The Story Behind Every World Title
Explainers and stories on world titles and championships across sports and competitions, and how title lineages are traced.
A world title is more than a trophy. It is a claim, passed from winner to winner, sometimes cleanly and sometimes in a tangle of rival belts and disputed results. World Title Holder explains how those claims work across sports and competitions.
Ways to be crowned
The match
Challenger meets champion head to head. Win and the title moves.
The tournament
A field of contenders, a bracket or rounds, one winner at the end.
The season
Points build over a series of events until someone finishes on top.
Confused by multiple champions in one division? Read why there can be several world champions.
What we explain
Lineage
How a title is traced from holder to holder.
Governing bodies
Who sanctions contests and sets the rules.
Disputes
Vacancies, strippings, splits and reunifications.
Formats
Why chess, combat sports and team sports crown champions differently.
Questions people ask
- What is a lineal champion?
- Why can there be several world champions at once?
- How does a world title get vacated?
Start reading
Five ways a world title changes hands. From clean wins to boardroom decisions.
How world titles are won, defended, lost and argued about