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.
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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.
Interim champion since defeating Mike McCallum on 96-11-22 in Tampa, FL, USA; status promoted on 97-03-01.
Montell Griffin
1997-03-21
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Roy Jones Jr. [2]
1997-08-07
Ledyard, CT, USA
Stripped of the title in 98-01 for refusing to fight Michael Nunn; status changed in 98-06 to "champion in recess" (see below).
Graciano Rocchigiani
1998-03-21
Berlin, GER
Defeats Michael Nunn; demoted to interim champion in 98-06 due to "typographical errors" by WBC; after the lawsuit against WBC, the court ruling retroactively declares Rocchigiani the champion from his victory over Nunn until his defeat to Dariusz Michalczewski on 2000-04-15 in Hanover, GER.
Roy Jones Jr. [2]
2000-05
Has defended the title after Rocchigiani is demoted to the interim champion in 1998-06; restored as champion in 2000-05 retroactively by the court ruling (see above); also holds WBA and IBF world titles; also wins IBO World Title on 00-09-09; vacates in 02-12 to challenge WBA heayvweight champion John Ruiz.
Antonio Tarver
2003-04-26
Ledyard, CT, USA
Defeats Montell Griffin.
Roy Jones Jr. [3]
2003-11-08
Paradise, NV, USA
Antonio Tarver [2]
2004-05-15
Paradise, NV, USA
Stripped of the title in 04-12.
Tomasz Adamek
2005-05-21
Chicago, IL, USA
Defeats Paul Briggs
Chad Dawson
2007-02-03
Kissimmee, FL, USA
Stripped of the title on 08-07-11.
Adrian Diaconu
2008-07-11
Interim champion since defeating Chris Henry on 08-04-19 in Bucharest, ROM; status promoted on 08-07-11.
Jean Pascal
2009-06-19
Montreal, QC, CAN
Also wins IBO World Title on 10-08-14.
Bernard Hopkins
2011-05-21
Montreal, QC, CAN
Defeats Pascal for WBC and IBO titles but is stripped of the IBO title due to failure to pay the sanction fee.
Wins WBC, WBA, IBF, WBO, and IBO world titles; vacates the WBC title on 25-04-07 in order to proceed with the planned Artur Beterbiev trilogy fight, instead of making a mandatory defence against interim champion David Benavidez.
David Benavidez
2025-04-07
Interim champion since defeating Oleksandr Gvozdyk on 24-06-15; status promoted on 25-04-07.
