Champions were recognized by wide public acclamation. A heavyweight champion was a boxer who had a notable win over another notable boxer and then went without defeat. Retirements from the ring periodically led to a "true" champion going unrecognized, or for several to be recognized by the public for periods of time. Typically, public interest in having a single, "true" champion resulted in claimants to the heavyweight title being matched with one another; the winner of that bout was subsequently deemed the champion, with the claim (and title lineage) of the defeated boxer largely forgotten.
The National Boxing Association (NBA), was formed in 1921 as the first organization aimed at regulating boxing on a national (and later global) level. The prominence of New York City as the epicenter of boxing would lead to a governmental entity, the powerful New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), to join the NBA in sanctioning bouts as "world championships." A third entity, with lesser public recognition inside the USA, the European Boxing Union (EBU), would follow suit, with this triumvirate typically (but not always) recognizing the same boxers as world champions.
At its 1962 convention the NBA's non-U.S. members exploited a membership rule and took control of the organization, rebranding it the World Boxing Association. The (WBA), was joined a year later by a combination of state and national boxing commissions (including the NYSAC and IBU) to form a separate sanctioning body, the World Boxing Council (WBC). Each organization would later have a spin-off competing sanctioning body emerge: the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which was formed by members of the United States Boxing Association in 1983; and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), which was formed in 1989. A fifth significant (but not as publicly accepted) body came in the form of the International Boxing Organization (IBO), in 1991, and today there are over a dozen sanctioning organizations, of varying degrees of public acceptance, sanctioning bouts as for a world championship and proclaiming their title winners "Champion of the World."
Reign Began | Reign Ended | Champion | Recognition |
---|---|---|---|
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1889-03-31 | 1890-01-13 | Ike Weir | World |
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1890-01-13 | 1890-09-02 | Torpedo Billy Murphy | World |
1890-09-02 | 1892-Vacated | Young Griffo | World |
1892-06-27 | 1896-11-27 | George Dixon | World |
1896-11-27 | 1897-03-24 | Frank Erne | World |
1897-03-24 | 1897-10-24 | George Dixon | World |
1897-10-04 | 1898-09-26 | Solly Smith | World |
1898-09-26 | 1898-11-11 | Dave Sullivan | World |
1898-11-11 | 1900-01-09 | George Dixon | World |
1899-05-29 | 1899-10-10 | Ben Jordan | British World Title |
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1899-10-10 | 1900-02-01 | Eddie Santry | British World Title |
1900-01-09 | 1901-11-28 | Terry McGovern | World |
1901-11-28 | 1902-Vacated | Young Corbett II | World |
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1904-02-01 | 1912-02-22 | Abe Attell | World |
1912-02-22 | 1923-06-02 | Johnny Kilbane | World |
1923-06-02 | 1923-07-26 | Eugène Criqui | World |
1923-07-26 | 1923-07-26-Vacated | Johnny Dundee | World |
1925-01-02 | 1926-Vacated | Louis Kid Kaplan | World |
1927-09-12 | 1928-02-10 | Benny Bass | World |
1928-02-10 | 1928-09-28 | Tony Canzoneri | World |
1928-09-28 | 1929-09-23 | Andre Routis | World |
1929-09-23 | 1932-01-27 | Christopher Battalino | World |
1932-05-26 | 1933-01-13 | Tommy Paul | NBA |
1933-01-13 | 1936-05-11 | Freddie Miller | NBA |
1936-05-11 | 1937-10-29 | Petey Sarron | NBA |
1937-10-29 | 1937-10-29 | Henry Armstrong | World |
1939-04-18 | 1939-04-18 | Joey Archibald | World |
1940-05-01 | 1941-07-01 | Petey Scalzo | NBA |
1941-07-01 | 1941-11-18 | Richie Lemos | NBA |
1941-11-18 | 1943-01-18 | Jackie Wilson | NBA |
1943-01-18 | 1943-08-16 | Jackie Callura | NBA |
1943-08-16 | 1944-03-10 | Phil Terranova | NBA |
1944-03-10 | 1946-05-03 | Sal Bartolo | NBA |
1946-06-07 | 1948-10-29 | Willie Pep | World |
1948-10-29 | 1949-02-11 | Sandy Saddler | World |
1949-02-11 | 1950-09-08 | Willie Pep | World |
1950-09-08 | Jan 1957-Vacated | Sandy Saddler | World |
1957-06-24 | 1959-03-18 | Hogan Bassey | World |
1959-03-18 | 1963-03-21 | Davey Moore | World |
1963-03-21 | 1964-09-26 | Sugar Ramos | WBA/WBC |
1964-09-26 | 1967-10-14-Vacated | Vicente Saldivar | WBA/WBC |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1963-03-21 | 1964-09-26 | Sugar Ramos | WBC |
1964-09-26 | 1967-10-Retired | Vicente Saldivar | WBC |
1968-01-23 | 1968-07-24 | Howard Winstone | WBC |
1968-07-24 | 1969-01-21 | José Legrá | WBC |
1969-01-21 | 1970-05-09 | Johnny Famechon | WBC |
1970-05-09 | 1970-12-11 | Vicente Saldivar | WBC |
1970-12-11 | 1972-05-19 | Kuniaki Shibata | WBC |
1972-05-19 | 1972-12-16-Stripped | Clemente Sanchez | WBC |
1972-12-16 | 1973-05-05 | José Legrá | WBC |
1973-05-05 | 1974-06-17-Stripped | Eder Jofre | WBC |
1974-09-07 | 1975-06-20 | Bobby Chacon | WBC |
1975-06-20 | 1975-09-20 | Rubén Olivares | WBC |
1975-09-20 | 1976-11-06 | David Kotei | WBC |
1976-11-06 | 1980-02-02 | Danny Lopez | WBC |
1980-02-02 | 1982-07-21-Died | Salvador Sánchez | WBC |
1982-09-15 | 1984-03-31 | Juan LaPorte | WBC |
1984-03-31 | 1984-12-08 | Wilfredo Gómez | WBC |
1984-12-08 | 1987-08-29-Vacated | Azumah Nelson | WBC |
1988-03-07 | 1989-04-08-Vacated | Jeff Fenech | WBC |
1990-06-02 | 1991-11-13 | Marcos Villasana | WBC |
1991-11-13 | 1993-04-28 | Paul Hodkinson | WBC |
1993-04-28 | 1993-12-04 | Gregorio Vargas | WBC |
1993-12-04 | 1995-01-07 | Kevin Kelley | WBC |
1995-01-07 | 1995-09-23 | Alejandro Martín González | WBC |
1995-09-23 | 1995-12-11 | Manuel Medina | WBC |
1995-12-11 | 1999-05-15 | Luisito Espinosa | WBC |
1999-05-15 | 1999-10-22 | Cesar Soto | WBC |
1999-10-22 | 2000-Vacated | Naseem Hamed | WBC |
2000-04-14 | 2001-02-17 | Guty Espadas Jr | WBC |
2001-02-17 | 2002-06-22-Stripped* | Erik Morales | WBC |
| |||
2002-11-16 | 2003-05-03-Vacated | Erik Morales | WBC |
2004-04-10 | 2006-01-29 | In-Jin Chi | WBC |
2006-01-29 | 2006-07-30 | Takashi Koshimoto | WBC |
2006-07-30 | 2006-12-17 | Rudy Lopez | WBC |
2006-12-17 | 2007-07-Retired | In-Jin Chi | WBC |
2007-07-21 | 2008-08-13-Vacated | Jorge Linares | WBC |
2008-08-13 | 2009-03-12 | Óscar Larios | WBC |
2009-03-12 | 2009-07-14 | Takahiro Aoh | WBC |
2009-07-14 | 2010-08-25-Stripped | Elio Rojas | WBC |
2010-11-26 | 2011-04-08 | Hozumi Hasegawa | WBC |
2011-04-08 | 2012-09-12 | Jhonny González | WBC |
2012-09-12 | 2013-05-04 | Daniel Ponce De Leon | WBC |
2013-05-04 | 2013-08-24 | Abner Mares | WBC |
2013-08-24 | 2015-03-28 | Jhonny González | WBC |
2015-03-28 | 2022-01-22 | Gary Russell, Jr. | WBC |
2022-01-22 | 2022-07-09 | Mark Magsayo | WBC |
2022-07-09 | 2024-10-18 (Champion in recess) | Rey Vargas | WBC |
2024-10-18 | Present | Brandon Figueroa | WBC |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1963-03-21 | 1964-09-26 | Sugar Ramos | WBA |
1964-09-26 | 1967-10-Retired | Vicente Saldivar | WBA |
1968-03-28 | 1968-09-27 | Raul Rojas | WBA |
1968-09-27 | 1971-09-02 | Shozo Saijo | WBA |
1971-09-02 | 1972-08-19 | Antonio Gomez | WBA |
1972-08-19 | 1974-02-16-Retired | Ernesto Marcel | WBA |
1974-07-09 | 1974-11-23 | Rubén Olivares | WBA |
1974-11-23 | 1976-06-19-Vacated | Alexis Argüello | WBA |
1977-01-15 | 1977-12-17 | Rafael Ortega | WBA |
1977-12-17 | 1978-04-15 | Cecilio Lastra | WBA |
1978-04-15 | 1985-06-08 | Eusebio Pedroza | WBA |
1985-06-08 | 1986-06-23 | Barry McGuigan | WBA |
1986-06-23 | 1987-03-06 | Steve Cruz | WBA |
1987-03-06 | 1991-03-30 | Antonio Esparragoza | WBA |
1991-03-30 | 1993-12-04 | Yong-Kyun Park | WBA |
1993-12-04 | 1996-05-18 | Eloy Rojas | WBA |
1996-05-18 | 1997-11-08-Stripped | Wilfredo Vazquez | WBA |
1998-04-03 | 1998-07-10-Stripped | Freddie Norwood | WBA |
1998-10-03 | 1999-05-29 | Antonio Cermeno | WBA |
1999-05-29 | 2000-09-09 | Freddie Norwood | WBA |
2000-09-09 | 2003-11-01 | Derrick Gainer | WBA |
2003-11-01 | 2005-Stripped | Juan Manuel Márquez | WBA Super Champion |
2003-11-01 | 2013-12-06 | Chris John | WBA Super Champion |
2009-07-23 | 2011-06-11-Stripped | Yuriorkis Gamboa | WBA Unified Champion |
2010-12-04 | 2011-10-14 | Jonathan Victor Barros | WBA Regular Champion |
2011-10-14 | 2012-08-07-Vacated | Celestino Caballero | WBA Regular Champion |
2012-12-08 | 2015-06-12-Stripped | Nicholas Walters | WBA Super Champion |
2013-12-06 | 2014-05-31 | Simpiwe Vetyeka | WBA Super Champion |
2014-05-31 | 2014-10-18 | Nonito Donaire | WBA Super Champion |
2015-02-21 | 2016-12-10 | Jesus Cuellar | WBA Regular Champion |
2015-08-29 | 2016-07-30 | Leo Santa Cruz | WBA Super Champion |
2016-07-30 | 2017-01-28 | Carl Frampton | WBA Super Champion |
2016-12-10 | 2018-06-09-Vacated | Abner Mares | WBA Regular Champion |
2017-01-28 | 2022-12-12-Vacated | Leo Santa Cruz | WBA Super Champion |
2019-01-26 | 2021-07-21 | Xu Can | WBA Regular Champion |
2021-07-21 | 2023-02-18 | Leigh Wood | WBA Regular Champion |
2023-02-18 | 2023-05-26 | Mauricio Lara | WBA |
2023-05-26 | 2023-10-17 (Vacated) | Leigh Wood (boxer) | WBA |
2024-03-02 | 2024-06-01 | Raymond Ford | WBA |
2024-06-01 | Present | Nick Ball (boxer) | WBA |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1984-03-04 | 1985-11-29 | Min-Keun Oh | IBF |
1985-11-29 | 1986-08-30 | Ki-Young Chung | IBF |
1986-08-30 | 1988-01-23 | Antonio Rivera | IBF |
1988-01-23 | 1988-08-04 | Calvin Grove | IBF |
1988-08-04 | 1990-07-08-Vacated | Jorge Páez | IBF |
1991-06-03 | 1991-08-12 | Troy Dorsey | IBF |
1991-08-12 | 1993-02-26 | Manuel Medina | IBF |
1993-02-26 | 1997-02-08 | Tom Johnson | IBF |
1997-02-08 | 1997-07-19-Vacated | Naseem Hamed | IBF |
1997-12-13 | 1998-04-24 | Hector Lizarraga | IBF |
1998-04-24 | 1999-11-13 | Manuel Medina | IBF |
1999-11-13 | 2000-12-16 | Paul Ingle | IBF |
2000-12-16 | 2001-04-06 | Mbulelo Botile | IBF |
2001-04-06 | 2001-11-16 | Frank Toledo | IBF |
2001-11-16 | 2002-04-27 | Manuel Medina | IBF |
2002-04-27 | 2002-11-Vacated | Johnny Tapia | IBF |
2003-02-01 | 2005-05-07-Stripped | Juan Manuel Márquez | IBF |
2006-01-20 | 2006-05-13 | Valdemir Pereira | IBF |
2006-05-13 | 2006-09-02 | Eric Aiken | IBF |
2006-09-02 | 2006-11-04 | Robert Guerrero | IBF |
2006-11-04 | 2006-11-10-Stripped | Orlando Salido | IBF |
2007-02-23 | 2008-06-23-Vacated | Robert Guerrero | IBF |
2008-10-23 | 2010-05-15 | Cristobal Cruz | IBF |
2010-05-15 | 2010-09-11-Stripped | Orlando Salido | IBF |
2010-09-11 | 2011-03-26-Stripped | Yuriorkis Gamboa | IBF |
2011-07-29 | 2013-03-01 | Billy Dib | IBF |
2013-03-01 | 2015-05-30 | Evgeny Gradovich | IBF |
2015-05-30 | 2018-05-19-Stripped | Lee Selby | IBF |
2018-05-19 | 2021-01-21-Vacated | Josh Warrington | IBF |
2021-08-07 | 2021-11-13 | Kid Galahad (boxer) | IBF |
2021-11-13 | 2022-03-26 | Kiko Martinez | IBF |
2022-03-26 | 2022-12-10 | Josh Warrington | IBF |
2022-12-10 | 2024-08-10 | Luis Alberto Lopez | IBF |
2024-08-10 | Present | Angelo Leo | IBF |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1989-01-28 | 1989-11-11 | Maurizio Stecca | WBO |
1989-11-11 | 1990-04-07 | Louie Espinoza | WBO |
1990-04-07 | 1990-07-08-Vacated | Jorge Páez | WBO |
1991-01-26 | 1992-05-16 | Maurizio Stecca | WBO |
1992-05-16 | 1992-09-26 | Colin McMillan | WBO |
1992-09-26 | 1993-01-Retired | Rubén Darío Palacio | WBO |
1993-04-17 | 1995-09-30 | Steve Robinson | WBO |
1995-09-30 | 2000-09-20-Vacated | Naseem Hamed | WBO |
2001-01-27 | 2001-06-16 | Istvan Kovacs | WBO |
2001-06-16 | 2002-10-19 | Julio Pablo Chacón | WBO |
2002-10-19 | 2003-07-23 | Scott Harrison | WBO |
2003-07-23 | 2003-11-29 | Manuel Medina | WBO |
2003-11-29 | 2006-06-23-Vacated | Scott Harrison | WBO |
2006-12-06 | 2007-04-01-Vacated | Juan Manuel Márquez | WBO |
2007-07-14 | 2010-01-23 | Steven Luevano | WBO |
2010-01-23 | 2011-04-16 | Juan Manuel Lopez | WBO |
2011-04-16 | 2013-01-19 | Orlando Salido | WBO |
2013-01-19 | 2013-06-14-Stripped | Mikey García | WBO |
2013-10-12 | 2014-02-28-Stripped | Orlando Salido | WBO |
2014-06-21 | 2015-11-7-Vacated | Vasyl Lomachenko | WBO |
2016-07-23 | 2019-08-02-Vacated | Óscar Valdez | WBO |
2019-10-26 | 2020-07-09-Vacated | Shakur Stevenson | WBO |
2020-10-09 | 2023-02-10 Vacated | Emanuel Navarrete | WBO |
2023-04-01 | 2023-12-09 | Robeisy Ramírez | WBO |
2023-12-09 | Present | Rafael Espinoza | WBO |
The World Boxing Association (WBA), formerly known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), is the oldest and one of four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (WBO). The WBA awards its world championship title at the professional level. Founded in the United States in 1921 by 13 state representatives as the NBA, in 1962 it changed its name in recognition of boxing's growing popularity worldwide and began to gain other nations as members.
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.
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) is one of four major organizations recognized by the International Boxing Hall of Fame (IBHOF) which sanctions professional boxing bouts. The others are the World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC) and World Boxing Organization (WBO).
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
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 21 boxers to hold all four titles simultaneously.
Professional boxing, or prizefighting, is regulated, sanctioned boxing. Professional boxing bouts are fought for a purse that is divided between the boxers as determined by contract. Most professional fights are supervised by a regulatory authority to guarantee the fighters' safety. Most high-profile bouts obtain the endorsement of a sanctioning body, which awards championship belts, establishes rules, and assigns its own judges and referees.
In different sports when a sportsman wins seven crowns, titles, medals, belts or another distinctions is called a Septuple Champion.
In boxing, a weight class is a measurement weight range for boxers. The lower limit of a weight class is equal to the upper weight limit of the class below it. The top class, with no upper limit, is called heavyweight in professional boxing and super heavyweight in amateur boxing. A boxing match is usually scheduled for a fixed weight class, and each boxer's weight must not exceed the upper limit. Although professional boxers may fight above their weight class, an amateur boxer's weight must not fall below the lower limit. A nonstandard weight limit is called a catchweight.