Boxing Rankings: Politics, Payoffs and UTTER BULLSHIT!

By Luca “MamaLuke” Balossino

When I watch old fights on YouTube and DVD’s from my favorite era, the Heavyweights from the late 80’s until mid 90’s, I sometimes wonder why I see fighters like “The Atlantic City Express” as a WBA Champion. At the time Seldon was the champion, the top 12 ranked heavyweights for the WBA were 7 fighters like Lionel Butler, Larry Donald, Nate Tubbs, Buster Mathis, Joe Hipp, Frans Botha and Tony Tucker. My common sense cannot consent to agree that those were the best fighters that era had to offer. Take Tommy Morrison for example, he wasn’t even in the top 15 ranked for many months during the 90’s. This also explains why his only championship shots were to fight for less regarded titles like the WBO’s and IBC’s.

Speaking of Tommy, he was not Don King’s man “yet’’ and was managed by Bill Cayton (which he was known not to be the best friends of Don). This didn’t help in the rankings to get shots at other belts such as: WBC, IBF, WBA. In 1993, when Riddick Bowe was defending his IBF and WBA titles against Michael Dokes, it showed just how boxing rankings can be manipulated by putting up a washed up version of former heavyweight champion a decade before in the ring against the man who beat Evander Holyfield. There is no question on anybody’s mind, this was an obvious manipulated mismatch.

At that time, Morrison won the WBO strap against George Foreman…and a fight against Bowe, would’ve had been much more leveled and more crowd pleasing matchup.
But politics, again, took care of their business and had less risky opponents to or their ‘’protected’’ fighters. This ‘manipulated BS’ goes way back to fighters like Jack Johnson who was not able to fight for a World Title because of the color of his skin. It´s in boxing´s nature to manipulate who fights who, based on a dirty business (behind the scenes) that allows many times for a fighter who is not the best out there to face a current champion.

In order to avoid this kind of corruption as much as possible, what would be the best thing to do? Not hiring external promoters and try to do it on your own? Let me mention one extreme successful case for that: Floyd Mayweather, JR. When I say successful it’s based only on his undefeated record, but it all honestly, did he fight the best out there while in their prime? The answer unequivocally is NO!

Maybe the best solution is to only have 1 title, like the WBA back in the days. The best fights the best, rankings will eventually be for real and we can avoid seeing so many unworthy ranked fighters like it has been for years.

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