By Gerardo Granados: Once, I asked who the welterweight Champion is. Now I am asking the reader a question that is related. An interim champion was supposed to be crowned when the champion was ill or injured been unable to defend his title, but as soon as the champion came back both were matched so there would be only one champion in the Boxing Organization.
I believe that was a good idea because that way a Boxing Organization was able to keep his belt active. At the beginning there was only one champion by weight division later on there were many Boxing Organization champions on a same weight division and now we have the luxury to have several champions from the same Boxing Organization in the same weight division. (!?)
Let’s consider as an “interim” champion the next ones: interim of any, regular of the association and council, silver, diamond; and as the “real” champion: regular of federation, emeritus of council and super of association and organization. If the super is above both the regular and interim or any of the versions that the major Boxing Organizations have invented to the date.
The major Boxing Organizations have different versions of the same weight belt. I guess it is good for boxers who are able to receive bigger paydays when they dispute a “title” and must be even better for promoters; after all professional boxing is a business. But what about recognition and prestige? If you are a substitute unless you prove to be better than the starter you won’t be recognized by fans as the real deal, do you? Is it the same to play as a starter in a major league in a top team, or to be the substitute? Let’s say the substitute of Iker Casillas or Lebron James. When the late Edwin Valero faced Antonio DeMarco who was the interim lightweight champion, Valero stopped De Marco in nine rounds proving to be the real champion, Amir Khan out pointed Marcos Maidana and Juan Manuel Marquez stopped Michael Katsidis.
How many interim champions will become multiple division champions? If Erik Morales had defeated Marcos Maidana he would have become an interim champion but would he had been considered as a legit four weight division champion? Jorge Arce and Humberto Soto are two divisions regular and one division interim champions are they authentic three division champions? Is Nonito Donaire a three division champion?
Is it fair for the real multi division champions? Thomas Hearns was never crowned as an interim champion, neither Julio Cesar Chavez, Roberto Duran, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De la Hoya or Floyd Mayweather jr. (just to mention a few) and just for the sudden they have competition that threatens to brake their multi-divisional records. Would you considered to be a legit five or six division champion a fighter who earns four interim different weight division belts, then a diamond middleweight and for last a magazine super middleweight!!
This sure sounds crazy or even stupid, but can the reader name the last time that they were able to recall all the welterweight organization champions including the emeritus, super, regular, interim, and silver? I bet you can not do it without checking the web first.
Are the interim champions as good as the champions of the past, is it fair to give them the recognition, and honor them as if they were the top fighter of his mere organization? I guess not and sincerely hope you don’t consider them either. You can not take serious a champion who shares a belt with another three individuals a consider them all to be world champions at the same time in a same Boxing Organization.
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