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.
North American Boxing Federation
Light Heavyweight Title (as of 2024-09-05)
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
Jimmy Dupree
1971-07-03
Santa Monica, CA, USA
Defeats Ray White to become the first champion.
Mike Quarry
1971-10-29
Anaheim, CA, USA
Stripped of the title due to exceeding the weight limit for the title defense against Gary Summerhays on 74-04-10.
Richie Kates #
1974-05-29
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Defeats Jimmy Dupree; most likely not recognized by NABF whose 74-08 rankings list the middleweight title as vacant and Kates at 5th (The Sacramento Bee, 74-08-12); claims the title until losing to NABF champion Matthew Franklin on 78-02-10 (see below).
Lonnie Bennett
1974-08-13
Houston, TX, USA
Defeats Joe Cokes for the vacant title (Houston Chronicle, 74-08-14); vacant in 77 (sometime between 77-04-23 and 77-06-30).
Matthew Franklin (Matthew Saad Muhammad)
1977-07-26
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Defeats Marvin Johnson; also defeats title claimant Richie Kates on 78-02-10 (see above); wins WBC World Title on 79-04-22.
Jerry Martin
1979-08-07
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Defeats Dale Grant; loses his bid for WBA world title on 80-07-20.
Willie Edwards
1982-08-14
Cleveland, OH, USA
Defeats Dale Grant.
Pete McIntyre
1982-12-03
New Orleans, LA, USA
Willie Edwards [2]
1983-06-23
Detroit, MI, USA
Tony Willis (American)
1987-06-26
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Loses his bid for WBC world title on 89-02-21.
Andrew Maynard
1990-04-01
Stateline, NV, USA
Defeats Mike Sedillo.
Frank Tate
1992-01-10
New York, NY, USA
Loses his bid for WBA world title on 92-09-29.
Egerton Marcus
1992-12-01
Virginia Beach, VA, USA
Defeats Art Bayliss; stripped of the title on 95-01-05; Merqui Sosa and Charles Williams fight to a draw for the vacant title on 95-01-13.
Merqui Sosa
1995-06-30
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Defeats Charles Williams; stripped of the title on 96-06-01.
Montell Griffin
1996-07-11
New York, NY, USA
Defeats Matthew Charleston; stripped of the title on 96-12-06 upon winning WBU World Title.
Michael Nunn
1997-01-17
Reseda, CA, USA
Defeats Rudy Nix; vacates on 97-05-01.
Merqui Sosa [2]
1997-05-10
Moline, IL, USA
Defeats Fabian Garcia.
Kenny Bowman
1998-03-03
Corpus Christi, TX, USA
Derrick Harmon
1998-06-19
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Stripped of the title on 98-11-05.
Eric Harding
1998-11-13
Miami, FL, USA
Defeats Montell Griffin; stripped of the title on 99-05-01.
Greg Wright
1999-05-23
Kansas City, MO, USA
Defeats Glenn Robinson.
Chris Johnson
2000-07-14
Hampton Beach, NH, USA
Reggie Johnson
2001-01-05
Biloxi, MS, USA
Antonio Tarver
2002-01-25
Rosemont, IL, USA
Stripped of the title on 02-10-01.
Montell Griffin [2]
2002-11-03
Friant, CA, USA
Defeats George Khalid Jones; vacates on 03-04-26.
Donnell Wiggins
2003-10-11
Kinder, LA, USA
Defeats Rodney Moore; loses his bids for WBC Continental Americas, NABO, and IBA Continental titles on 04-03-18.
Lucian Bute
2005-02-19
Quebec City, QC, CAN
Defeats Carl Handy; vacates on 05-03-18 upon winning NABA super middleweight title.
