Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Male boxers who weigh over 200 pounds (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation [1] and the World Boxing Organization. [2] In 2020, the World Boxing Council [3] increased their heavyweight classification to 224 pounds (102 kg; 16 st) to allow for their creation of the bridgerweight division. The World Boxing Association (WBA) did the same in 2023. [4] Female boxers who weigh over 175 pounds (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major boxing organizations: the IBF and the WBC. The WBA and WBO don't have a female heavyweight world title.
Because this division has no upper weight limit, it has historically been vaguely defined. In the 19th century, for example, many heavyweight champions weighed 170 pounds (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) or less (although others weighed 200 pounds).
In 1920, the light heavyweight division was formed, with a maximum weight of 175 pounds (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb). Any fighter weighing more than 175 pounds was a heavyweight. The cruiserweight division (first for boxers in the 175–190 pound range) was established in 1979 and recognized by the various boxing organizations in the 1980s with a maximum weight of either 190 pounds (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) or 195 pounds (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb). Later these organizations increased the cruiserweight limit to 200 pounds.
Since 1975, the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States and the Soviet Sports Committee established a new concept in international boxing, called "Heavy Duals," an all-heavyweight team contest between the United States and the Soviet Union. [5]
As of 2023, Wladimir Klitschko holds the record of most boxers beaten for the world heavyweight title, with 23. [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] Klitschko holds the record for the longest cumulative heavyweight title reign of all time, with 4,382 days as world heavyweight champion. [8] [9] Joe Louis has won the most world heavyweight title bouts, with 27. [9] Louis holds the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 26 defenses of the world title. [nb 1] This is also the record for most consecutive title defenses in boxing history. [11]
Four boxers have regained the heavyweight title in an immediate rematch: Floyd Patterson in 1960, Muhammad Ali in 1978, Lennox Lewis in 2001, and Anthony Joshua in 2019. George Foreman holds the record for being the oldest heavyweight to ever achieve championship status, becoming champion at the age of 45, while Mike Tyson possesses the record for youngest heavyweight champion at 20. Tyson also became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF as well as The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles at the same time.
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | September 25, 2021 | Oleksandr Usyk | 22–0 (14 KO) | 3 |
| WBC | May 18, 2024 | Oleksandr Usyk | 22–0 (14 KO) | 0 |
| IBF | June 26, 2024 | Daniel Dubois | 22–2 (21 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | September 25, 2021 | Oleksandr Usyk | 22–0 (14 KO) | 3 |
As of September 21, 2024. [12]
Keys:
| Rank | Name | Record (W–L–D) | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Oleksandr Usyk | 22–0 (14 KO) | WBA, WBO, WBC |
| 1 | Tyson Fury | 34–1–1 (24 KO) | |
| 2 | Daniel Dubois | 22–2 (21 KO) | IBF |
| 3 | Joseph Parker | 35–3 (23 KO) | |
| 4 | Zhilei Zhang | 27–2–1 (22 KO) | |
| 5 | Agit Kabayel | 25–0 (17 KO) | |
| 6 | Martin Bakole | 21–1 (16 KO) | |
| 7 | Anthony Joshua | 28–4 (25 KO) | |
| 8 | Filip Hrgović | 17–1 (14 KO) | |
| 9 | Efe Ajagba | 20–1 (14 KO) | |
| 10 | Justis Huni | 9–0 (4 KO) |
As of October27, 2024. [13]
| Rank | Name | Record (W–L–D) | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oleksandr Usyk | 22–0 (14 KO) | WBA, WBO, WBC |
| 2 | Anthony Joshua | 28–4 (25 KO) | |
| 3 | Tyson Fury | 34–1–1 (24 KO) | |
| 4 | Daniel Dubois | 22–2 (21 KO) | |
| 5 | Otto Wallin | 27–2 (15 KO) | |
| 6 | Zhilei Zhang | 27–2–1 (22 KO) | |
| 7 | Joe Joyce | 16–3 (15 KO) | |
| 8 | Murat Gassiev | 30–2 (23 KO) | |
| 9 | Dillian Whyte | 30–3 (20 KO) | |
| 10 | Filip Hrgovic | 17–1 (14 KO) |
Keys:
The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921.
As of 22 February 2020.
| Pos. | Name | Combined reign | Days as champion | Number of reigns | Title recognition | Title fight wins | Beaten opponents | Fights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Wladimir Klitschko | 12 years, 0 months, 0 days | 4 382 | 2 | WBA, IBF, WBO | 25 | 23 | [15] |
| 2. | Joe Louis | 11 years, 8 months, 8 days | 4 270 | 1 | NYSAC, NBA | 27 | 22 | [16] [17] |
| 3. | Muhammad Ali | 9 years, 5 months, 5 days | 3 443 | 3 | NYSAC, WBA, WBC | 22 | 21 | [18] |
| 4. | Lennox Lewis | 8 years, 5 months, 13 days | 3 086 | 3 | WBA, WBC, IBF | 15 | 15 | [19] |
| 5. | Vitali Klitschko | 7 years, 5 months, 28 days | 2 735 | 3 | WBC, WBO | 15 | 15 | [20] |
| 6. | Larry Holmes | 7 years, 3 months, 12 days | 2 661 | 1 | WBC, IBF | 20 | 20 | [21] |
| 7. | Jack Dempsey | 7 years, 2 months, 19 days | 2 638 | 1 | NYSAC, NBA | 6 | 6 | [22] |
| 8. | John L. Sullivan | 7 years, 0 months, 10 days | 2 566 | 1 | lineal | 1 | 1 | [23] |
| 9. | Jack Johnson | 6 years, 3 months, 11 days | 2 292 | 1 | lineal | 6 | 6 | [24] |
| 10. | Evander Holyfield | 6 years, 1 month, 1 day | 2 223 | 4 | WBA, WBC, IBF | 10 | 9 | [25] |
| 11. | James J. Jeffries | 5 years, 11 months, 4 days | 2 156 | 1 | lineal | 8 | 6 | [26] |
| 12. | Deontay Wilder | 5 years, 1 months, 5 days | 1 859 | 1 | WBC | 10 | 8 | [27] |
| 13. | Joe Frazier | 4 years, 10 months, 18 days | 1 785 | 1 | NYSAC, WBA, WBC | 10 | 10 | [28] |
| 14. | Floyd Patterson | 4 years, 10 months, 0 days | 1 765 | 2 | NYSAC, NBA | 8 | 7 | [29] |
| 15. | James J. Corbett | 4 years, 6 months, 10 days | 1 652 | 1 | lineal | 2 | 2 | [30] |
Below is a list of longest reigning heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. The list includes both The Ring and lineal championships. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.
| Pos. | Name | Title Reign | Title recognition | Successful defenses | Beaten opponents [31] | Fights |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Joe Louis | 11 years, 8 months, 8 days | lineal | 26 | 21 | [16] [17] |
| 2. | Wladimir Klitschko | 9 years, 7 months and 6 days | IBF (+WBA, WBO, The Ring/Lineal) | 18 | 17 | [15] |
| 3. | Larry Holmes | 7 years, 3 months, 12 days | WBC-to-IBF (+The Ring/Lineal) | 19 | 19 | [21] |
| 4. | Jack Dempsey | 7 years, 2 months, 19 days | lineal | 5 | 5 | [22] |
| 5. | John L. Sullivan | 7 years, 0 months, 9 days | lineal | 0 | 0 | [23] |
| 6. | Jack Johnson | 6 years, 3 months, 10 days | lineal | 5 | 5 | [24] |
| 7. | Muhammad Ali | 5 years, 11 months, 9 days | The Ring/Lineal, (+WBA, WBC stripped) | 9 | 9 | [18] |
| 8. | James J. Jeffries | 5 years, 11 months, 4 days | lineal | 7 | 6 | [26] |
| 9. | Vitali Klitschko | 5 years, 2 months, 4 days | WBC | 9 | 9 | [20] |
| 10. | Deontay Wilder | 5 years, 1 month 5 days | WBC | 10 | 9 | [27] |
| 11. | Joe Frazier | 4 years, 10 months, 18 days | NYSAC (+WBA, WBC) | 9 | 9 | [28] |
| 12. | James J. Corbett | 4 years, 6 months, 10 days | lineal | 1 | 1 | [30] |
| 13. | Jess Willard | 4 years, 2 months, 29 days | lineal | 1 | 1 | [32] |
| 14. | Tyson Fury | 4 years, 2 months, 3 Weeks 6 days | WBC | 3 | 3 | [33] |
| 15. | Lennox Lewis | 4 years, 2 months, 15 days | WBC (+IBF, WBA stripped, The Ring/Lineal) | 9 | 8 | [19] |
| 16. | Rocky Marciano | 3 years, 11 months, 29 days | lineal | 6 | 5 | [34] |
The lower limit for heavyweight was established in 1948 at 81 kg (178.6 lb). A weight class named "super heavyweight" was established in 1984, and with it a maximum 91 kg (200.6 lb) for the heavyweight division.
The heavyweight division in MMA generally groups fighters between 206 and 265 lb (93 and 120 kg).
Heavyweight is also the title of a documentary film that documented the fight camp of Fabrício Werdum when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion. [35]
The term "world heavyweight" in modern wrestling generally refers to a champion wrestler who is seen as a prominent competitor, rather than an adherent to a particular weight class. The World Heavyweight Championship in wrestling is usually considered the main title in a given promotion. Prior to the wrestling industry publicly acknowledging the predetermined nature of the sport, a Heavyweight title was generally competed for by larger wrestlers while smaller wrestlers competed as (among other names and classifications) "Junior Heavyweights", "Cruiserweights" and "Light-Heavyweights". The lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre notably still has weight division for its champions. While most other promotions do not.
The word "heavyweight" is sometimes used in other fields (e.g. politics) to denote a person who is especially powerful or influential. Other boxing analogies include "punching above his [their] weight" to denote a person or entity (e.g. a country) whose influence is arguably greater than his/its basic attributes would suggest.
Lennox Claudius Lewis is a boxing commentator and former professional boxer who competed from 1989 to 2003. He is a three-time world heavyweight champion, a two-time lineal champion, and held the undisputed championship. Holding dual British and Canadian citizenship, Lewis represented Canada as an amateur at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics; in the latter, he won a gold medal in the super-heavyweight division.
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) is an organization which sanctions professional boxing bouts. It is recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) as one of the four major world championship groups, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), and International Boxing Federation (IBF). The WBO's headquarters are located in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Michael Lee Moorer is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1988 to 2008. He won a world championship on four occasions in two weight classes, having held the WBO light heavyweight title from 1988 to 1991; compiling 22 straight KOs in 22 fights and the WBO heavyweight title from 1992 to 1993; the unified WBA, IBF and lineal heavyweight titles in 1994; and regained the IBF heavyweight title again from 1996 to 1997 becoming a three-time heavyweight world champion.
Wladimir Klitschko is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. He held multiple heavyweight world championships between 2000 and 2015, including unified titles between 2008 and 2015. During this time also held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) and Ring magazine titles.
Virgil Eugene Hill is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1984 to 2007, and in 2015. He is a two-weight world champion, having held the WBA light heavyweight title twice, from 1987 to 1997; the IBF and lineal light heavyweight titles from 1996 to 1997; and the WBA cruiserweight title twice, from 2000 to 2002 and 2006 to 2007. As an amateur, Hill won a silver medal in the middleweight division at the 1984 Summer Olympics. In 2013, he was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Cruiserweight, also referred to as junior heavyweight, is a weight class in professional boxing between light heavyweight and heavyweight. Before the advent of the current cruiserweight class, "light heavyweight" and "cruiserweight" were sometimes used interchangeably in the United Kingdom.
Super middleweight, or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.
In boxing, the undisputed champion of a weight class is the boxer who simultaneously holds world titles from all major organizations recognized by each other and the International Boxing Hall of Fame. There are currently four major sanctioning bodies: WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF. There were many undisputed champions before the number of major sanctioning bodies recognizing each other increased to four in 2007, but there have been only 19 boxers to hold all four titles simultaneously.
Iran Barkley is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1982 to 1999. He held world championships in three weight classes, including the WBC middleweight title from 1988 to 1989, the IBF super middleweight title from 1992 to 1993, and the WBA light heavyweight title in 1992. As an amateur boxer, Barkley won a bronze medal in the middleweight division at the 1982 World Championships.
Vitali Klitschko and Wladimir Klitschko, known as the Klitschko Brothers, are Ukrainian former professional boxers. During their peak years between 2004 and 2015, they were considered the dominant world heavyweight champions of their era, and among the most successful champions in boxing history. In 2011, they entered the Guinness World Records book as brothers with most world heavyweight title fight wins. In the years following the retirement of heavyweight titlist Lennox Lewis in 2004, the Klitschko brothers would eventually accumulate all four major world heavyweight titles. Known for their exceptionally large physiques, speed, and punching power, they each developed a style that utilized their athleticism and arm reach to break down opponents.
In combat sports where champions are determined by challenge, the lineal championship in a weight class represents an intangible world title first held by the victor of a bout between top contenders in the division. A fighter who defeats the reigning champion in a match within the same weight class becomes the next lineal champion. In professional boxing, the lineal champion is informally known as "the man who beat the man."
Below is a list of world heavyweight boxing championship records and statistics.
Wladimir Klitschko vs. Ruslan Chagaev, billed as "Knockout Auf Schalke", was a professional boxing match contested on 20 June 2009 for the IBF, WBO, IBO, and vacant The Ring heavyweight championship.
Over 200 lbs.
Heavyweight Over 200lbs or 90.91 kg.
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