Jeffrey Ciani – June 3, 2024 – Comment
Lineal World Heavyweight Championship – From John L. Sullivan to Oleksandr Usyk!
Oleksandr Usyk recently made boxing history with his victory over Tyson Fury, making Usyk the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the world in nearly a quarter century (since the great Lennox Lewis last held that honor in April 2000).
With the win, Usyk became the first undefeated world heavyweight champion of the modern four-belt era. Usyk also became just the second boxer in history to hold undefeated world championships at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, joining an exclusive club that also includes Evander Holyfield. But perhaps most importantly, the win earned Usyk the rightful title of world heavyweight champion, a title established by John L. Sullivan in the 1880s.
There are four major world titles in boxing today, and politics and a plethora of title holders have complicated the sport, making championship tracking more complicated than it should be. That’s why the concept behind lineal championships – a man who beats another – is still so relevant today. Currently, Oleksandr Usyk is the undisputed lineal world heavyweight champion, holds all four major alphabet belts, and more importantly, he has a legitimate claim to the lineage. The alphabet organizations could technically screw up that undisputed part, and the IBF is already scheming, but Usyk will remain the lineal world heavyweight champion unless someone beats him or he truly retires and never comes back. Until one of those things happens, Oleksandr will remain the only true lineal world heavyweight champion.
In this edition of Rummy's Corner, we provide a complete timeline of the reigns of world heavyweight champions from John L Sullivan to Oleksandr Usyk, and explore the historical precedents that were established to form a new lineage every time a break occurred when a heavyweight champion relinquished the throne.Watch and enjoy the video as one man's opinion: this is Rummy's Corner (produced and narrated by Jeffrey Ciani).
