What’s the Difference Between Undisputed and Unified Championship in Professional Boxing

No matter the sport, becoming a champion is an achievement that transcends the realm of just mere victories. It serves as proof, a testament to the hard work and serious dedication of the athlete to his/her craft. Moreover, it serves as an honor that stands above the competition and helps a boxer leave their mark in the history of the sport. This is one of the reasons why fighters push themselves tirelessly in the hunger for a shot at the title.

However, even more glorious is the achievement to become a unified or an undisputed champion in one or more divisions. In order to achieve this, a boxer will have to look for boxers of great caliber who are already holding the belts. One by one, one’s competition needs to be hunted down and only then one can earn such a title. Though a lot of times, fans don’t know the difference between the two titles.

Undisputed championship vs Unified championship: What’s the difference?

An undisputed championship refers to a fighter holding all the major championship belts within a specific weight class. These belts must be from the four main sanctioning bodies. These bodies are as follows- WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. To become undisputed, a boxer must defeat all other champions in the division and claim their belts, leaving no room for dispute regarding who the true champion is.

On the other hand, a unified championship involves a fighter holding two or more major belts within the same weight class. This means that while they haven’t collected all the belts, they have managed to gather a significant portion of them. A unified champion might hold, for instance, the WBA and WBC belts, or the IBF and WBO belts. While this is an impressive feat, it falls short of the undisputed title because there are still other champions and belts in the division.

Who are some of the Undisputed title holders?

Ever since the 4 belt title was announced back in 2004, there have only been 8 men and 5 women who have earned the remarkable achievement of becoming the undisputed champion. The list includes the likes of Bernard Hopkins who secured 4 titles as the Middleweight champion back in 2004. Other names are Jermain Taylor (Middleweight division), and Oleksandr Usyk (Cruiserweight division). Usyk is now a unified champion in the Heavyweight division and one belt short of making history. Moreover, Terence Crawford with his recent victory against Errol Spence Jr. has managed to become the undisputed champion in two divisions.

There is also Canelo Alvarez in the super Middleweight division and his next opponent Jermell Charlo an undisputed Middleweight champion. Lightweight champion Devin Haney is also one of the title holders, Josh Taylor also added his name to the list back in 2004. In the women’s division, the list includes the likes of Cecilia Brækhus (welterweight), Claressa Shields (middleweight), and Katie Taylor (lightweight). There is also Jessica McCaskill (welterweight), and Franchón Crews-Dezurn (super middleweight).

Read More: Errol Spence Jr.-Terence Crawford Bout Racked Up Over 650,000 Pay-Per-View Purchases

What do you think about the two titles and the title holders? What are your thoughts about the most recent Crawford-Spence bout? Share your thoughts in the comments.

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