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.
World Heavyweight Title [lineal] (as of 2024-08-31)
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
John L. Sullivan
1885-08-29
Cincinnati, OH, USA
Has defeated Paddy Ryan on 82-02-07 in Mississippi City, MS for the American Bare-Knuckle Title; defeats Dominick McCaffrey on 85-08-29 to be generally recognized the first world champion under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules which mandate the use of gloves in boxing.
James J. Corbett
1892-09-07
New Orleans, LA, USA
Bob Fitzsimmons
1897-03-17
Carson City, NV, USA
James J. Jeffries
1899-06-09
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Vacant on 1905-05-15 upon retirement.
Marvin Hart
1905-07-03
Reno, NV, USA
Defeats Jack Root for the world and American titles.
Tommy Burns
1906-02-23
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Wins both titles.
Jack Johnson
1908-12-26
Sydney, NSW, AUS
Also recognized as American champion (The Times-Democrat, New Orleans, LA, USA, 10-01-10).
Jess Willard
1915-04-05
Havana, CUB
Also recognized as American champion (The Wichita Daily Eagle, Wichita, KS, 18-01-02).
Jack Dempsey
1919-07-04
Toledo, OH, USA
Recognized by NYSAC in 20 upon its inception; also recognized by NBA in 21-01 upon its inception (The Decatur Herald, Decatur, IL, 21-02-07, plus several other papers).
Gene Tunney
1926-09-23
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Wins NBA title; vacant on 28-07-31 upon retirement.
Max Schmeling
1930-06-12
Bronx, NY, USA
Defeats Jack Sharkey and recognized by NYSAC and NBA.
Wins NYSAC and NBA titles; recognized by the World Boxing Commission in 38-04 (International News Service, 38-04-22); vacant on 49-02-28 upon (temporary) retirement.
Ezzard Charles
1949-06-22
Chicago, IL, USA
Defeats Jersey Joe Walcott and reocognized by NBA; also defeats Joe Louis on 50-09-27 in New York, NY, USA.
Jersey Joe Walcott
1951-07-18
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Rocky Marciano
1952-09-23
Philadelphia, PA, USA
Vacant on 56-04-27 upon retirement.
Floyd Patterson
1956-11-30
Chicago, IL, USA
Defeats Archie Moore and reocognized by NBA; officially recognized by the "World Committee of Professional Boxing", of which NYSAC and NBA are members, on 57-06-15 (The Los Angeles Times, 57-06-16).
Ingemar Johansson
1959-06-26
Bronx, NY, USA
Floyd Patterson [2]
1960-06-20
New York, NY, USA
NBA becomes WBA on 62-08-23.
Sonny Liston
1962-09-25
Chicago, IL, USA
Wins WBA title; also recognized as the first WBC champion after defeating Floyd Patterson on 63-07-22 in Winchester, NV, USA.
Cassius Clay / Muhammad Ali
1964-02-25
Miami Beach, FL, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles; changes his name to Muhammad Ali in 64-03; stripped of the title on 67-04-28 when Ali refuses induction into the United States Army.
Joe Frazier
1970-02-16
New York, NY, USA
NYSAC champion, defeats WBA champion Jimmy Ellis in a unification match and is also recognized by WBC to become the undisputed champion.
Wins WBA and WBC titles; stripped of WBC title on 78-03-18.
Muhammad Ali [3]
1978-09-15
New Orleans, LA, USA
Wins WBA title; vacates WBA title on 79-10-18 upon (temporary) retirement.
Larry Holmes
1980-10-02
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Has won WBC title on 78-06-09; defends the title against Ali and wins the vacant Ring recognition; vacates WBC title and is awarded IBF title as the first champion on 83-12-11.
Michael Spinks
1985-09-21
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wins IBF title; stripped of IBF title on 87-02-26.
Mike Tyson
1988-06-27
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Has won WBC title on 86-03-22, WBA title on 87-03-07, and IBF title on 87-08-01; defeats Spinks to retain all 3 titles on 88-06-27.
Wins WBA and IBF titles; stripped of the WBA title in 94; defeats Axel Schultz on 95-04-22 in Las Vegas, NV, USA to be recognized as WBU champion; stripped of the IBF title in 95; vacates WBU title in 97.
Shannon Briggs
1997-11-22
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Lennox Lewis
1998-03-28
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Has won WBC title on 97-02-07; defeats Briggs to win the Ring recognition; defeats Evander Holyfield on 99-11-13 to win WBA, IBF, and vacant IBO titles.
Hasim Rahman
2001-04-22
Brakpan, RSA
Has won WBU title on 00-05-20 but vacates it on 01-04-21 in order to challenge Lewis for his titles; defeats Lewis to win WBC, IBF, and IBO titles.
Lennox Lewis [2]
2001-11-17
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wins WBC, IBF, and IBO titles; vacant on 04-02-06 upon retirement.
Wladimir Klitschko
2009-06-20
Gelsenkirchen, GER
Has defeated Chris Byrd on 06-04-22 to win IBF and vacant IBO titles; has defeated Sultan Ibragimov on 08-02-23 to win WBO title; defeats Ruslan Chagaev on 09-06-20 to retain IBF, WBO, and IBO titles and recognized by the Ring as the lineal champion; defeats David Haye on 11-07-02 to win WBA Super Title.
Tyson Fury
2015-11-28
Düsseldorf, NW, GER
Wins WBA Super, IBF, WBO, and IBO titles; stripped of IBF title on 15-12-08; vacates all other titles on 16-10-12; wins WBC Title on 20-02-22.
Oleksandr Usyk
2024-05-18
Riyadh, KSA
Also holds WBA Super, IBF, WBO, and IBO world titles; vacates IBF title on 24-06-26.
