List of heavyweight boxing champions

Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIS : List of heavyweight boxing champions

This is a chronological list of world heavyweight boxing champions, as recognized by the following organizations:

The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA),
The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963,
The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983, and
The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988.

Prior to 1921, champions were acknowledged by the public at large. A champion in that era was a fighter who had a notable win over another fighter and kept winning afterward. Retirements or disputed results could lead to a championship being split among several men for periods of time.

Reign Began Reign Ended Champion Recognition
February 7, 1882 September 7, 1892 John L. Sullivan Universal

Sullivan defeated Paddy Ryan in 1882 to earn initial championship recognition.

September 7, 1892 March 17, 1897 James J. Corbett Universal
March 17, 1897 June 9, 1899 Bob Fitzsimmons Universal
June 9, 1899 May 13, 1905¹ James J. Jeffries Universal

Jeffries was the first modern champion to relinquish the title, announcing his retirement and declaring that the winner of a match between Marvin Hart and Jack Root would be the next legitimate champion. Jeffries would return to the ring to face Jack Johnson.

July 3, 1905 February 23, 1906 Marvin Hart Universal
February 23, 1906 December 26, 1908 Tommy Burns Universal
December 26, 1908 April 5, 1915 Jack Johnson Universal
April 5, 1915 July 4, 1919 Jess Willard Universal
July 4, 1919 September 23, 1926 Jack Dempsey Universal
September 23, 1926 July 31, 1928² Gene Tunney Universal

Tunney announced his retirement from professional boxing on July 31, 1928, relinquishing the championship.

September 26, 1928 June 12, 1930 Jack Sharkey NBA

Sharkey defeated Tommy Loughran for the vacant NBA championship, but was not universally recognized as champion.

June 12, 1930 June 21, 1932 Max Schmeling Universal

Schmeling defeated NBA champion Jack Sharkey to earn universal recognition as champion.

June 21, 1932 June 29, 1933 Jack Sharkey Universal
June 29, 1933 June 14, 1934 Primo Carnera Universal
June 14, 1934 June 13, 1935 Max Baer Universal
June 13, 1935 June 22, 1937 James J. Braddock Universal
June 22, 1937 March 1, 1949² Joe Louis Universal
June 22, 1949 September 27, 1950 Ezzard Charles NBA
September 27, 1950 July 18, 1951 Ezzard Charles Universal

Charles won the vacant National Boxing Association championship, but was not universally recognized as champion until defeating Joe Louis, the former champion who had come out of retirement.

July 18, 1951 September 23, 1952 Jersey Joe Walcott Universal
September 23, 1952 April 27, 1956² Rocky Marciano Universal

Marciano announced his retirement from professional boxing, relinquishing the championship.

November 30, 1956 June 26, 1959 Floyd Patterson Universal
June 26, 1959 June 20, 1960 Ingemar Johansson Universal
June 20, 1960 September 25, 1962 Floyd Patterson Universal
September 25, 1962 February 25, 1964 Sonny Liston Universal
February 25, 1964 June 19, 1964 Cassius Clay Universal

The WBA withdrew its recognition of Clay (now known as Muhammad Ali) as champion for agreeing to an immediate rematch against Liston, a violation of the organization's rules at the time. The WBC and other organizations continued to recognize him. (See Ali versus Liston.)

June 19, 1964 February 6, 1967 Cassius Clay WBC
March 5, 1965 February 6, 1967 Ernie Terrell WBA
February 6, 1967 April 29, 1967 Muhammad Ali Universal

All sanctioning bodies withdrew recognition of Ali as champion for his refusal to be inducted into the United States Army subsequent to being drafted in early 1967.

March 4, 1968 February 16, 1970 Joe Frazier WBC
April 28, 1968 February 16, 1970 Jimmy Ellis WBA
February 16, 1970 January 22, 1973 Joe Frazier Universal

Initially recognized by the powerful New York state athletic commission and the fledgling World Boxing Council, Frazier was recognized by all sanctioning bodies as champion after defeating Ellis; but universal recognition came only upon defeating Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971. (See Fight of the Century.)

January 22, 1973 October 30, 1974 George Foreman Universal
October 30, 1974 February 15, 1978 Muhammad Ali Universal
February 15, 1978 March 18, 1978³ Leon Spinks Universal
March 18, 1978 September 15, 1978 Leon Spinks WBA
March 18, 1978 June 9, 1978 Ken Norton WBC
June 9, 1978 December 11, 1983¹ Larry Holmes WBC

Holmes relinquished his WBC title to assume the championship of the newly formed International Boxing Federation.

September 15, 1978 April 27, 1979¹ Muhammad Ali WBA

Believing his career over, Ali relinquished his WBA title in exchange for a payment from promoter Don King, who was trying to stage a bout between then-WBC champ Larry Holmes and John Tate for the undisputed title. The bout never materialized, and Ali would return to the ring in 1980.

October 20, 1979 March 31, 1980 John Tate WBA
March 31, 1980 December 10, 1982 Mike Weaver WBA
December 10, 1982 September 23, 1983 Michael Dokes WBA
September 23, 1983 December 1, 1984 Gerrie Coetzee WBA
December 11, 1983 September 21, 1985 Larry Holmes IBF
March 9, 1984 August 31, 1984 Tim Witherspoon WBC
August 31, 1984 March 22, 1986 Pinklon Thomas WBC
December 1, 1984 April 29, 1985 Greg Page WBA
April 29, 1985 January 17, 1986 Tony Tubbs WBA
September 21, 1985 February 19, 1987³ Michael Spinks IBF
January 17, 1986 December 12, 1986 Tim Witherspoon WBA
March 22, 1986 November 22, 1986 Trevor Berbick WBC
November 22, 1986 March 7, 1987 Mike Tyson WBC
December 12, 1986 March 7, 1987 James 'Bonecrusher' Smith WBA
March 7, 1987 August 1, 1987 Mike Tyson WBA, WBC
May 30, 1987 August 1, 1987 Tony Tucker IBF
August 1, 1987 February 10, 1990 Mike Tyson IBF, WBA & WBC
May 6, 1989 January 11, 1991 Francesco Damiani WBO

Though Damiani defeated Johnny DuPlooy to become the WBO's first Heavyweight champion, Tyson's reign in the division during this period is virtually undisputed.

February 10, 1990 October 25, 1990 James "Buster" Douglas IBF, WBA & WBC
October 25, 1990 November 13, 1992 Evander Holyfield IBF, WBA & WBC
January 11, 1991 December 24, 1991³ Ray Mercer WBO
May 15, 1992 February 3, 1993³ Michael Moorer WBO
November 13, 1992 December 14, 1992³ Riddick Bowe IBF, WBA & WBC

Bowe was stripped of his WBC championship for refusing to fight Lennox Lewis.

December 14, 1992 November 6, 1993 Riddick Bowe IBF & WBA
December 14, 1992 September 24, 1994 Lennox Lewis WBC

Lewis defeated Razor Ruddock on October 31, 1992 in a WBC 'eliminator' fight. When Riddick Bowe's championship recognition was withdrawn by the organization, the WBC immediately awarded Lewis the title.

June 7, 1993 October 29, 1993 Tommy Morrison WBO
October 29, 1993 March 19, 1994 Michael Bentt WBO
November 6, 1993 April 22, 1994 Evander Holyfield IBF & WBA
March 19, 1994 March 11, 1995 Herbie Hide WBO
April 22, 1994 November 5, 1994 Michael Moorer IBF & WBA
September 24, 1994 September 2, 1995 Oliver McCall WBC
November 5, 1994 March 4, 1995³ George Foreman IBF & WBA

The World Boxing Association withdrew its recognition of Foreman, but Foreman retained IBF championship recognition until it too was withdrawn.

March 4, 1995 June 28, 1995³ George Foreman IBF
March 11, 1995 May 1, 1996¹ Riddick Bowe WBO
April 8, 1995 September 7, 1996 Bruce Seldon WBA
September 2, 1995 March 16, 1996 Frank Bruno WBC
December 9, 1995 September 7, 1996³ Francois Botha IBF

A drug test following Botha's victory over Axel Schulz for the IBF title vacated by George Foreman revealed that he had used illegal anabolic steroids. Upon the discovery the IBF "vacated" its championship. The organization has subsequently erased the episode from its own written history, not listing Botha among its recognized champions.

March 16, 1996 September 7, 1996 Mike Tyson WBC
June 22, 1996 November 8, 1997 Michael Moorer IBF
June 29, 1996 February 17, 1997¹ Henry Akinwande WBO

Akinwande had been ranked the WBC's #2 contender when he won the WBO title. The WBC, which has feuded with the WBO since the latter's founding in 1988, dropped Akinwande from its rankings altogether. Akinwande subsequently relinquished his WBO title in exchange for the opportunity to meet Lennox Lewis in a bout for the WBC championship.

September 7, 1996 September 24, 1996¹ Mike Tyson WBA & WBC
September 24, 1996 November 9, 1996 Mike Tyson WBA
November 9, 1996 November 8, 1997 Evander Holyfield WBA
February 7, 1997 November 13, 1999 Lennox Lewis WBC
June 28, 1997 June 26, 1999 Herbie Hide WBO
November 8, 1997 November 13, 1999 Evander Holyfield IBF & WBA
June 26, 1999 April 1, 2000 Vitali Klitschko WBO
November 13, 1999 April 29, 2000³ Lennox Lewis IBF, WBA & WBC

In early 2000 the World Boxing Association and Lewis were sued by representatives of John Ruiz claiming that they had reneged on an agreement by which Ruiz would have fought Lewis for the WBA title. A New Jersey court ruled in favor of Ruiz, and ordered Lewis to either have his next bout against Ruiz or relinquish the title. Lewis elected instead to fight contender Michael Grant, relinquishing his WBA title on the day of the match.

April 1, 2000 October 14, 2000 Chris Byrd WBO
April 29, 2000 April 22, 2001 Lennox Lewis IBF & WBC
August 12, 2000 March 3, 2001 Evander Holyfield WBA
October 14, 2000 March 8, 2003 Wladimir Klitschko WBO
March 3, 2001 March 1, 2003 John Ruiz WBA
April 22, 2001 November 17, 2001 Hasim Rahman IBF & WBC
November 17, 2001 September 5, 2002¹ Lennox Lewis IBF & WBC

Lewis relinquished the IBF title upon receiving payment of million (US) by promoter Don King, who wished to stage a bout between Chris Byrd and Evander Holyfield for the vacant title.

September 5, 2002 February 6, 2004² Lennox Lewis WBC
December 14, 2002 April 22, 2006 Chris Byrd IBF
March 1, 2003 February 20, 2004¹ Roy Jones Jr. WBA
March 8, 2003 October 9, 2003¹ Corrie Sanders WBO
February 20, 2004 April 30, 2005 John Ruiz WBA

Ruiz beat Hasim Rahman on December 13, 2003 to become the WBA's "interim" champion. He was awarded the championship following Roy Jones, Jr.'s announcement that he was relinquishing it to concentrate on lower weight divisions.

April 10, 2004 April 1, 2006 Lamon Brewster WBO
April 24, 2004 November 9, 2005² Vitali Klitschko WBC
April 30, 2005 May 17, 2005 James Toney WBA

On May 10, 2005, a drug test following Toney's victory over John Ruiz for the WBA title revealed that he had used products containing nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. Toney's victory was changed to a 'no contest' by New York state athletic commission. On May 17, 2005, the WBA advised Toney that it was "vacating (his) title", whereupon it was restored to John Ruiz.

May 17, 2005 December 17, 2005 John Ruiz WBA
November 9, 2005 present Hasim Rahman WBC

Rahman defeated Monte Barrett on August 13, 2005 to become the WBC's "interim" champion. He was awarded the championship following Vitali Klitschko's announcement that he was retiring due to injury.

December 17, 2005 present Nikolay Valuev WBA
April 1, 2006 present Sergei Liakhovich WBO
April 22, 2006 present Wladimir Klitschko IBF

Reign Began	Reign Ended	Champion	Recognition
February 7, 1882	September 7, 1892	John L. Sullivan	Universal
Sullivan defeated Paddy Ryan in 1882 to earn initial championship recognition.
September 7, 1892	March 17, 1897	James J. Corbett	Universal
March 17, 1897	June 9, 1899	Bob Fitzsimmons	Universal
June 9, 1899	May 13, 1905¹	James J. Jeffries	Universal
Jeffries was the first modern champion to relinquish the title, announcing his retirement and declaring that the winner of a match between Marvin Hart and Jack Root would be the next legitimate champion. Jeffries would return to the ring to face Jack Johnson.
July 3, 1905	February 23, 1906	Marvin Hart	Universal
February 23, 1906	December 26, 1908	Tommy Burns	Universal
December 26, 1908	April 5, 1915	Jack Johnson	Universal
April 5, 1915	July 4, 1919	Jess Willard	Universal
July 4, 1919	September 23, 1926	Jack Dempsey	Universal
September 23, 1926	July 31, 1928²	Gene Tunney	Universal
Tunney announced his retirement from professional boxing on July 31, 1928, relinquishing the championship.
September 26, 1928	June 12, 1930	Jack Sharkey	NBA
Sharkey defeated Tommy Loughran for the vacant NBA championship, but was not universally recognized as champion.
June 12, 1930	June 21, 1932	Max Schmeling	Universal
Schmeling defeated NBA champion Jack Sharkey to earn universal recognition as champion.
June 21, 1932	June 29, 1933	Jack Sharkey	Universal
June 29, 1933	June 14, 1934	Primo Carnera	Universal
June 14, 1934	June 13, 1935	Max Baer	Universal
June 13, 1935	June 22, 1937	James J. Braddock	Universal
June 22, 1937	March 1, 1949²	Joe Louis	Universal
June 22, 1949	September 27, 1950	Ezzard Charles	NBA
September 27, 1950	July 18, 1951	Ezzard Charles	Universal
Charles won the vacant National Boxing Association championship, but was not universally recognized as champion until defeating Joe Louis, the former champion who had come out of retirement.
July 18, 1951	September 23, 1952	Jersey Joe Walcott	Universal
September 23, 1952	April 27, 1956²	Rocky Marciano	Universal
Marciano announced his retirement from professional boxing, relinquishing the championship.
November 30, 1956	June 26, 1959	Floyd Patterson	Universal
June 26, 1959	June 20, 1960	Ingemar Johansson	Universal
June 20, 1960	September 25, 1962	Floyd Patterson	Universal
September 25, 1962	February 25, 1964	Sonny Liston	Universal
February 25, 1964	June 19, 1964	Cassius Clay	Universal
The WBA withdrew its recognition of Clay (now known as Muhammad Ali) as champion for agreeing to an immediate rematch against Liston, a violation of the organization's rules at the time. The WBC and other organizations continued to recognize him. (See Ali versus Liston.)
June 19, 1964	February 6, 1967	Cassius Clay	WBC
March 5, 1965	February 6, 1967	Ernie Terrell	WBA
February 6, 1967	April 29, 1967	Muhammad Ali	Universal
All sanctioning bodies withdrew recognition of Ali as champion for his refusal to be inducted into the United States Army subsequent to being drafted in early 1967.
March 4, 1968	February 16, 1970	Joe Frazier	WBC
April 28, 1968	February 16, 1970	Jimmy Ellis	WBA
February 16, 1970	January 22, 1973	Joe Frazier	Universal
Initially recognized by the powerful New York state athletic commission and the fledgling World Boxing Council, Frazier was recognized by all sanctioning bodies as champion after defeating Ellis; but universal recognition came only upon defeating Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971. (See Fight of the Century.)
January 22, 1973	October 30, 1974	George Foreman	Universal
October 30, 1974	February 15, 1978	Muhammad Ali	Universal
February 15, 1978	March 18, 1978³	Leon Spinks	Universal
March 18, 1978	September 15, 1978	Leon Spinks	WBA
March 18, 1978	June 9, 1978	Ken Norton	WBC
June 9, 1978	December 11, 1983¹	Larry Holmes	WBC
Holmes relinquished his WBC title to assume the championship of the newly formed International Boxing Federation.
September 15, 1978	April 27, 1979¹	Muhammad Ali	WBA
Believing his career over, Ali relinquished his WBA title in exchange for a payment from promoter Don King, who was trying to stage a bout between then-WBC champ Larry Holmes and John Tate for the undisputed title. The bout never materialized, and Ali would return to the ring in 1980.
October 20, 1979	March 31, 1980	John Tate	WBA
March 31, 1980	December 10, 1982	Mike Weaver	WBA
December 10, 1982	September 23, 1983	Michael Dokes	WBA
September 23, 1983	December 1, 1984	Gerrie Coetzee	WBA
December 11, 1983	September 21, 1985	Larry Holmes	IBF
March 9, 1984	August 31, 1984	Tim Witherspoon	WBC
August 31, 1984	March 22, 1986	Pinklon Thomas	WBC
December 1, 1984	April 29, 1985	Greg Page	WBA
April 29, 1985	January 17, 1986	Tony Tubbs	WBA
September 21, 1985	February 19, 1987³	Michael Spinks	IBF
January 17, 1986	December 12, 1986	Tim Witherspoon	WBA
March 22, 1986	November 22, 1986	Trevor Berbick	WBC
November 22, 1986	March 7, 1987	Mike Tyson	WBC
December 12, 1986	March 7, 1987	James 'Bonecrusher' Smith	WBA
March 7, 1987	August 1, 1987	Mike Tyson	WBA, WBC
May 30, 1987	August 1, 1987	Tony Tucker	IBF
August 1, 1987	February 10, 1990	Mike Tyson	IBF, WBA & WBC
May 6, 1989	January 11, 1991	Francesco Damiani	WBO
Though Damiani defeated Johnny DuPlooy to become the WBO's first Heavyweight champion, Tyson's reign in the division during this period is virtually undisputed.
February 10, 1990	October 25, 1990	James "Buster" Douglas	IBF, WBA & WBC
October 25, 1990	November 13, 1992	Evander Holyfield	IBF, WBA & WBC
January 11, 1991	December 24, 1991³	Ray Mercer	WBO
May 15, 1992	February 3, 1993³	Michael Moorer	WBO
November 13, 1992	December 14, 1992³	Riddick Bowe	IBF, WBA & WBC
Bowe was stripped of his WBC championship for refusing to fight Lennox Lewis.
December 14, 1992	November 6, 1993	Riddick Bowe	IBF & WBA
December 14, 1992	September 24, 1994	Lennox Lewis	WBC
Lewis defeated Razor Ruddock on October 31, 1992 in a WBC 'eliminator' fight. When Riddick Bowe's championship recognition was withdrawn by the organization, the WBC immediately awarded Lewis the title.
June 7, 1993	October 29, 1993	Tommy Morrison	WBO
October 29, 1993	March 19, 1994	Michael Bentt	WBO
November 6, 1993	April 22, 1994	Evander Holyfield	IBF & WBA
March 19, 1994	March 11, 1995	Herbie Hide	WBO
April 22, 1994	November 5, 1994	Michael Moorer	IBF & WBA
September 24, 1994	September 2, 1995	Oliver McCall	WBC
November 5, 1994	March 4, 1995³	George Foreman	IBF & WBA
The World Boxing Association withdrew its recognition of Foreman, but Foreman retained IBF championship recognition until it too was withdrawn.
March 4, 1995	June 28, 1995³	George Foreman	IBF
March 11, 1995	May 1, 1996¹	Riddick Bowe	WBO
April 8, 1995	September 7, 1996	Bruce Seldon	WBA
September 2, 1995	March 16, 1996	Frank Bruno	WBC
December 9, 1995	September 7, 1996³	Francois Botha	IBF
A drug test following Botha's victory over Axel Schulz for the IBF title vacated by George Foreman revealed that he had used illegal anabolic steroids. Upon the discovery the IBF "vacated" its championship. The organization has subsequently erased the episode from its own written history, not listing Botha among its recognized champions.
March 16, 1996	September 7, 1996	Mike Tyson	WBC
June 22, 1996	November 8, 1997	Michael Moorer	IBF
June 29, 1996	February 17, 1997¹	Henry Akinwande	WBO
Akinwande had been ranked the WBC's #2 contender when he won the WBO title. The WBC, which has feuded with the WBO since the latter's founding in 1988, dropped Akinwande from its rankings altogether. Akinwande subsequently relinquished his WBO title in exchange for the opportunity to meet Lennox Lewis in a bout for the WBC championship.
September 7, 1996	September 24, 1996¹	Mike Tyson	WBA & WBC
September 24, 1996	November 9, 1996	Mike Tyson	WBA
November 9, 1996	November 8, 1997	Evander Holyfield	WBA
February 7, 1997	November 13, 1999	Lennox Lewis	WBC
June 28, 1997	June 26, 1999	Herbie Hide	WBO
November 8, 1997	November 13, 1999	Evander Holyfield	IBF & WBA
June 26, 1999	April 1, 2000	Vitali Klitschko	WBO
November 13, 1999	April 29, 2000³	Lennox Lewis	IBF, WBA & WBC
In early 2000 the World Boxing Association and Lewis were sued by representatives of John Ruiz claiming that they had reneged on an agreement by which Ruiz would have fought Lewis for the WBA title. A New Jersey court ruled in favor of Ruiz, and ordered Lewis to either have his next bout against Ruiz or relinquish the title. Lewis elected instead to fight contender Michael Grant, relinquishing his WBA title on the day of the match.
April 1, 2000	October 14, 2000	Chris Byrd	WBO
April 29, 2000	April 22, 2001	Lennox Lewis	IBF & WBC
August 12, 2000	March 3, 2001	Evander Holyfield	WBA
October 14, 2000	March 8, 2003	Wladimir Klitschko	WBO
March 3, 2001	March 1, 2003	John Ruiz	WBA
April 22, 2001	November 17, 2001	Hasim Rahman	IBF & WBC
November 17, 2001	September 5, 2002¹	Lennox Lewis	IBF & WBC
Lewis relinquished the IBF title upon receiving payment of million (US) by promoter Don King, who wished to stage a bout between Chris Byrd and Evander Holyfield for the vacant title.
September 5, 2002	February 6, 2004²	Lennox Lewis	WBC
December 14, 2002	April 22, 2006	Chris Byrd	IBF
March 1, 2003	February 20, 2004¹	Roy Jones Jr.	WBA
March 8, 2003	October 9, 2003¹	Corrie Sanders	WBO
February 20, 2004	April 30, 2005	John Ruiz	WBA
Ruiz beat Hasim Rahman on December 13, 2003 to become the WBA's "interim" champion. He was awarded the championship following Roy Jones, Jr.'s announcement that he was relinquishing it to concentrate on lower weight divisions.
April 10, 2004	April 1, 2006	Lamon Brewster	WBO
April 24, 2004	November 9, 2005²	Vitali Klitschko	WBC
April 30, 2005	May 17, 2005	James Toney	WBA
On May 10, 2005, a drug test following Toney's victory over John Ruiz for the WBA title revealed that he had used products containing nandrolone, an anabolic steroid. Toney's victory was changed to a 'no contest' by New York state athletic commission. On May 17, 2005, the WBA advised Toney that it was "vacating (his) title", whereupon it was restored to John Ruiz.
May 17, 2005	December 17, 2005	John Ruiz	WBA
November 9, 2005	present	Hasim Rahman	WBC
Rahman defeated Monte Barrett on August 13, 2005 to become the WBC's "interim" champion. He was awarded the championship following Vitali Klitschko's announcement that he was retiring due to injury.
December 17, 2005	present	Nikolay Valuev	WBA
April 1, 2006	present	Sergei Liakhovich	WBO
April 22, 2006	present	Wladimir Klitschko	IBF

Sources

[Steve Dimitry's Heavyweight Boxing History]

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.

List of heavyweight boxing champions

See also

Sources