Undisputed Champion
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In professional boxing, the term Undisputed Champion commonly refers to a boxer that has won and currently holds the titles of the most widely recognized world championship titles in a particular weight class: those recognized by the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association and the World Boxing Council. Many fighters today seek not to simply become a champion, but to become the “Undisputed Champion”, as that is the pinnacle of success within the sport. The term has also crossed over into other fighting / combat sports, such as mixed martial arts (Ultimate Fighting), and professional wrestling, for the purposes of ring introductions and general acknowledgement of particular fighters to clearly establish them as being the champion. This evolution of the term from boxing, has further spread the use into popular culture. One example is the promotional campaign of Anheuser Bush, labeling its signature beer, Budweiser, as, “The Undisputed King of Beers.”
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[edit] "Undisputed" a misnomer
The proliferation of sanctioning bodies in the sport has made it virtually impossible for a boxer to become a true Undisputed Champion, as it would be necessary for a fighter to literally hold over a dozen titles simultaneously (those of the IBF, WBA and WBC, joined by titles recognized by the WBO, International Boxing Association, International Boxing Council, International Boxing Organization, World Boxing Federation, World Boxing Empire, and World Boxing Union; as well as "fringe" groups such as the National Boxing Association, the International Boxing Union, the Global Boxing Union and others). As a result, the term has become a misnomer of sorts — the Undisputed Champion is in fact, not undisputed, but is the boxer generally recognized as the best in his division.
[edit] History of the term
The term "Undisputed Champion" came into vogue in boxing circles in the 1970s, when the then two major sanctioning organizations (the WBA and WBC) frequently found themselves recognizing different champions in a weight class. When a boxer captured both titles, he was then said to be "undisputed."
The term became widely used during the 1980s as a number of boxers in various divisions held "undisputed" titles, either briefly or for long periods. With the 1983 debut of the International Boxing Federation and its rapid rise to equal recognition with that of the WBA and WBC, it became more difficult for an undisputed champion to emerge — and even more so after the formation of the World Boxing Organization in 1988 and subsequent organizations during the 1990s. Often it is the disputes and financial interests of the individual organizations that prevent them from recognizing a unified champion.
[edit] WBA terms
The WBA refers to a champion who holds the WBA title and one other title as the unified champion. A WBA champion who holds two other titles is an undisputed champion. A champion who holds the WBA title and three other major titles is recognized as a super champion.
[edit] See also
| World boxing champions | |
|---|---|
| Champions by weight class: | Heavyweight | Heavyweight (linear) | Cruiserweight | Light heavyweight | Super middleweight | Middleweight | Super welterweight | Welterweight | Super lightweight | Lightweight | Super featherweight | Featherweight | Super bantamweight | Bantamweight | Super flyweight | Flyweight | Light flyweight | Strawweight |
| Champions by organization: | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring | Undisputed |
| Terms: | Interim championship | Undisputed championship |
