creates a dilemma, because there are so many titles and some boxers wanting to milk there versions for all they are worth, an undisputed titleholder tends not to happen very often. And some fighters who have a reputation can just step up to a different weight class and go gain a title shot without having to assert themselves first.

With one single champion per weight class would people like Manny Pacquiao, became an eight division world champion or would David Haye, Amir Khan, Roy Jones Jr or Oscar De La Hoya be able to move up or down a division and frog leap an entire list of contenders they most certainly and definitely not.

Even with a unified champion if the holder of those multiple titles does not defend one of the versions of it they tend to be stripped of it and it becomes vacated usually for the person who may have just lost it to be given a chance to win it back again. It tends to make a joke of the sport and demeans a title somewhat.

With one single championship belt per weight class I think that boxing would quickly become more prestige’s again and would it respects the fans who have fallen out of love with the sport because of the multiple champions and fighters ducking one another.