George Liddard's IBO fight with Michel Soro billed as a world title shot

Matchroom's announcement of the unbeaten British middleweight's Monaco fight made no distinction between the IBO and boxing's four major belts, as Zuffa Boxing's own championship and the WBA Regular title stretch the list of world-title designations to seven.

Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing has presented George Liddard's challenge for Michel Soro's IBO middleweight title as a shot at his “first World Title”. The unbeaten British middleweight meets Soro in Monaco on 12 December, a fight Matchroom announced on 16 October. The release said Soro had reclaimed a world title in June and that Liddard was on the brink of world honours.

At no point did the release separate the IBO from the four major world titles held through the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO. Those four bodies still set the established championship structure, including the belts a fighter needs to become undisputed champion. The IBO has operated for decades and its champions have earned recognition, but it has never gained the standing of the four established sanctioning bodies.

Matchroom's approach is not new. Sunny Edwards, while he held the IBF title, asked: “What’s the current obsession with IBO titles on Matchroom shows?” There was also a time when Matchroom's press releases for Anthony Joshua did not mention the IBO at all, when the Londoner held the WBO, WBA, IBF and IBO belts.

The WBA Regular title creates a similar problem from within one of the four major bodies. The WBA has operated with more than one champion in the same division, separating its primary titleholder from a secondary Regular champion, so two fighters can hold belts described as world titles in the same weight class. The Regular title is not generally treated as an additional major belt when deciding an undisputed champion.

Dana White's Zuffa Boxing has added a further belt. White introduced the promotion's own championship earlier this year, with Jai Opetaia becoming its inaugural cruiserweight champion after beating Brandon Glanton in March. The belt sits outside the traditional sanctioning structure, yet Zuffa continues to present it as a world championship. White has not added any further Zuffa belts since and has begun recognising the sanctioning bodies.

The championship structure has not officially expanded beyond the four major organisations. Matchroom's promotional language, the WBA's secondary title and Zuffa's belt have, however, brought three further world-title designations into use alongside them.

Liddard has earned the opportunity against Soro, and winning the IBO title would be a significant achievement. It would not put him on the same level as a holder of one of the four major belts.

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