Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the competitor has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a competitor held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the competitor shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized.
International Boxing Union
World Light Heavyweight Title
Sam Langford
1913-06
Recognized by IBU upon its inception in 1913-05 (Le Sport Universel Illustré, Paris, FRA, 13-07-06).
[...]
Vacant as of 19-12-26; continues to be vacant as declared by IBU at its convention on 20-02-05 (The Sandusky Star-Journal, Sandusky, OH, USA, 20-02-06).
Georges Carpentier
1920-10-12
Jersey City, NJ, USA
European champion, defeats American champion Levinsky to be recognized as the world champion.
Battling Siki
1922-09-24
Paris, FRA
Stripped by the French Federation of Boxing in 22-11 but is reinstated on 23-02-17; again declared vacant by IBU on 23-11-18 (The Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa, ON, CAN, 23-11-19).
[...]
Vacant as of 30-05-22 (Associated Press, 30-05-22).
[...]
George Nichols
1932-03-18
Chicago, IL, USA
Defeats Dave Maier; officially recognized by IBU at its convention on 32-05-22 (The San Francisco Examiner, 32-05-23); stripped on 32-12-17 for failure to defend the title within "eight month time limit" (Chicago Tribune, The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, plus many other news papers, 32-12-18); still vacant as of 33-04-03 (United Press, 33-04-03).
[...]
Gustave Roth
1936-09-01
Vienna, AUT
Defeats Heinz Lazek for European and vacant IBU world titles.
Adolf Heuser
1938-03-25
Berlin, GER
Defeats NBA champion Anton Christoforidis and is also recognized by IBU; recognition withdrawn in 38-04 when IBU joins the newly founded World Boxing Commission in an effort to have one universally recognized champion.
