Expert: Lian Shoemake - 10/8/2007

Question
I recently read a newspaper write up on Jose Rivera, it gave his listed bouts and if any were for a title is noted it. my question is what is State title? who sanctions it? Just curious seeing I was unaware such a title existed.

Answer
Hi Ryan,
Thanks for the question. I'm not too sure about state titles myself, but my research showed me the following.
State titles vary in significance from state to state. Essentially, a given state's athletic commission can sanction a bout for the state's title in a particular weight class, but what that really means is unclear. There are no ties to any other governing bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF, etc.), so holding the New Jersey state lightweight title, for example, does not guarantee that boxer anything in terms of a ranking or even necessarily additional income.
There are some state titles out there, but I can't find anything that indicates they're much more than words on paper.
You might want to contact the athletic commission in your state directly to learn the practice and rationale for its state champions.
Thanks again for writing, Ryan.

Regards,
Lian