Championship belt
Encyclopedia
A championship belt is a large, extravagantly designed belt
used primarily in combat sports such as boxing
, mixed martial arts
and professional wrestling
to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like a cup or trophy in other sports. There are several companies in the business of constructing championship belts.
, The World Boxing Association
, the International Boxing Federation
and the World Boxing Organization
each have their own unique championship belt that are awarded to the champions of each weight class. Boxers, especially the World Champions, strive to win the belt of all 4 organizations to unify their weight divisions. The Ring
also created a championship system that is "intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class."
Champions maintain permanent possession of these belts even upon losing their title, with a new belt made when a new champion is crowned.
is a form of entertainment which combines athletics and theatrical performance in a mimicry of combat sports. Many storylines center around the promotion's
championships
, which are represented by championship belts similar to those in boxing. The top title in a major promotion is usually designated a World heavyweight championship Other, lesser championships may carry regional names, be limited to a specific weight class, or be defended in other special circumstances, such as the traditional tag team match.
The WWE is the largest promotion in pro wrestling. As a result of the company's history if acquisitions, WWE boasts two top titles, each assigned to one of the company's "brands
". As of September 2011, the WWE Championship
is designated to the Raw brand
, while the World Heavyweight Championship
is designated to the SmackDown brand.
Typically, pro wrestling title belts have a unique design for each title, in contrast with boxing where the title belts of a given sanctioning body are all the same design. The most notable exception is Japan's Pro Wrestling Noah
, whose belts follow one specific design.
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, the sport of mixed martial arts
was unsanctioned in the United States
, and as such weight classes
did not exist; instead of the traditional championship model, tournaments were held with the winner receiving a permanent appellation. In response to criticism from Senator John McCain
which saw the loss of their television deal and the banning of the sport in thirty-six states, the UFC increased its cooperation with state athletic commissions and introduced weight classes in 1997.
The original codification for weight classes introduced only two divisions—heavyweight
; which grouped competitors above 200 lb (91 kg), and lightweight; which encompassed all other competitors. The UFC would later rename their lightweight division to middleweight
, and add lightweight
(170 lb, 77 kg) and bantamweight
(155 lb, 70 kg) divisions. In 2000, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board
completely took over regulation in its home state, and their rules and weight classes became the de facto
rule set for mixed martial arts today. The UFC realigned their weight classes to comply with the new regulations in 2001.
offers a championship belt in lieu of the traditional trophy for drivers who win the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup race there, owing to the traditional site of Las Vegas as the fight capital of the world.
Historically, the championship belt was also awarded to the winner of professional golf tournaments. Rodeo tournaments also award special belts, among other prizes.
More recently, starting with Aaron Rodgers
, the "title belt" gesture has begun the leap to the major professional sports. Originally used by Rodgers during his time on the Green Bay Packers
practice squad as a way to keep his teammates loose, it became known more as the Packers 2010 season progressed, eventually culminating with a victory. On the podium to receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy
, Rodgers was presented with a replica Big Gold Belt
by teammates, and in the following weeks, during a scheduled WWE Raw telecast, the Packers were honored with title belts from the WWE itself. In September 2011, after the Milwaukee Brewers
clinched the National League Central title, Kameron Loe
was seen sporting a replica WWE Championship
"spinner" belt.
Belt (clothing)
A belt is a flexible band or strap, typically made of leather or heavy cloth, and worn around the waist. A belt supports trousers or other articles of clothing.-History:...
used primarily in combat sports such as boxing
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
and professional wrestling
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
to signify the champions of the promotion or company, much like a cup or trophy in other sports. There are several companies in the business of constructing championship belts.
Boxing
In boxing, the individual organizations such as the World Boxing CouncilWorld Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
, The World Boxing Association
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
, the International Boxing Federation
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
and the World Boxing Organization
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...
each have their own unique championship belt that are awarded to the champions of each weight class. Boxers, especially the World Champions, strive to win the belt of all 4 organizations to unify their weight divisions. The Ring
The Ring (magazine)
The Ring is an American boxing magazine that was first published in 1922 as a boxing and wrestling magazine. As the sporting legitimacy of professional wrestling came more into question, The Ring shifted to becoming exclusively a boxing oriented publication...
also created a championship system that is "intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class."
Champions maintain permanent possession of these belts even upon losing their title, with a new belt made when a new champion is crowned.
Weight divisions
There are numerous Boxing weight classes within the sport, with there being minor discrepancies amongst the different governing bodies. The weight classes are:| Weight | WBA World Boxing Association The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962... | WBC World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo... | IBF International Boxing Federation The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :... | WBO World Boxing Organization The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the... | The Ring | BoxRec Boxrec.com BoxRec or boxrec.com is a website dedicated to keep updated records of professional boxers, both male and female. It also maintains a mediawiki-based encyclopaedia of boxing: .... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Over 200 lb | Heavyweight Heavyweight Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing... |
Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| 200 lb (90.7 kg) | Cruiserweight | Cruiserweight | Cruiserweight | Junior heavyweight | Cruiserweight | Cruiserweight |
| 175 lb (79.4 kg) | Light heavyweight Light heavyweight In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight... |
Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight |
| 168 lb (76.2 kg) | Super middleweight Super middleweight Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds .- 1960s–1983 :There was interest in a division between Middleweight and Light Heavyweight in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s... |
Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight |
| 160 lb (72.6 kg) | Middleweight Middleweight Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897... |
Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight |
| 154 lb (69.9 kg) | Super welterweight | Super welterweight | Junior middleweight | Junior middleweight | Junior middleweight | Light middleweight Light middleweight Light Middleweight , is a weight division in professional boxing, above 147 pounds and up to 154 pounds .... |
| 147 lb (66.7 kg) | Welterweight Welterweight Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system... |
Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight |
| 140 lb (63.5 kg) | Super lightweight | Super lightweight | Junior welterweight | Junior welterweight | Junior welterweight | Light welterweight Light welterweight -Professional boxing:The light welterweight class is a weight division in professional boxing that has a limit of 63.5 kg or 140 pounds... |
| 135 lb (61.2 kg) | Lightweight Lightweight Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing.... |
Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight |
| 130 lb (59.0 kg) | Super featherweight Super Featherweight Super featherweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 130 pounds or 59 kilograms.... |
Super featherweight | Junior lightweight | Junior lightweight | Junior lightweight | Super featherweight |
| 126 lb (57.2 kg) | Featherweight Featherweight Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations and in Greco-Roman wrestling.-Professional boxing:... |
Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight |
| 122 lb (55.3 kg) | Super bantamweight Super Bantamweight Super bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms.... |
Super bantamweight | Junior featherweight | Junior featherweight | Junior featherweight | Super bantamweight |
| 118 lb (53.5 kg) | Bantamweight Bantamweight Bantamweight is usually a class in boxing for boxers who weigh above 115 pounds and up to 118 pounds . However, in Mixed Martial Arts it is 134-136 pounds . Wrestling also has similar weight classes including bantamweight... |
Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
| 115 lb (52.2 kg) | Super flyweight Super flyweight Super flyweight is a weight division in professional boxing. It is alternatively referred to as junior bantamweight and light bantamweight... |
Super flyweight | Junior bantamweight | Junior bantamweight | Junior bantamweight | Super flyweight |
| 112 lb (50.8 kg) | Flyweight Flyweight Flyweight is a class in boxing which includes fighters weighing less than 112 lb but above 108 lb .-Professional boxing:... |
Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight |
| 108 lb (49.0 kg) | Light flyweight Light flyweight - Professional boxing :The weight limit at light flyweight in professional boxing is 108 pounds . When New York legalized boxing in 1920, the law stipulated a "junior flyweight" class, with a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the National Boxing Association was formed in 1921, it also recognized this... |
Light flyweight | Junior flyweight | Junior flyweight | Junior flyweight | Light flyweight |
| 105 lb (47.6 kg) | Minimumweight Minimumweight Minimumweight is a weight class division in combat sports. The most notable of which is in professional boxing where boxers may weigh no more than . This is a relatively new weight category for professionals, first inaugurated by the major boxing sanctioning bodies between 1987 and 1990... |
Strawweight | Mini flyweight | Mini flyweight | Strawweight | Minimumweight |
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestlingProfessional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a mode of spectacle, combining athletics and theatrical performance.Roland Barthes, "The World of Wrestling", Mythologies, 1957 It takes the form of events, held by touring companies, which mimic a title match combat sport...
is a form of entertainment which combines athletics and theatrical performance in a mimicry of combat sports. Many storylines center around the promotion's
Professional wrestling promotion
A professional wrestling promotion is a company or business that regularly performs shows involving professional wrestling. Promotion also describes a role which entails management, advertising and logistics of running a wrestling event...
championships
Championship (professional wrestling)
A Championship or "title" in professional wrestling is a recognition promoted by professional wrestling organizations.Championship reigns are determined by professional wrestling matches, in which competitors are involved in scripted rivalries...
, which are represented by championship belts similar to those in boxing. The top title in a major promotion is usually designated a World heavyweight championship Other, lesser championships may carry regional names, be limited to a specific weight class, or be defended in other special circumstances, such as the traditional tag team match.
The WWE is the largest promotion in pro wrestling. As a result of the company's history if acquisitions, WWE boasts two top titles, each assigned to one of the company's "brands
WWE Brand Extension
WWE, formerly the World Wrestling Federation and World Wrestling Entertainment , currently promotes its core business of professional wrestling through two "brands" named after their two major television shows Raw and SmackDown...
". As of September 2011, the WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
is designated to the Raw brand
WWE RAW
WWE Raw ) is a sports entertainment television program for WWE that currently airs on the USA Network in the United States...
, while the World Heavyweight Championship
World Heavyweight Championship (WWE)
The World Heavyweight Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the SmackDown brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the WWE Championship of the Raw brand...
is designated to the SmackDown brand.
Typically, pro wrestling title belts have a unique design for each title, in contrast with boxing where the title belts of a given sanctioning body are all the same design. The most notable exception is Japan's Pro Wrestling Noah
Pro Wrestling Noah
is a major Japanese professional wrestling promotion, founded in 2000 by former All Japan Pro Wrestling ace Mitsuharu Misawa. NOAH is broadcast weekly in Japan...
, whose belts follow one specific design.
Mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts
Mixed Martial Arts is a full contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground, including boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay Thai, kickboxing, karate, judo and other styles. The roots of modern mixed martial arts can be...
was unsanctioned in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and as such weight classes
Weight classes
Weight classes are divisions of competition used to match competitors against others of their own size. This reduces the exclusion of smaller athletes in sports where physical size gives a significant advantage...
did not exist; instead of the traditional championship model, tournaments were held with the winner receiving a permanent appellation. In response to criticism from Senator John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
which saw the loss of their television deal and the banning of the sport in thirty-six states, the UFC increased its cooperation with state athletic commissions and introduced weight classes in 1997.
The original codification for weight classes introduced only two divisions—heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
; which grouped competitors above 200 lb (91 kg), and lightweight; which encompassed all other competitors. The UFC would later rename their lightweight division to middleweight
Light Heavyweight (MMA)
The light heavyweight division in mixed martial arts generally refers to competitors weighing between 186 and 205 lb . It sits between the lighter middleweight division, and the heavyweight division....
, and add lightweight
Welterweight (MMA)
The welterweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:*The UFC's & Strikeforce's welterweight division, which groups competitors within 156 to 170 lb...
(170 lb, 77 kg) and bantamweight
Lightweight (MMA)
The lightweight division in mixed martial arts can refer to a number of different weight classes:* The UFC & Strikeforce lightweight division with upper limit at 155 lb...
(155 lb, 70 kg) divisions. In 2000, the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board
The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board regulates all contests and exhibitions of unarmed combat within the state of New Jersey, including licensure and supervision of promoters, boxers, kickboxers, mixed martial arts fighters, seconds, ring officials, managers, and matchmakers...
completely took over regulation in its home state, and their rules and weight classes became the de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
rule set for mixed martial arts today. The UFC realigned their weight classes to comply with the new regulations in 2001.
Motorsports
The Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayLas Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
offers a championship belt in lieu of the traditional trophy for drivers who win the Shelby 427 NASCAR Sprint Cup race there, owing to the traditional site of Las Vegas as the fight capital of the world.
Other sports
More recently, starting with Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Rodgers
Aaron Charles Rodgers is an American football quarterback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . Rodgers was selected in the first round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the Packers...
, the "title belt" gesture has begun the leap to the major professional sports. Originally used by Rodgers during his time on the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
practice squad as a way to keep his teammates loose, it became known more as the Packers 2010 season progressed, eventually culminating with a victory. On the podium to receive the Vince Lombardi Trophy
Vince Lombardi Trophy
The Vince Lombardi Trophy is the trophy awarded each year to the winning team of the National Football League's championship game, the Super Bowl.-History:...
, Rodgers was presented with a replica Big Gold Belt
Big Gold Belt
The Big Gold Belt is a historic professional wrestling championship belt that has represented multiple world championships throughout its history. It was originally designed in 1985 by silversmith Charles Crumrine and commissioned by Jim Crockett Promotions for NWA World Heavyweight Champion Ric...
by teammates, and in the following weeks, during a scheduled WWE Raw telecast, the Packers were honored with title belts from the WWE itself. In September 2011, after the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
clinched the National League Central title, Kameron Loe
Kameron Loe
Kameron David Loe is a professional baseball pitcher for the Milwaukee Brewers.He previously pitched in Major League Baseball for the Texas Rangers. At 6' 9" tall, Loe is one of the tallest players in the game, and also has a 7 foot boa constrictor named Angel which he keeps in the clubhouse...
was seen sporting a replica WWE Championship
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a professional wrestling world heavyweight championship in WWE. It is the world title of the Raw brand and one of two in WWE, complementing the World Heavyweight Championship of the SmackDown brand. It was established under the then WWWF in 1963...
"spinner" belt.
External links
- Official Website of All Star Championship Belt makers
- Official Website of Wildcat Championship Belts
- Official Website of Masis Boxing Belts
- Official Website of Reggie Parks' Championship Belts
- Official Website of Dave Millican Belts
- Official Website of Championcraft
- Official Website of J-Mar Belts
- Official Website of Top Rope Belts
- Official Website of Beltmaker Christian Löns
- Wrestling Beltworld