This past April, long reigning undisputed super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe made the step up to the light heavyweight division to lock horns with Bernard ?The Executioner? Hopkins. In what some would consider a somewhat controversial decision, ?The Pride of Wales? eeked out a decision victory over the Philadelphian in what was a snoozer of a battle.
Regardless of the entertainment value of the fight or ratings it drew on HBO, Calzaghe was and is considered a two division world champion following the bout.
Opinion or fact?
I believe it is considered a fact by many that follow the confusing sport of boxing.
My next question is as follows: What title was up for grabs for the April 19th clash between Calzaghe & Hopkins?
The WBC? IBF? WBA? WBO?
None of the above?
Yes, the answer is none of the above as the only ?title? at stake was that of the Ring Magazine.
You might now ask? what?s your point monkey boy?
My point is very, very simple.
Actually my point is more of a question. How is it that Joe Calzaghe can be considered a two-division world champion being that he fought Bernard Hopkins for the Ring title at 175 pounds while Manny Pacquiao?s victory over Marco Antonio Barrera at 126 pounds fails to be considered a legitimate championship achievement?
Beating a dead horse you say? Shut up… I’m merely trying to set the record straight because at this very moment, the record is bent, broken, and bashed to all hell.
For the record, in publications both online and on print, Pacquiao has recently been considered ?merely? a four-time division champion with his recent victory over David Diaz at 135 pounds. I don?t understand as to how this can be.
When Pacquiao faced off against Marco Antonio Barrera in November of 2003, ?The Baby Faced Assassin? was widely considered the legitimate linear champion of the featherweight division much like Hopkins was for 175 pounds up until this past April. Somehow, and I?ve never been considered ?smart? my virtually anyone I know, there?s a difference between Pacquiao?s victory and that of Calzaghe?s.
Can someone please explain to me the difference because I?m too stupid to understand it?
PS. Either e-mail the answer to me or reply in the comments section below. It?s just frustrating to see people?s lemming-like behavior as they tend to regurgitate what their peers in the media write. Don?t acknowledge that Calzaghe is two if Pacquiao isn?t five. If Calzaghe is a one weight division world champion, it will make sense to me for those that say Pacquiao is a four-timer…
