I must admit I don't pay much attention to the Ring magazine rankings. I don't see how fightnews rankings are based on opinions but the Ring magazines arn't
I think people lose sight of the fact that it is IMPOSSIBLE to actually rank people across different weight classes.
All it can ever be is an opinion no matter how well informed.
The only rankings that actually count in a real sense are the alphabet rankings. Does this mean I think these rankings accurately predict who the best fighters are in each division, hell no, of course not, they are biased and corrupt a lot of the time.
But the fact remains that within the sport they ARE the rankings. If the WBC says you are ranked number 3 then you ARE ranked number 3 IN THEIR ORGANISATION and no ring ranking is going to change that.
Look at the football league tables, right now Hull City are currently fourth in the premiership table. Does this mean they are 4th best team in the whole of England? Fuck no, nobody will expect them to finish in the top 10 come the end of the season but subjective opinion is meaningless because right now they ARE the 4th best team in England according to the Premier League table.
People get so hung up on subjecitve (and ultimately meaningless) Ring rankings that they fail to recognise that that they have no value in the real world of boxing.
You ask any fighter if he would rather never win a world title belt but be considered the ring champ in weight class or never be considered the ring champ in his weight class but to win a recognised a title belt and I'm certain they will all choose to win a real belt.
The fact is that in the real world a boxer would rather wrap the WBC, WBA or IBF belt around his waist than to be proclaimed the Ring champ in his weight class.
All the ring belt means is that people
think you are the best, the belts are the actual prizes in boxing, just like the premier league title is the most important accolade in English football.
What do you think Man Utd or Chelsea would rather have? The recognition of being considered the best team in the country, or the actual trophy?
It's belts in boxing and silverware in football that is ultimately important.
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