With the quagmire that has become boxing's plethora of championship 'titles,' it had become more and more difficult in the past years to truly recognize just who were the game's 'true' champions.

What we had in essence, were a host of 'titlists,' but few real 'champions' of a particular division. It seemed that almost every other world-class practitioner had some sort of belt around his waist. Not only did it create confusion within the game, it took away a great deal of the much needed credibility that the game needed outside its core base.

Things hit its nadir, when the WBA trotted out something called the 'super-champion,' which they explained was a way to give their more dominant champions the most prestigious of honors. But in essence, what it really was though, was an attempt, to extort more sanctioning fees, from other boxers who would attempt to fill their vacancies that were created when boxers like Bernard Hopkins and Kostya Tszyu were 'honored' as 'Super Champions.' 'Super Champions' should be a comic book series, not a boxing designation.

So about nine months ago, The Ring magazine decided to crown its own champions. But, unlike the sanctioning bodies, they wouldn't just hand out titles to anybody. To get one of these prestigious Ring belts, fighters would have to do something of great significance such as unifying titles or defeating the other top-flight fighters in their division. For 'The Bible of Boxing,' the timing was right.

"There wasn't like a final straw that broke the camel's back," explained Nigel Collins, the editor of The Ring magazine. "It's been something that's been brewing for years. In fact, in the mid-'80s, the first time I was editor of The Ring, we introduced something we called 'A Return to Sanity', it was a little bit different, we only went with the 'old school eight' and we started giving out championship belts to the real champions, much as we do today."

That was short-lived as the company would get sold and Collins would leave 'The Ring' before coming back a few years later.

"The timing was important," Collins continued. "We realized that when we did this about nine months ago, that a lot of the good fighters at the top of the divisions were gonna start fighting each other and of course nobody wants to see a whole bunch of vacancies. So the timing was right, the need was great and we did have a history in back of us that gave us some credibility to go ahead and do it, so we did."

Hopkins, Tszyu, Roy Jones, Paulie Ayala, Vernon Forrest, Marco Antonio Barrera, Lennox Lewis, Floyd Mayweather and most recently Oscar De La Hoya, all have The Ring Championship belts on their mantel.

Hopkins, Tszyu and Jones were charter members of The Ring championship club because they had unified their respective weight classes. Lewis would gain his distinction with his win over Hasim Rahman in their rematch because he had regained the linear crown and before that had unified the heavyweight division. Ayala had gained his belt by downing Bones Adams in his two bouts against Bones Adams at junior featherweight. Forrest would take down Shane Mosley (who was The Ring's welterweight champion coming into their first fight in January). Barrera would decision Erik Morales to win the featherweight title and Mayweather would down the magazine's top rated 135 pounder, Jose Luis Castillo, to win the lightweight championship. And then most recently De La Hoya would stop Fernando Vargas a few weeks back, in a match-up of the publication's two top rated junior middleweights to win The Ring belt.

It's clear, to win one of these belts, you have to prove that you are clearly the most dominant fighter in your division or have done something that clearly upstages everyone else in that weight class. And once you get that belt, there won't be any mandatory defenses or stripping of the title. This title, is won and lost in the ring. And when a fighter moves up or retires, the vacant title will only be filled when a fighter does something significant to earn that championship. What it also does is provide some protection to some of the lower profile fighters that are often exploited by the sanctioning mobs.

Such was the case when Ayala was stripped of his bantamweight title by the WBA. Unlike a De La Hoya or Jones, who have the safe cocoon of a lucrative HBO deal, guys like Ayala do need their titles. Ayala would have his belt taken away because instead of taking on his mandatory, he would instead move up and take on the challenge of Adams, a more lucrative bout that would be televised by HBO.

"I got really bitter towards the organization," Ayala said of his situation with the Venezuelan-based organization. "Because I just didn't feel that it was justified for them to strip me of my title. Especially, because I was fighting for another WBA champion."

It's ironic to note that, Adams was stripped of his WBA junior featherweight title for not facing his mandatory challenger.

"To me those belts didn't make me a champion," continued Ayala. "I made myself a champion by beating one of the best guys and I was willing to challenge one of the best guys at the next weight division. So I didn't think the belt effected me anymore because I was willing to give the boxing fans what they wanted to see regardless if a title was on the line or not. I was willing to go 12 rounds, anyway."

After a controversial win in his first bout with Adams, in the rematch, Ayala, would dominate Adams in the rematch to win The Ring Championship. Something he says he values more than his WBA title.

"Oh, yeah, without a doubt," concurred Ayala. "Because the only way you're gonna lose that belt is if you move up and campaign at a different weight division or if you lose it in the ring and that's the way I think it should be."

"You mention Paulie Ayala, he's been very, very supportive," says Collins, "and I think the reason is, he's not a huge superstar like Oscar De La Hoya, who in some ways is really bigger than boxing. He's one of the blue-collar workers in the sport. And what the WBA did to him and Bones Adams, the two best guys in the division, decided to fight again because their first fight was controversial -- both of them were stripped of their belts.

"And I think that was a real eye-opener to a lot of fighters. Here are fighters doing the right thing, taking on top competition, taking on somebody that has a good chance of beating them and how were they being rewarded by the alphabet organizations? They're not being rewarded, they're being screwed. So I think somebody like Paulie Ayala understands the situation. He's been a victim of the alphabet groups, he knows that we will never strip him."

And it's machinations like this by those groups, that lends credence to what Collins and his magazine are doing.

"I've always felt that one of our greatest allies, in an ironic way, are the alphabet organizations themselves," he admits. "Because they certainly shoot themselves in the foot and do things that shame themselves and boxing."

Recent events with the WBC and Graciano Rocchigiani would be a prime example of that.

What also helped is that HBO in the past few years has tried to downplay these sanctioning bodies and have tried their best to only recognize boxers that they truly feel are the best in their weight classes. To their credit, HBO aired both Ayala-Adams belts without one of the major organizations sanctioning it as a championship bout.

What's also helped is that this crusade has gotten the support and attention of those that cover the sport on a regular basis.

"I think it's been well received," said Collins. "I'm kind of surprised that it caught on as well as it did. And I think one of the things is that we really have to thank Brian Kenny and Max Kellerman for the support they've given it on the Friday Night Fights. Their help has been tremendous and there's been a number of print and electronic journalist that have written favorable columns, supported us and I think one of the reasons is that, even if you're not a big fan of The Ring magazine, you understand that the state of championship boxing today is basically chaos and it's really hurt the game. And maybe our solution isn't the perfect one but somebody had to step up and do something. I think the Ring was the right entity to do so."

Just as long as Johnny Ort is not involved. Collins promises there won't be any 'super champs' or mandatory defenses from his magazine.

"Oh, I can promise you that," laughs Collins. "As long as I'm sitting on this chair, there won't."

ALPHABET SOUP

While The Ring championship is a noble idea, it has to be said that the sanctioning bodies -- not their actions -- have to be taken seriously. Regardless of the rantings of Max Kellerman, they are important, especially from an economic standpoint.

If they weren't, why isn't every fighter not named, De La Hoya, Jones and Lewis not dropping their belts like a hot potato? Why, because, in almost every single instance, a fighter who wins and holds a belt, makes more money than before he gains that title. Unless, HBO is there to sponsor your quest (like they are with Ayala or Barrera) vacating your belt could be the worst thing you can do as a prizefighter. Just how many lucrative fights could a Winky Wright (the IBF's 154-pound titlist) or Tim Austin (the bantamweight IBF king) get without their titles? Who'd want to even take the risk of stepping in with them with nothing on the line?

Does anyone think that Bernard Hopkins wasn't better off keeping his IBF title through thick and thin before he unified the middleweight division? He could barely get fights with the title. Without it? Fugghedabout it!!!

Again, unless you fight regularly on HBO, it matters. And even then, HBO in its own way, recognizes these titles. Don't think so? How many mis-mandatories of Roy Jones have they done? Why did they show Evander Holyfield-John Ruiz? Or Ruiz's title defense against Kirk Johnson this past July? Perhaps, because that WBA belt was a missing piece of the heavyweight title that they wanted for Lewis, that's why.

People like to talk about the 'good ole days' of boxing with only eight divisions and one champion reigning in each. Seems like Utopia, but on the flip side, you also had a host of fighters that got ducked, dodged and frozen out of title shots for years at a time. Just ask Marvin Hagler if he wouldn't have minded having a 'meaningless' title to make a few bucks with before proving he was one the games dominant 160-pounders of all-time. No, Paul Spadafora isn't anyone's top rated lightweight, but he has made a pretty good living with his IBF title.

Have you ever tried to drive down a crowded one-lane highway? That in essence, is what boxing would be, under its current economic and business framework, with only having one champion. 'Till, that changes, guys like Wright and Austin need those titles.

As for the validity of all these titles (the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO) check out The Ring magazine own ratings, in a majority of the weight classes, fighters who hold those titles, are usually rated within the top five or six in the division. Most titles, are held by the division's elite fighters.

These titles aren't THAT meaningless.

IBF

That organization should call itself, 'I'm Bob Lee's Forever' with what's going on with their featherweight title.

They were correct in stripping Johnny Tapia of his IBF featherweight title, since he didn't comply with their rules. Of course, some would say that they should have mandated a Tapia-Manuel Medina rematch, but that's beside the point. But now Teresa Tapia is saying that they would have been able to keep their title if they would have paid a 'non-refundable' fee to the organization to have them consider the fight and then take a percentage of his purse against Marco Antonio Barrera (who he fights on November 2nd), if they did allow it.

It that's the case, then it's as clear as crystal that the IBF was putting its own rules and regulations up for sale.

Looks to me like they still have to be monitored.

NBC

Some are speculating that Fernando Vargas' recent troubles with his positive test for steroids may keep NBC from getting back into boxing.

Isn't this the same network that actually aired the Olympics that Ben Johnson was busted in and paid a boat load to keep afterwards?

Also, isn't this the same peacock that brought us the ill-fated XFL? Not exactly 'must see TV' if you ask me. Their standards can't be THAT high on a moral and ethical standpoint.

Besides, with the NBA bolting to ESPN/ABC, what else do they have in the sports network as of right now? How much figure skating and golf can one network show? Thank God for Tyrone Willingham or their investment in Notre Dame would be worthless. Besides, in my opinion, it was the corporate support of Miller Lite that had NBC contemplating a return to boxing, not just an individual fighter. If Miller Lite wants to get this done, than the point of Vargas is moot.

If it still happens, what will Ferdie Pacheco's paintings be worth now? (Inside industry joke, for those who don't get it.)

FINAL FLURRIES

The rumor has been making the rounds for the last week or so and it was confirmed to me that Russell Peltz has been relieved of his duties with ESPN2's 'Friday Night Fights'... It also looks like Floyd Mayweather Sr. will be taking over the training duties of Francisco Bojado... Is there anymore questions about Danny Romero after his loss to Cruz Carbajal? Didn't think so. As of right now, he's a 'name opponent' and nothing more.