Four champions from four major sanctioning bodies spread across seventeen weight divisions. For an outsider who wants to get some insights into the sport, that’s a mind-boggling layout. Then one has to reckon the lesser-known and perhaps unrecognized title as well. So it’s literally a Hall of Champions across boxing.

As he recuperates from the injury that shelved the much-anticipated title defense against Joe Cordina, Shakur Stevenson believes it is high time boxing incorporated a few changes. The future Hall of Famer retained his title early in July. The fight with Cordina was scheduled on the Artur Beterbiev–Dmitry Bivol undercard.

Shakur Stevenson: A single belt, not the rest

The lightweight champion joined Greg Hackett for an interview. Midway through their discussion, after going over a range of topics, the boxing coach asked, “If it was one thing you could change about the game, what would it be?”

‘Four titles,’ replied Shakur Stevenson. He elaborated a bit further, “I think there should be one belt, one belt organization. One champion and I think that way we get the best fighting the best all the time.” Hackett immediately pointed out how the stand resonated with his views as well.

Digging deep, Shakur Stevenson may not be the first person to espouse an engaging viewpoint. A few years ago, boxing’s money man, Floyd Mayweather Jr., revealed similar thoughts. Frustrated with the current state of boxing, especially the excessive number of championship belts and titles, Mayweather Jr. said, “There’s too many champions in the sport of boxing right now—too many champions, two. It’s not; it’s not a such thing as a super champion, not at all, and I’m not taking anything away from no fighter; it’s two. It’s too many belts.”

He highlighted how the presence of multiple sanctioning bodies puts an unnecessary financial burden on fighters. He argued how the numerous belts create confusion and dilute the prestige of being a champion. “Now when the fighter fights every fighter… Every fighter is a champion… Everybody got a championship belt now,” he emphasized and called out the sanctioning bodies, “the WBC, the WBA, uh uh, what the IBF and the WBO, y’all got to clean it, y’all got to clean this sh*t up, y’all have to clean this up, this is bad for boxing.”

Take a look at MMA. Among the few promotions, UFC remains the most recognized and in command. The organization boasts 12 weight categories (8 for men and 4 for women). However, for each division, there’s only one champion. So the obvious question is: if mixed martial arts can afford such a format, why can’t boxing follow suit?

From a different standpoint

The reality is that it’s far easier said than done. Boxing’s fragmented structure dates back decades. Originally, it had fewer organizations. But over time, more sanctioning bodies emerged. They created their own titles. The system became more complicated, with different champions recognized by specific bodies.

Then there is promotional fragmentation. In contrast to the UFC, where fighters are exclusively contracted to the organization itself, boxing involves multiple promoters, including Top Rank, Golden Boy, Matchroom Boxing, and Queensberry. They often compete against each other, thus rendering any attempt at a unified system a futile exercise.

Even if everyone agrees on a singular championship structure, questions may arise. After a champion is crowned, there will be challengers, contenders, and prospects. There’s a possibility that a boxer’s entire career could be spent competing at the contention level without even reaching the top.

In contrast to the frequent title changes we see today, in a more linear structure, a fighter could potentially hold the championship for a prolonged period, making it harder for others to claim the title.

What are your views on Shakur Stevenson’s thoughts on multiple belts?