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.
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
Charlie Norton
1881-05
Claims the title after his challenge to George Fulljames for the vacant title is declined.
Jack Dempsey (John Edward Kelly)
1884-07-30
Staten Island, NY
Defeats George Fulljames for "the lightweight championship of America" (The Sun, New York, NY, 84-07-31).
Jack McAuliffe
1885-05-11
Claims the title when Jimmy Mitchell refuses McAuliffe's challenge for the championship; also wins the world title on 86-10-29; still American champion as of 89-02-13.
Jack Hopper
1887-04-25
Eureka Spring, NY
Defeats Mike Cushing to win American 126lb title.
[...]
Mike Cushing
1889-03-05
Hoboken, NJ
Defeats Harry Bartlett to win American 126lb title (The Evening World, New York, NY, 89-12-18).
Austin Gibbons
1889-12-18
Hoboken, NJ
Still champion as of 91-06; loses to the world champion Jack McAuliffe on 91-09-11.
George LaBlanche
1889-05-28
San Francisco, CA
Defeats Mike Lucie (or defends the title on this day).
Jimmy Dime
1893-01-05
Fonda, NY
Defeats Billy Frazier for American 130lb title.
Battling Nelson
1910-01-10<
Holds the world and American titles (The Times-Democrat, New Orleans, LA, USA, 10-01-10).
Ad Wolgast
1910-02-22
Pt. Richmond, CA, USA
Wins the world title and is also listed as the American champion in the 1911 issue of Boxing magazine.
Benny Leonard
1917-12<
Listed as the world and American champion (The Wichita Daily Eagle, Wichita, KS, 18-01-02); also recognized as the world and American champion by NBA in 21-01 upon its inception (The Decatur Herald, Decatur, IL, 21-02-07, plus several other papers); vacates on 25-01-15 upon (temporary) retirement.
