Boxing fans crave an undisputed champion—the one fighter in a division who holds all the belts, erasing any doubt about who’s the best. But in today’s chaotic boxing world, staying undisputed is no easy feat. Fighters like Oleksandr Usyk, Jermell Charlo, and Katie Taylor have achieved the rare distinction, but the pressures of mandatory challengers, boxing politics, and the pursuit of superfights make it incredibly difficult to hold onto all the belts.
So, can boxing continue to crown and sustain undisputed champions, or is the concept a dream that’s doomed to fail? Let’s break it down.
The Challenges of Being Undisputed
Winning every belt in a division is already a mountain to climb, but keeping them is where the real fight begins.
Mandatory Challengers Everywhere
Once a fighter becomes the undisputed champion, the sanctioning bodies line up their mandatory challengers. Each organisation—the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO—has its own rankings and rules, and they all want their guy to get a title shot.
Take Jermell Charlo, for example. After becoming the undisputed champion at super welterweight in 2022, he had to defend against a steady stream of mandatories. In 2023, Charlo ended up vacating one of his belts, unable to balance mandatory defences with the bigger fights fans wanted.
Similar issues plagued Teofimo Lopez after his victory over Vasiliy Lomachenko. As the unified lightweight champion, Lopez quickly found himself bogged down by mandatories and couldn’t hold on to his belts long enough to secure the fights fans were demanding.
Boxing Politics and Sanctioning Fees
Sanctioning bodies don’t just make things complicated—they make them expensive. Fighters who want to stay undisputed are forced to pay sanctioning fees for each title they hold. And when you’ve got four belts, those fees add up fast.
Tyson Fury has been vocal about the ridiculous costs of these fees. He’s even hinted that if he became the undisputed heavyweight champion, he wouldn’t keep all the belts. And he’s not alone—plenty of fighters feel that the costs outweigh the benefits, especially when sanctioning bodies often fail to work together to deliver the fights fans want.
The Temptation of Superfights
For many fighters, the dream of being undisputed is often overtaken by the lure of superfights. After becoming the undisputed cruiserweight champion in 2018, Oleksandr Usyk moved up to heavyweight to chase bigger paydays and legacy-defining fights.
Similarly, Josh Taylor became undisputed at super lightweight but vacated some of his belts to focus on a rematch with Jack Catterall—a fight that carried more fan interest than any mandatory defence would have. Superfights often bring in the big bucks, and fighters understandably prioritise them over holding onto their titles.
Are Undisputed Titles Good for Boxing?
This is a question that sparks debate among fans, fighters, and pundits alike. On one hand, having an undisputed champion is great for boxing. On the other, it can sometimes create more problems than it solves.
The Case for Undisputed Titles
There’s nothing quite like an undisputed champion to bring clarity to a division. It removes all the confusion about who’s the best, eliminating arguments about “paper champions” and giving fans a clear top dog to root for—or against.
When Terence Crawford became the undisputed welterweight champion earlier this year, it was a moment of pure magic. He dismantled Errol Spence Jr. in a performance for the ages, solidifying his place as one of the greatest fighters of this generation.
Boxing pundit Steve Bunce summed it up best: “An undisputed champion brings a division into focus. It’s a rare feat, but when it happens, the sport feels unified, even if just for a moment.”
Undisputed titles also bring more casual fans into the sport. When Canelo Alvarez became the undisputed super middleweight champion, it wasn’t just a win for him—it was a win for boxing. The prestige of holding all the belts creates a sense of occasion that few other achievements can match.
The Downside
But there’s a flipside to every coin. Undisputed champions often find themselves tangled in red tape, with sanctioning bodies demanding mandatory defences that don’t always excite fans.
For instance, when Katie Taylor became the undisputed lightweight champion, she faced criticism for taking on lesser-known challengers to fulfil mandatory obligations rather than pursuing big fights straight away. This isn’t the fighter’s fault—it’s the system’s.
Some argue that undisputed champions can hold divisions hostage. While the champion focuses on keeping their belts, other top contenders are left waiting in the wings. It’s a problem that becomes even more pronounced in divisions stacked with talent, like lightweight or welterweight.
Can Boxing Sustain Undisputed Champions?
The simple answer? It’s unlikely. Boxing’s fragmented structure makes it almost impossible to sustain undisputed champions for long. Sanctioning bodies, each with their own agendas, often make life harder for fighters, not easier.
However, this doesn’t mean undisputed titles are a lost cause. They serve as a marker of true greatness and bring a sense of history to the sport. Fighters like Claressa Shields, who became the first boxer in the four-belt era to hold undisputed titles in two weight classes, show us just how much these accomplishments mean.
As Eddie Hearn once said, “Undisputed champions are what boxing should aim for, but the politics of the sport make it nearly impossible to maintain. The key is to strike the balance between legacy and entertainment.”
Final Thoughts
Undisputed titles represent the pinnacle of boxing achievement, but they’re not without their challenges. Fighters like Usyk, Crawford, and Charlo have shown us the glory that comes with unifying a division, but the reality is that staying undisputed is often more trouble than it’s worth.
Despite this, the pursuit of undisputed champions is something that keeps fans engaged. It’s a reminder of what boxing could be at its best—a sport where the best fight the best, leaving no doubt about who reigns supreme.
What do you think? Should boxing keep striving for undisputed champions, or is the chaos simply too much to handle? Let me know your take.