Lineal Champions

[marbleheadmaui]

The current lineal champs, as near as I can figure, would be

Sergio Martinez who beat Pavlik who beat Jermaine who beat BHOP who had begun a new line.

JMM who beat Casamayor who beat Chico Corrales who beat JL Castillo who had arguably begun a new line when he defeated Casamyor (IIRC)

Floyd who beat Baldomir who beat Judah who beat Corey Spinks who beat Mayorga who beat Vernon Forrest who beat Shane who began a new line after Tito moved up.

Wlad who arguably began a new, post Lennox Lewis line given all he has done.

Wonjonkam who stands in an uninterrupted line going back 35 years to Miguel Canto.

Giovanni Segura who defeated Ivan Calderon who was generally thought to have done enough to begin a new line at 108.

There is also a decent argument, I'm not persuaded, but it's a decent argument Nonito has such a claim at 118.

Those are the divisions where there is a lineal guy, or one can make a plausible case anyway.

My buddy Fenster notes that Ring will recognize a new champ when #'s 1 and 2 or sometimes 1-3 meet. But I think beginning a new lineal line requires more than that. My problem is how much more is fuzzy. The simple answer is enough so there really is no question. The fighter is recognized as THE MAN by acclimation.

By that standard Wlad may not have begun a new line due to the presence of his brother (that's an odd one).

As a simple rule, the lineal championship cannot be transferred except in the ring while the existing champ is active. In other words Manny cannot be the guy at 147 as long as Floyd is active unless Manny beats him.

At 168 I think the winner of the Super Six and Bute will likely face off to become the lineal guy.