This is a chronological list of world light heavyweight boxing champions, as recognized by four of the better-known sanctioning organizations:
The light-heavyweight division was created in 1903, the brainchild of Chicago journalist Lou Houseman who was also a boxing manager and promoter. He matched his own fighter Jack Root with Kid McCoy and announced the fight as being for the light-heavyweight championship of the world. The boxing press accepted the new weight division and Root was accepted as the inaugural world champion. Jack Root was defeated in his first title defense against George Gardner (boxer), who was considered the most thrilling fighter in the division, and the first undisputed Light - Heavyweight Champion of the World. During the 1980s, however, some boxing historians found records indicating that Joe Choynski won a twenty-round decision over Jimmy Ryan on August 18, 1899, in a fight billed as being for the light heavyweight championship. Choynski never seems to have made any claim to be the first light heavyweight champion.
Reign Began | Reign Ended | Champion | Recognition |
---|---|---|---|
| |||
1903-04-22 | 1903-07-04 | ![]() | World |
1903-07-04 | 1903-11-25 | ![]() | World |
| |||
1903-11-25 | 1905-12-20 | ![]() | World |
1905-12-20 | 1905-12-20-Vacated | ![]() | World |
1913-02-17 | 1914-06-15 | ![]() | NYSAC |
1914-04-14 | 1916-10-24 | ![]() | World |
1916-10-24 | 1920-10-12 | ![]() | World |
1920-10-12 | 1922-09-24 | ![]() | World |
1922-09-24 | 1923-03-17 | ![]() | World |
1923-03-17 | 1925-05-30 | ![]() | World |
1925-05-30 | 1926-07-16 | ![]() | World |
1926-07-16 | 1927-07-27-Vacated | ![]() | World |
| |||
1927-08-30 | 1927-12-12 | ![]() | NBA |
1927-10-07 | 1929-07-18-Vacated | ![]() | NYSAC |
1930-02-10 | 1930-06-25 | ![]() | NYSAC |
1930-06-25 | 1933-03-10 | ![]() | NYSAC |
1932-03-18 | 1932-12-17-Stripped | ![]() | NBA |
| |||
Awarded the title | 1933-03-01 | ![]() | NBA |
1933-03-01 | 1933-03-24 | ![]() | NBA |
1933-03-24 | 1934-11-16 | ![]() | World |
1934-11-16 | 1935-10-31 | ![]() | World |
1935-10-31 | 1938-10-28-Vacated | ![]() | World |
| |||
1938-11-29 | 1939-02-03 | ![]() | NYSAC |
1939-02-03 | 1939-07-13 | ![]() | NYSAC |
1939-07-10 | 1942-06-20 | ![]() | EBU |
1939-07-13 | 1940-06-05-Vacated | ![]() | NBA/NYSAC |
1941-01-13 | 1941-05-22 | ![]() | NBA |
1941-05-22 | 1941-11-14 | ![]() | NBA/NYSAC |
1942-06-20 | 1946-05-14 | ![]() | EBU |
1946-05-14 | 1948-07-26 | ![]() | World |
1948-07-26 | 1950-01-24 | ![]() | World |
1950-01-24 | 1952-12-17 | ![]() | World |
1952-12-17 | 1960-10-?? | ![]() | World |
| |||
1960-10-?? | 1962-02-09 | ![]() | NYSAC/EBU |
| |||
1961-02-07 | 1962-05-12 | ![]() | NBA |
1962-05-12 | 1963-06-01 | ![]() | World |
1963-06-01 | 1965-03-30 | ![]() | WBA/WBC |
1965-03-30 | 1966-12-16 | ![]() | WBA/WBC |
1966-12-16 | 1968-05-24 | ![]() | WBA/WBC |
Title Split into WBA and WBC Belts | |||
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1963-06-01 | 1965-03-30 | ![]() | WBC |
1965-05-30 | 1966-12-16 | ![]() | WBC |
1966-12-16 | 1968-05-24 | ![]() | WBC |
1968-05-24 | 1974-06-17-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1974-10-01 | 1977-05-21-Stripped | ![]() | WBC |
1977-05-21 | 1978-01-07 | ![]() | WBC |
1978-01-07 | 1978-12-02 | ![]() | WBC |
1978-12-02 | 1979-04-22 | ![]() | WBC |
1979-04-22 | 1981-12-19 | ![]() | WBC |
1981-12-19 | 1983-03-18 | ![]() | WBC |
1983-03-18 | 1985-06-06-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1985-12-10 | 1986-04-30 | ![]() | WBC |
1986-04-30 | 1987-03-07 | ![]() | WBC |
1987-03-07 | 1987-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1987-11-27 | 1988-11-07 | ![]() | WBC |
1988-11-07 | 1989-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1989-02-21 | 1989-06-24 | ![]() | WBC |
1989-06-24 | 1990-07-28 | ![]() | WBC |
1990-07-28 | 1991-09-11 | ![]() | WBC |
1991-09-11 | 1994-07-23 | ![]() | WBC |
1994-07-23 | 1995-06-16 | ![]() | WBC |
1995-06-16 | 1997-03-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1997-03 | 1997-03-21 | ![]() | WBC |
1997-03-21 | 1997-08-07 | ![]() | WBC |
1997-08-07 | 2003-03-01-Vacated | ![]() | WBC |
1998-03-21 | 2000-04-15 | ![]() | WBC (Restored Champion) |
2003-04-23 | 2003-11-08 | ![]() | WBC |
2003-11-08 | 2004-05-15 | ![]() | WBC |
2004-05-15 | 2004-12-Stripped | ![]() | WBC |
2005-05-21 | 2007-02-03 | ![]() | WBC |
2007-02-03 | 2008-07-11-Stripped | ![]() | WBC |
2008-07-11 | 2009-06-19 | ![]() | WBC |
2009-06-19 | 2011-05-21 | ![]() | WBC |
2011-05-21 | 2012-04-28 | ![]() | WBC |
2012-04-28 | 2013-06-08 | ![]() | WBC |
2013-06-08 | 2018-12-01 | ![]() | WBC |
2018-12-01 | 2019-10-18 | ![]() | WBC |
2019-10-18 | Present | ![]() | WBC |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1963-06-01 | 1965-03-30 | ![]() | WBA |
1965-03-30 | 1966-12-16 | ![]() | WBA |
1966-12-16 | 1968-05-24 | ![]() | WBA |
1968-05-24 | 1970-12-09-Stripped | ![]() | WBA |
1971-02-27 | 1972-04-07 | ![]() | WBA |
1972-04-07 | 1974-09-16-Vacated | ![]() | WBA |
1974-12-07 | 1978-09-15 | ![]() | WBA |
1978-09-15 | 1979-04-14 | ![]() | WBA |
1979-04-14 | 1979-11-30 | ![]() | WBA |
1979-11-30 | 1980-03-31 | ![]() | WBA |
1980-03-31 | 1981-07-18 | ![]() | WBA |
1981-07-18 | 1985-09-21-Vacated | ![]() | WBA |
1986-02-09 | 1987-05-23 | ![]() | WBA |
1987-05-23 | 1987-09-05 | ![]() | WBA |
1987-09-05 | 1991-06-03 | ![]() | WBA |
1991-06-03 | 1992-03-20 | ![]() | WBA |
1992-03-20 | 1992-Vacated | ![]() | WBA |
1992-09-29 | 1997-06-13 | ![]() | WBA |
1997-06-13 | 1997-07-01-Vacated | ![]() | WBA |
1997-09-20 | 1998-07-18 | ![]() | WBA |
1998-07-18 | 2004-05-15 | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2001-12-22 | 2003-03-08 | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2003-03-08 | 2003-10-10 | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2003-10-10 | 2004-03-20 | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2004-03-20 | 2006-10-19-Retired | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2004-05-15 | 2004-12-Stripped | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2006-10-19 | 2007-04-28 | ![]() | WBA |
2007-04-28 | 2007-12-16 | ![]() | WBA |
2007-12-16 | 2008-03-25-Retired | ![]() | WBA |
2008-07-03 | 2009-06-20 | ![]() | WBA |
2009-06-20 | 2010-01-29 | ![]() | WBA |
2010-01-29 | 2014-04-19 | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2013-12-14 | 2016-10-01 | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2014-04-19 | 2014-11-08 | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2014-11-08 | 2016-11-19 | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2016-10-01 | Present | ![]() | WBA Regular Champion |
2016-11-19 | 2017-09-21 | ![]() | WBA Super Champion |
2017-09-23 | Present | ![]() | WBA |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1984-02-25 | 1985-09-21-Vacated | ![]() | IBF |
1985-12-21 | 1986-09-06 | ![]() | IBF |
1986-09-06 | 1987-10-29 | ![]() | IBF |
1987-10-29 | 1993-03-20 | ![]() | IBF |
1993-03-20 | 1996-11-23 | ![]() | IBF |
1996-11-23 | 1997-06-13 | ![]() | IBF |
1997-06-13 | 1997-06-16-Vacated | ![]() | IBF |
1997-07-19 | 1998-02-06 | ![]() | IBF |
1998-02-06 | 1999-06-05 | ![]() | IBF |
1999-06-05 | 2003-03-01-Vacated | ![]() | IBF |
2003-04-26 | 2003-11-08-Stripped | ![]() | IBF |
2004-02-06 | 2004-12-Vacated | ![]() | IBF |
2005-03-04 | 2008-04-12 | ![]() | IBF |
2008-04-12 | 2008-10-11 | ![]() | IBF |
2008-10-11 | 2009-05-27-Vacated | ![]() | IBF |
2009-08-28 | 2013-03-09 | ![]() | IBF |
2013-03-09 | 2014-11-08 | ![]() | IBF |
2014-11-08 | 2016-11-19 | ![]() | IBF |
2016-11-19 | 2017-09-21 | ![]() | IBF |
2017-11-11 | Present | ![]() | IBF |
| |||
Title inaugurated | |||
1988-12-03 | 1990-12-15-Vacated | ![]() | WBO |
1991-05-09 | 1994-09-10 | ![]() | WBO |
1994-09-10 | 2003-10-18 | ![]() | WBO |
2003-10-18 | 2004-01-17 | ![]() | WBO |
2004-01-17 | 2009-11-Vacated | ![]() | WBO |
2009-11-13 | 2011-05-19-Stripped | ![]() | WBO |
2011-05-19 | 2013-08-17 | ![]() | WBO |
2013-08-17 | 2016-11-19 | ![]() | WBO |
2016-11-19 | 2017-09-21 | ![]() | WBO |
2017-11-25 | 2018-08-04 | ![]() | WBO |
2018-08-04 | 2019-02-02 | ![]() | WBO |
2019-02-02 | 2019-11-02 | ![]() | WBO |
2019-11-02 | 2019-12-17 Vacated | ![]() | WBO |
2021-04-10 | 2022-06-18 | ![]() | WBO |
2022-06-18 | Present | ![]() | WBO |
The World Boxing Council (WBC) is an international professional boxing organization. It is among the four major organizations which sanction professional boxing bouts, alongside the World Boxing Association (WBA), International Boxing Federation (IBF) and World Boxing Organization (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.
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The European Boxing Union (EBU), formerly known as the International Boxing Union (IBU), is a pan-European governing body that sanctions championship bouts in professional boxing. The EBU governs the most-prestigious continental title in Europe, the EBU European Championship, in addition to their EBU EU Championship for competitors from within the European Union and the EBU EE Championship for those outside the European Union. It is a federation affiliated with the World Boxing Council (WBC).
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John Arthur Root, known professionally as Jack Root was an American boxer. He was the first world light heavyweight champion as well as a challenger for the world heavyweight title. He fought out of Chicago. He was elected into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011.
Below is a list of world heavyweight boxing championship records and statistics.