List of heavyweight boxing champions

   

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

Prior to the rise of sanctioning bodies, champions were acknowledged by the public at large.


Reign Began Reign Ended Champion Recognition
07 Feb 1882 07 Sep 1892 John L. Sullivan Universal
Sullivan was the first champion under Marquess of Queensberry rules.
07 Sep 1892 17 Mar 1897 James J. Corbett Universal
17 Mar 1897 09 Jun 1899 Bob Fitzsimmons Universal
09 Jun 1899 13 May 19051 James J. Jeffries Universal
03 Jul 1905 23 Feb 1906 Marvin Hart Universal
23 Feb 1906 26 Dec 1908 Tommy Burns Universal
26 Dec 1908 05 Apr 1915 Jack Johnson Universal
05 Apr 1915 04 Jul 1919 Jess Willard Universal
04 Jul 1919 23 Sep 1926 Jack Dempsey Universal
23 Sep 1926 31 Jul 19282 Gene Tunney Universal
26 Sep 1928 12 Jun 1930 Jack Sharkey NBA
Sharkey defeated Tommy Loughran for the vacant NBA championship, but was not universally recognized as champion.
12 Jun 1930 21 Jun 1932 Max Schmeling Universal
Schmeling defeated NBA champion Jack Sharkey to earn universal recognition as champion.
21 Jun 1932 29 Jun 1933 Jack Sharkey Universal
29 Jun 1933 14 Jun 1934 Primo Carnera Universal
14 Jun 1934 13 Jun 1935 Max Baer Universal
13 Jun 1935 22 Jun 1937 James J. Braddock Universal
22 Jun 1937 01 Mar 19493 Joe Louis Universal
22 Jun 1949 27 Sep 1950 Ezzard Charles NBA
27 Sep 1950 18 Jul 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.
18 Jul 1951 23 Sep 1952 Jersey Joe Walcott Universal
23 Sep 1952 27 Apr 19562 Rocky Marciano Universal
30 Nov 1956 26 Jun 1959 Floyd Patterson Universal
26 Jun 1959 20 Jun 1960 Ingemar Johansson Universal
20 Jun 1960 25 Sep 1962 Floyd Patterson Universal
25 Sep 1962 25 Feb 1964 Charles 'Sonny' Liston Universal
25 Feb 1964 19 Jun 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. The WBC and other organizations continued to recognize him. (See Ali versus Liston.)
19 Jun 1964 06 Feb 1967 Cassius Clay WBC
05 Mar 1965 06 Feb 1967 Ernie Terrell WBA
06 Feb 1967 29 Apr 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.
04 Mar 1968 16 Feb 1970 Joe Frazier WBC
28 Apr 1968 16 Feb 1970 Jimmy Ellis WBA
16 Feb 1970 22 Jan 1973 Joe Frazier Universal
Frazier was recognized by all sanctioning bodies as champion after defeating Ellis to unify the titles, but universal recognition came only upon defeating Muhammad Ali on March 8, 1971. (See Fight of the Century.)
22 Jan 1973 30 Oct 1974 George Foreman Universal
30 Oct 1974 15 Feb 1978 Muhammad Ali Universal
Ali became only the second fighter to regain the world heavyweight title, after Floyd Patterson. (See The Rumble in the Jungle.)
15 Feb 1978 18 Mar 19783 Leon Spinks Universal
18 Mar 1978 15 Sep 1978 Leon Spinks WBA
18 Mar 1978 09 Jun 1978 Ken Norton WBC
09 Jun 1978 11 Dec 19831 Larry Holmes WBC
15 Sep 1978 27 Apr 19791 Muhammad Ali WBA
20 Oct 1979 31 Mar 1980 John Tate WBA
31 Mar 1980 10 Dec 1982 Mike Weaver WBA
10 Dec 1982 23 Sep 1983 Michael Dokes WBA
23 Sep 1983 01 Dec 1984 Gerrie Coetzee WBA
11 Dec 1983 21 Sep 1985 Larry Holmes IBF
09 Mar 1984 31 Aug 1984 Tim Witherspoon WBC
31 Aug 1984 22 Mar 1986 Pinklon Thomas WBC
01 Dec 1984 29 Apr 1985 Greg Page WBA
29 Apr 1985 17 Jan 1986 Tony Tubbs WBA
21 Sep 1985 19 Feb 19873 Michael Spinks IBF
17 Jan 1986 12 Dec 1986 Tim Witherspoon WBA
22 Mar 1986 22 Nov 1986 Trevor Berbick WBC
22 Nov 1986 07 Mar 1987 Mike Tyson WBC
12 Dec 1986 07 Mar 1987 James 'Bonecrusher' Smith WBA
07 Mar 1987 01 Aug 1987 Mike Tyson WBA, WBC
30 May 1987 01 Aug 1987 Tony Tucker IBF
01 Aug 1987 10 Feb 1990 Mike Tyson Universal
06 May 1989 11 Jan 1991 Francesco Damiani WBO
10 Feb 1990 25 Oct 1990 James 'Buster' Douglas IBF, WBA & WBC
25 Oct 1990 13 Nov 1992 Evander Holyfield IBF, WBA & WBC
11 Jan 1991 24 Dec 1991 Ray Mercer WBO
15 May 1992 03 Feb 1993 Michael Moorer WBO
13 Nov 1992 14 Dec 19921 Riddick Bowe IBF, WBA & WBC
Bowe was stripped of the WBC title only, for refusing to fight Lennox Lewis.
14 Nov 1992 29 Jan 19933 Pinklon Thomas IBO
14 Dec 1992 06 Nov 1993 Riddick Bowe IBF & WBA
14 Dec 1992 24 Sep 1994 Lennox Lewis WBC
Lewis was awarded the WBC title after is was relinquished by Riddick Bowe, having won a title eliminator bout against Razor Ruddock on October 31.
07 Jun 1993 29 Oct 1993 Tommy Morrison WBO
29 Oct 1993 19 Mar 1994 Michael Bentt WBO
06 Nov 1993 22 Apr 1994 Evander Holyfield IBF & WBA
19 Mar 1994 11 Mar 1995 Herbie Hide WBO
22 Apr 1994 05 Nov 1994 Michael Moorer IBF & WBA
04 Aug 1994 29 Aug 1994(?)3 Danell Nicholson IBO
24 Sep 1994 02 Sep 1995 Oliver McCall WBC
29 Oct 1994 08 Nov 1995(?)3 Jimmy Thunder IBO
05 Nov 1994 04 Mar 19953 George Foreman IBF & WBA
Foreman was stripped of the WBA title only.
04 Mar 1995 28 Jun 19953 George Foreman IBF
11 Mar 1995 01 May 19961 Riddick Bowe WBO
08 Apr 1995 07 Sep 1996 Bruce Seldon WBA
02 Sep 1995 16 Mar 1996 Frank Bruno WBC
09 Dec 1995 07 Sep 1996 Francois Botha IBF
A drug test following Botha's victory over Axel Shultz for the IBF title revealed that he had used illegal anabolic steroids. Upon the discovery the IBF vacated its championship. The organization has erased the episode from its own written history, not listing Botha among its recognized champions.
16 Mar 1996 07 Sep 1996 Mike Tyson WBC
12 Jan 1996 16 Sep 1999(?)3 Brian Nielsen IBO
22 Jun 1996 08 Nov 1997 Michael Moorer IBF
29 Jun 1996 17 Feb 19971 Henry Akinwande WBO
07 Sep 1996 24 Sep 19961 Mike Tyson WBA & WBC
24 Sep 1996 09 Nov 1996 Mike Tyson WBA
09 Nov 1996 08 Nov 1997 Evander Holyfield WBA
07 Feb 1997 13 Nov 1999 Lennox Lewis WBC
28 Jun 1997 26 Jun 1999 Herbie Hide WBO
08 Nov 1997 13 Nov 1999 Evander Holyfield IBF & WBA
26 Jun 1999 01 Apr 2000 Vitali Klitschko WBO
13 Nov 1999 29 Apr 20003 Lennox Lewis IBF, IBO, WBA & WBC
Lewis was stripped of the WBA title only, for failing to face a mandatory challenge against John Ruiz.
01 Apr 2000 14 Oct 2000 Chris Byrd WBO
29 Apr 2000 22 Apr 2001 Lennox Lewis IBF, IBO & WBC
12 Aug 2000 03 Mar 2001 Evander Holyfield WBA
14 Oct 2000 08 Mar 2003 Wladimir Klitschko WBO
03 Mar 2001 01 Mar 2003 John Ruiz WBA
22 Apr 2001 17 Nov 2001 Hasim Rahman IBF, IBO & WBC
17 Nov 2001 05 Sep 20021 Lennox Lewis IBF, IBO & WBC
Lewis relinquished the IBF title upon receiving payment of $1 million (US) by promoter Don King, who wished to stage a bout between Chris Byrd and Evander Holyfield for the vacant title.
05 Sep 2002 06 Feb 20042 Lennox Lewis IBO & WBC
14 Dec 2002   Chris Byrd IBF
01 Mar 2003 20 Feb 20041 Roy Jones Jr. WBA
08 Mar 2003 09 Oct 20031 Corrie Sanders WBO
20 Feb 2004   John Ruiz WBA
Ruiz beat Hasim Rahman on December 13 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.
10 Apr 2004   Lamon Brewster WBO
24 Apr 2004   Vitali Klitschko WBC


Footnotes

1 Relinquished championship title.
2 Retired as champion, relinquishing title.
3 Championship recognition withdrawn by sanctioning organization due to champion's failure or refusal to defend title against the organization's #1 ranked contender.


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