Jeff J Mitchell - Getty Images
Ricky Burns' belt is a real one now. Kind of. (Photo by Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
Scotland's Ricky Burns has been promoted from "interim champion" to "champion" by the WBO, which drew a great deal of bizarre applause on Twitter this morning, including Francis (not Frank) Warren saying that it had been a "long time coming," which is pretty funny when you consider that Burns had his first major fight as a lightweight in November, beating Michael Katsidis for the interim belt, but hold on a minute! It really doesn't even mean as much as it appears to mean even noting that Burns "won" the belt in a board room!
That's because Juan Manuel Marquez is apparently the "WBO super champion" at lightweight now, according to Fightnews.com:
Marquez said he has been talking to WBO President Francisco Valcarcel and been assured that the WBO lightweight "super" world championship title remains with him. Mexican and international media published the recognition that made Burns regular WBO lightweight champion and Marquez was informed immediately and began the search for the correct information.
I'm pretty amused by the idea of Marquez hearing the Ricky Burns news and losing his mind, phoning everyone he could to find out the real scoop, but I'm not really surprised by, well, any of this.
The good news for the WBO is soon they'll be able to introduce another interim title! Also, Burns' March 10 fight with Paulus Moses will be for the official, real, regular, normal, in-between "world championship."
The good news for Burns is he gets to walk around acting like he did something. Burns is a good fighter and seems like a really great fellow, but I mean, come on. This is no way to "win a championship," even in boxing.
The good news for Marquez is he holds on to his status with the WBO, for whatever reason he might have, and this will allow him to focus on the mass injustice of the WBA stripping him of his lightweight title. He wants to be THEIR "super champion," too.
The best news of all? Marquez may very well never, ever fight at 135 pounds again. The most recent Marquez news has been his keen interest in a fight with 140-pound titlist Lamont Peterson, which would serve as sort of a "Pacquiao Eliminator" for the guys who appear to have finished third and fourth in the Race for Manny on June 9. There's really not a lot left for the 38-year-old Marquez to do at 135 pounds, where he's still the recognized Ring Magazine champion.
And, well, the thing is, Marquez hasn't defended his lightweight belts since November 2010. What was he expecting? Preferential treatment? Yes, probably.
0 recs | 20 comments
Wow, they should give JMM the Intercontinental Belt too!
cylee1180 - January 26, 2012
Yeah I don’t think anyone holds the WBO intercontinental belt at 135.
which is a real thing, btw.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I guess the IBF is the last sanctioning body left to create a “super” title or have they already?
BoxingOutlivesFads - January 26, 2012
The IBF actually tries to follow its rules believe it or not. It obviously isn’t perfect, but they do try to follow their rules. Might be because they don’t want to get investigated again. Would be nice if all sanctioning bodies were investigated.
Kory Kitchen - January 26, 2012
no might about it.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
They're still subject to a court order after settling with the DOJ, that's why
Brickhaus - January 26, 2012
Wow, Burns is now the ‘full’ ordinary champion. So the UK now has two world champions and neither Burns or Cleverly won the title in the ring. Class.
Still, I’m happy for Burns, but I’m sure that even he would go ‘its nice…but’.
Quite how or why Marquez should hold a title in weight division has not fought at in years I don’t know. Maybe if he you know, scheduled a fight at 135?
Eoin_not_ian - January 26, 2012
Point taken, but it’s not really “years”. It’s more like “just over a year ago”, when he last fought at the weight, against Katsidis.
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
Obviously, I was talking in dog years…
Back on topic, I have never heard of WBO doing super champions. Is that happened before?
Eoin_not_ian - January 26, 2012
Has that happened before even. Spelling and knowledge of time have taken a hit today
Eoin_not_ian - January 26, 2012
Do you always talk in dog years?
I’ll have to remember that the next time you refer to timescale, then i can convert in my head.
:)
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
At my current rate, I think that would lead to even more mangled concepts of time. I’ve obviously been watching too many Victor Ortiz interviews. :)
Eoin_not_ian - January 26, 2012
Haha
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
Yeah, they’ve done it before. They don’t publicize it as much as the WBA does and they do it much more rarely. I remember Cotto-Pacquiao was for a SUPER TITLE!! and I think they gave Wladimir Klitschko a SUPER TITLE!! too, but I don’t recall them doing it this way before, which is basically the WBA model: super > regular > interim.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
Like, from what I recall, the WBO naming a SUPER CHAMPION! basically means that whatever they ask of the WBO, they can get — a title shot in the next division up, ability to not dick around with mandatory challengers if they don’t want to, “lifetime WBO membership” or some such nonsense.
Scott Christ - January 26, 2012
I can’t say i’ve heard it before. Another one of boxings great alluring qualities. :)
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
With all these extra belts it’s going to get to a point where every fight will be a unification fight.
Counterpunch - January 26, 2012
Boxing news reported the other week that there were well over 1000 “world title” fights last year alone.
Ridiculous.
Matt Mosley - January 26, 2012
I read that. It was pretty shocking.
Eoin_not_ian - January 26, 2012
Over 1000!
That’s ridiculous, at one time being a world champion meant something…
Counterpunch - January 26, 2012
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