Ibragimov beats Briggs, world continues turning

Sultan Ibragimov took a unanimous decision victory over Shannon Briggs last night, winning the WBO heavyweight title. Scores were 117-111, 115-113 and 119-109.

Welcome to the new Soviet Bloc Party in the heavyweight division, pretty much the same as the old Soviet Bloc Party.

I don't have much against Ibragimov outside of that dreadful fight against Ray Austin, but it's just another B-level heavyweight holding a title that nobody cares about. There are three heavyweight champions in the world that aren't recognized as the heavyweight champion anywhere but in their own homes and the offices of the sanctioning bodies that take their money for the honor of allowing them to hold that worthless piece of leather and tin.

It's really almost enough to make one think that the only thing that actually matters is a RING title, but then most boxing fans feel that way anyhow. The actual titles are so outdated that it's really more of a nuisance to consider them than anything else.

But, hey, congrats to Sultan Ibragimov, and thank the heavens that Shannon Briggs doesn't get to call himself a champion anymore.