We'll have the agree to disagree Mick, Roy didn't just sign & fight on the same day he planned to move to the division.

Let me ask you this it's not exactly the same as what happened but sort of goes with what I'm saying:

Hypothetically speaking if we had todays rankings but pretend we're back in 1996 if Pacquiao was to say he was moving to 126 & John & Guerrero had signed to fight (I know their not as established as Hill & Maske but just using it as an example) Pacquiao fought a top 10 guy the day before John & Guerrero fought but had planned months ahead to make the move to the division. Would you consider the John/ Guerrero fight for the linear title even though a top P4P fighter was now fighting in that division? You said yourself that the linear title should be decided by the two best in the division fighting each other. So IMO with Jones planning to move & fighting at LH then Hill & Maske weren't the two best in the division & their fight doesn't qualify for the linear championship. Had Jones lost to McCallum then there wouldn't be an issue. But he didn't he established himself as arguably the best LH in the division (He would have been heavily favored over both Maske & Hill) & remained the best fighter P4P in the world!