Pictured: Lineal World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury


Last Saturday night's Wilder-Szpilka WBC title match was initially billed as Brooklyn's first heavyweight title bout since James J. Jeffries knocked out James. J. Corbett in the 23rd round of a scheduled 25-rounder on May 11, 1900. But after the Glazkov-Martin bout for the vacant IBF title was added to the card, Glazkov-Martin and Wilder-Szpilka became Brooklyn's first and second world heavyweight title bouts in nearly 116 years! The bouts took place as scheduled and in attendance was none other than lineal, Ring Magazine, WBO, and IBO world heavyweight champion and WBA world heavyweight super champion Tyson Fury.

In 1900, the boxing world had James J. Jeffries. In 2016, the boxing world has Tyson Fury.....and Deontay Wilder (who knocked out Szpilka), Charles Martin (who won by injury-caused TKO), WBA "regular" world heavyweight champion Ruslan Chagaev, and WBA interim world heavyweight champion Luis Ortiz. Fury, like Jeffries in 1900, is the real champion but the sanctioning bodies have cluttered the scene with four others who are labeled as champions and thus have helped make boxing increasingly difficult to follow.

TTR recognizes lineal champions only. A lineal champion is the as the true king of a division. Titles are filled by a contender beating the lineal champion in a title bout or, when a title is vacant, or dormant for a long period, by the winner of the division's #1 contender vs. the division's #2 contender in a bout contested at or below the division's weight limit.

Currently, there are six lineal champions. The following will show where the organizational champions, be they "super" champions, "undisputed" champions, "unified" champions, "regular" champions, or "interim" champions, stand in TTR's rankings.

HEAVYWEIGHT:

Champion: Tyson Fury (is recognized by TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, The Ring, the WBO, and the IBO as the World Champion and by the WBA as the Super world Champion)

3- Deontay Wilder (WBC)
5- Luis Ortiz (WBA Interim)
9- Ruslan Chagaev (WBA)

Charles Martin won the IBF title on January 16. He was not ranked by TTR in the most recent rankings, those through January 14.

Also not ranked- the retired Vitali Klitschko (WBC Emeritus)

CRUISERWEIGHT/JUNIOR HEAVYWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Krysztof Glowacki (WBO)
2- Denis Lebedev (WBA)
3- Grigory Drozd (WBC)
6- Victor Emilio Ramirez (IBF)
9- Ola Afolabi (IBO)

Not ranked- Beibut Shumenov (WBA Interim)

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT:

Champion Adonis Stevenson (TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, WBC)

1- Sergey Kovalev (WBA Undisputed, WBO, IBF)
2- Juergen Braehmer (WBA)

Vacant- IBO
Not ranked- Felix Valera (WBA Interim)

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Champion: Andre Ward (TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board)*

1- Arthur Abraham (WBO)
2- James DeGale (IBF)
3- Badou Jack (WBC)
5- Fedor Chudinov (WBA Super)

Not ranked- Giovanni De Carolis (WBA; also Global Boxing Union)
Not ranked- Zac Dunn (IBO)
Vacant- WBA Interim

*- Ward will abdicate the throne at 168 when he makes his "official" debut at 175. Being that Ward has not defended the title since November 2013, if the #1 and #2 contenders fight each other before he abdicate, the winner will snatch the lineal title from him.

MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Champion: Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, The Ring, WBC)

1- Gennady Golovkin (WBA Super, IBO, IBF, WBC Interim)
2- Daniel Jacobs (WBA)
4- Billy Joe Saunders (WBO)

Not ranked- Alfonso Blanco (WBA Interim)

SUPER WELTERWEIGHT/JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT/LIGHT MIDDLEWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Erislandy Lara (WBA, IBO)
2- Jermall Charlo (IBF)
12- Liam Smith (WBO)
13- Golden Jack Culcay (WBA Interim)

Vacant- WBC (title will be filled by WBC #1, TTR #4 Jermell Charlo vs. WBC #2, TTR unranked John Jackson)
Not ranked- the retired Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (WBA Super; WBC Emeritus)

WELTERWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

2- Timothy Bradley (WBO)
3- Keith Thurman (WBA)
4- Kell Brook (IBF)

Vacant- WBC (title will be filled by WBC #2, TTR #7 Danny Garcia vs. WBC #6, TTR #12 Robert Guerrero)
Not ranked- the retired Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (WBA Unified; WBC Emeritus)
Not ranked- Tsiko Mulovhedzi (IBO)
Not ranked- David Avanesyan (WBA Interim)

SUPER LIGHTWEIGHT/JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHT/LIGHT WELTERWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Viktor Postol (WBC)
2- Terence Crawford (WBO)
4- Jose Benavidez, Jr. (WBA Interim)
6- Adrien Broner (WBA Super)
8- Eduard Troyanovsky (IBO, IBF)

Vacant- WBA

LIGHTWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

2- Jorge Linares (WBC)
3- Rances Barthelemy (IBF)
4- Anthony Crolla (WBA)
8- Terry Flanagan (WBO)
11- Ismael Barroso (WBA Interim)

Not ranked- Xolisani Ndongeni (IBO)

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT/JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Takashi Uchiyama (WBA Super)
2- Francisco Vargas(WBC)
4- Roman Martinez (WBO)
5- Javier Fortuna (WBA)
7- Jose Pedraza (IBF)

Not ranked- Jezreel Corrales (WBA Interim)
Not ranked- Jack Asis (IBO)

FEATHERWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Vasyl Lomachenko (WBO)
2- Gary Russell, Jr. (WBC)
3- Leo Santa Cruz (WBA Super)
4- Lee Selby (IBF)
7- Jesus Cuellar (WBA)

Not ranked- Lusanda Komanisi (IBO)
Not ranked- Carlos Zambrano (WBA Interim)

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT/JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT:

Champion: Guillermo Rigondeaux (TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, The Ring; WBA In Recess)

1- Carl Frampton (IBF)
2- Scott Quigg (WBA)
3- Nonito Donaire (WBO)
4- Julio Ceja (WBC)
9- Paulus Ambunda (IBO)
11- Moises Flores (WBA Interim)
14- Tyson Cave (WBU- U.S.-based version)

BANTAMWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Shinsuke Yamanaka (WBC)
2- Juan Carlos Payano (WBA Undisputed, IBO)
4- Jamie McDonnell (WBA)
7- Zhanat Zhakiyanov (WBA Interim)
8- Pungluang Sor Singyu (WBO)
9- Lee Haskins (IBF)

SUPER FLYWEIGHT/JUNIOR BANTAMWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Naoya Inoue (WBO)
2- Carlos Cuadras (WBC)
6- Kohei Kono (WBA)
7- McJoe Arroyo (IBF)
8- Luis Concepcion (WBA Interim)
12- Gideon Buthelezi (IBO)

FLYWEIGHT:

Champion: Roman Gonzalez (TTR, the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, The Ring, WBC)

1- Juan Francisco Estrada (WBA Unified, WBO)
2- Amnat Ruenroeng (IBF)
3- Kazuto Ioka (WBA)
7- Moruti Mthalane (IBO)

Not ranked- Stamp Kiatniwat (WBA Interim)

LIGHT FLYWEIGHT/JUNIOR FLYWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1-Donnie Nietes (WBO, The Ring)
2- Ryoichi Taguchi (WBA)
3- Yu Kimura (WBC)
5- Akira Yaegashi (IBF)
7- Rey Loreto (IBO)

Not ranked- Randy Petalcorin (WBA Interim)

MINIMUMWEIGHT/MINI-FLYWEIGHT/STRAWWEIGHT:

Champion: Vacant

1- Hekkie Budler (IBO, WBA)
2- Wanheng Menayothin (WBC)
3- Knockout CP Freshmart (WBA Interim)
4- Kosei Tanaka (WBO)
5- Jose Argumedo (IBF)

Article By: Ken Pollitt