Can a World Champ be Legitimate when they are not "Ready" for another Boxer?

Arum has said Chavez Jr is not yet ready to face someone of Cotto's level even though he's a WORLD CHAMPION!

I think that if you are a legitimate World Champion, i.e. holding one of the 4 major belts then you have to be ready to fight anyone and if not then you had no right to be a champ in the first place.

Prime examples are Sturm, Chavez Jr and Alverez, official belt holders but their promoters are scarred sh!tless to let them fight anyone near the top of their division.

A major point hurting boxing is the best not fighting the best on a frequent basis, which is IMO more promoter based to cream their fighters for all their worth, however many boxers seem happy to do this as well now.

Your thoughts?

Ahhhhhhh, my favorite subject!!!!!

I hate the way so called world champions are given excuses these days like "oh they have just won the world title so let them have a few easy defences to get settled into world level".

It is a joke. Its almost as bad as coming on here to see so called fans not being bothered about easy paydays for fighters. We are all fans of the sport and want to see the best fight the best.

Money is more than legacy these days so that where the reason lies.

Do people honestly see Nathan Cleverly taking on Cloud, Hopkins, Dawson or Pascal next? Do people think hes ready? Does his promoter think hes ready? Short answer no. So the reason he got the WBO belt is money related. To many belts, too much money and not long enough to wait to get a shot anymore.

The true world champion is the RING TITLE champion

Lots of promoters just want to keep their fighters 0 and therefore keeping the cash cow alive. This is just rediculous, as a defeated fighter does not take away how good they are (unless they take a beating).

Personally i feel if you are a World Champion you should fight the best, if you lose, you learn and come back stronger later to take the title back. World title fights do sell better, but so would a fighter who would learn from defeat, and improve to later sell better. By not doing so would not fulfil their full potential.

I'm not totally against having a tough fight then an easier fight or after someone winning the title to pick their next fight to enjoy being champ for that short period but when they show no intention or like you say with Cleverly when they blatantly are not world level and you have no confidence in them fighting the other top guys in the near future it just removes all interest.

As I rate neither Dawson or Cloud and Pascal has been shown to be as one dimensional as we first suspected when he faced Froch (albeit tough, he still lacks a Plan B), then I'd suggest Cleverley shouldn't be overly concerned with the propect of facing them.

Valero's Conscience wrote:I'm not totally against having a tough fight then an easier fight or after someone winning the title to pick their next fight to enjoy being champ for that short period but when they show no intention or like you say with Cleverly when they blatantly are not world level and you have no confidence in them fighting the other top guys in the near future it just removes all interest.

Admittedly looking through Welsh tinted glasses I would put Clev against any Light-heavyweight apart from Hopkins (who is unbeatable at the moment IMO). I got no worries with him with Cloud and Pascal as long as he tightens up his defense (he does need a new coach as well) id pick Clev to beat any of them

Oh God, I agree with Steffan on something...I feel ill.

Steffan wrote:

Valero's Conscience wrote:I'm not totally against having a tough fight then an easier fight or after someone winning the title to pick their next fight to enjoy being champ for that short period but when they show no intention or like you say with Cleverly when they blatantly are not world level and you have no confidence in them fighting the other top guys in the near future it just removes all interest.

Admittedly looking through Welsh tinted glasses I would put Clev against any Light-heavyweight apart from Hopkins (who is unbeatable at the moment IMO). I got no worries with him with Cloud and Pascal as long as he tightens up his defense (he does need a new coach as well) id pick Clev to beat any of them

I hear what you are sayin Steffan, but the OP is asking the question of, should a fighter be taking on these fights now that he has the belt. I like Clev as well, but you, me and the dogs on the street know he is gonna be fed garbage in the likes of eastern euro 100 letter surname men and Bellew types for the next couple of years.

As a world champion he should be ready for Hopkins.

For me it is a want your cake and eat it situation Promoters and fighters want the kudos, money and status that goes with being a world champion without the unpleasant side of actually getting in the ring and proving you deserve such a billing.

Will not solely focus on Clev as he is far from alone in this and strikes me as a fighter who would take on anyone, but for me the term world champion is already devalued to the point of nothingness but fighters unwilling to step in the ring against others who make a similar claim to the billing just heaps ridicule on the title it really does not need.

Reborn-DeeMcK-Reborn wrote:

Steffan wrote:

Valero's Conscience wrote:I'm not totally against having a tough fight then an easier fight or after someone winning the title to pick their next fight to enjoy being champ for that short period but when they show no intention or like you say with Cleverly when they blatantly are not world level and you have no confidence in them fighting the other top guys in the near future it just removes all interest.

Admittedly looking through Welsh tinted glasses I would put Clev against any Light-heavyweight apart from Hopkins (who is unbeatable at the moment IMO). I got no worries with him with Cloud and Pascal as long as he tightens up his defense (he does need a new coach as well) id pick Clev to beat any of them

I hear what you are sayin Steffan, but the OP is asking the question of, should a fighter be taking on these fights now that he has the belt. I like Clev as well, but you, me and the dogs on the street know he is gonna be fed garbage in the likes of eastern euro 100 letter surname men and Bellew types for the next couple of years.

As a world champion he should be ready for Hopkins.

That's exactly my point!

agree with this sentiment entirely- and it is said for to often.