The WBC has announced the formation of a new title: The WBC Diamond Championship. The belt will contain 598 diamonds, 196 emeralds, 6 rubies, and 18-karat gold molding. What, no love for pearls?
The Diamond Belt will be used in catchweight bouts between elite fighters. According to the WBC press release, catchweight bouts have been unsuccessful because nothing was on the line. It was just two guys fighting each other.
This whole thing is a joke and anyone that believes this title has any credibility is foolish. The WBC has become so inundated with its own perception of what boxing should be that it has completely lost touch with the sport. Since when was two guys fighting each other to see who was better such a bad thing? Not every fight needs a title. There are so many titles in boxing that title fights themselves are now meaningless. Fighters realize this. That’s why they escape their divisions in order to pursue more financially lucrative fights at catchweights.
Remember when fighters used to chase titles? The WBC is now using a title to chase fighters, in this case Miguel Cotto and especially Manny Pacquiao. Pacquiao is boxing’s biggest draw. He is fighting Miguel Cotto in November at a catchweight of 145 pounds. Cotto doesn’t feel the need to defend his welterweight title if he can’t fight all the way up to the welterweight limit.
Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, desperately wants Cotto’s title. He will make history by winning a world title in another weight class. The creation of the Diamond Championship seems to be a concession to appease Manny Pacquiao yet still allow the WBC to get what they really want: the money they don’t get from non-title fights. There are so many problems with this.
First, a catchweight is not its own weight class. Manny Pacquiao will not make history by winning this title. He will only further the absurdity of the title by wearing it.
Second, there will be sanctioning fees attached to the title. The fighters involved will pay money to the WBC in order for the title to be on the line. Don’t expect a discount here, Manny and Miguel. They’ve got to pay for 598 diamonds somehow.
Third, boxing needs less titles. Addition by subtraction. The influx of championship titles has watered down the sport and made the list of champions confusing to the casual boxing fan. Fighters have found a way to get paid without titles being on the line and the sanctioning bodies can’t stand it. So now we get a title for a division that doesn’t even exist.
Fourth, Manny Pacquiao is turning into a child that just learned how to say “Mine!” He can’t have everything the way he wants it. If you want the welterweight title then take off the catchweight stipulation and fight for it like a true welterweight. Cotto has the right to defend his title on his own terms, not Manny Pacquiao’s terms. Not Freddie Roach’s terms, either. Of course, the WBC caves in. They wave emeralds and rubies around and think it will be enough to make Manny happy.
Fifth, not only does the title have zero current credibility but it lends nothing to the future. The winner isn’t likely to defend the belt. It’s merely a reward. I’d rather see the winner get a T-Shirt that said, “I Just Beat (Insert Loser’s Name) and All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt.” Do they take the belt away from the winner when a new “elite catchweight” bout occurs or just make a new one?
What’s next? How about a Tuesday Title given to winners of fights that happen on a Tuesday? Or a belt for ring girls that get the loudest crowd reaction? Maybe a Ring Entrance Title will spice things up for the fans?
There are so many things that make boxing great. Asinine titles created only for sanctioning fees and ego-stroking are part of what make boxing so frustrating. People want to see Manny Pacquiao fight Miguel Cotto because they are two of the most exciting fighters in the world. The WBC has no clue as to what the fans want.
