YEARS PER CHAMPION

OK, here is how the math works. Only lineal champions count. Each separate reign by the same guy counts. So Ray Robinson counts as five middleweight champions for example. Also years without lineal champions still count as years.

HEAVYWEIGHTS-125 years, 43 champions=2.9 years per champion.

CRUISERWEIHTS-31 years, 11 champions=2.8 years per champion

LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHTS-107 years, 30 champions=3.6 years per champion.

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS-26 years, 11 champions=2.4 years per champion.

MIDDLEWEIGHTS-125 years, 50 champions=2.5 years per champion

JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHTS-38 years, 26 champions=1.5 years per champion

WELTERWEIGHTS-122 years, 85 champions=1.4 years per champion

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS-63 years, 29 champions=2.2 years per champion.

LIGHTWEIGHTS-124 years, 43 champions=2.9 years per champion

SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT-72 years, 29 champions=2.5 years per champion

FEATHERWEIGHTS-120 years, 48 champions=2.5 years per champion

SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT-36 years, 7 champions=5 years/champion

BANTAMWEIGHT-116 years, 53 champions=2.2 years per champion

SUPER FLYWEIGHTS-26 years, 15 champions=1.7 years per champion

FLYWEIGHTS-94 years, 46 champions=2.0 years per champion

108's-17 years, 7 champions=2.4 years per champion

105's-33 years, 7 champions=4.8 years per champion

AVERAGE YEARS PER CHAMPION FOR ALL DIVISIONS-2.7 years per champion

AVERAGE YEARS PER CHAMPION ORIGINAL EIGHT DIVISIONS-2.5 years per champion

Now what are the oddities here?

The welterweights are clearly one at only 1.4 years per champion. One reason is that at one point in the 1930's seven consecutive welterweight champions lost in their first title defense.

The 122's and 105's are long because each has had long stretches without lineal champions.

What does this data tell us? I'm not really sure. But it is interesting that heavies and light heavies ranked #'s 1 and 2 in terms of longer averages.

I think it also tells us that once a guy has been a lineal champion for four plus years it really is a remarkable thing (anyone want to rethink Kostya and Ricky?) I mean guys like Joe Louis and Finito Lopez and Marvin Hagler and Carlos Monzon and Eusabio Pedroza and Abe Attell and Archie Moore just jump out with reigns of seven years +.

Do you folks get any insights out of this data?

I love Ricky Hatton (once again I have an obsession with all things UK).

But he held the lineal championship for almost 4 years, by having only 5 defenses. 5 fights in the division in 4 years isn't alot. And they aren't the strongest list.

Maussa-got destroyed by Cotto (and then went on to lose to a nobody a few fights later). Maussa only got the fight by beating Vivian Harris.

Urango- captain caveman; tough top 10 ranked

Castillo-shot and above his best weight

Lazcano-was better at 135, and Ricky faced him after Lazcano lost to Harris.

Paulie Malignaggi- top 10 ranked

captainanddew wrote:

I love Ricky Hatton (once again I have an obsession with all things UK).

But he held the lineal championship for almost 4 years, by having only 5 defenses. 5 fights in the division in 4 years isn't alot. And they aren't the strongest list.

Maussa-got destroyed by Cotto (and then went on to lose to a nobody a few fights later). Maussa only got the fight by beating Vivian Harris.

Urango- captain caveman; tough top 10 ranked

Castillo-shot and above his best weight

Lazcano-was better at 135, and Ricky faced him after Lazcano lost to Harris.

Paulie Malignaggi- top 10 ranked

Excellent post! I am hereby chastened.

no reason to be chastened. I've gone back and forth myself as to Ricky's career and reign.

It just hits me that the only fast fighter he faced is a guy with the least amount of power you can see in a top 10 guy (Malignaggi). The rest of those guys are not exactly the picture of elite speed, which is what troubled Ricky the most.

Marble, how many cruisers have shortened their reign by moving up to HW?

impressive stuff i think a fun thread would be showing the longest championship reign per division

I didn't think cruiser has been around 31 years or Supermiddle for 26.

I could have sworn cruiser started around '83 and supermiddle around '89

captainanddew wrote:

Marble, how many cruisers have shortened their reign by moving up to HW?

Only two gave up the title to move up. Evander and 12.

Three light heavies, Tommy Loughran, Billy Conn and Michael Spinks also relinquished to move up.

Canvas wrote:

I didn't think cruiser has been around 31 years or Supermiddle for 26.

I could have sworn cruiser started around '83 and supermiddle around '89

I used Cyberboxingzone as my source for lineal champs and those were the first times they recognized champions.

The IBF was the first to recognize the 168 division in the mid 1980's.

The WBC recognized the cruisers at 195 (not 190) in 1979.