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 Middleweight Title [lineal] (as of 2021-01-01)
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
Jack Dempsey
1890-02-18
San Francisco, CA, USA
Defeats Billy McCarthy.
Bob Fitzsimmons
1891-01-14
New Orleans, LA, USA
Vacates on 95-10-31 when Fitzsimmons challenges the heavyweight title.
Tommy Ryan
1898-10-24
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Defeats Jack Bonner; awards the title to Hugo Kelly when Ryan retires from boxing on 06-12-05; however, Kelly is not generally regarded as the champion and loses to Billy Papke on 08-03-06 in Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Stanley Ketchel
1907-12-12
San Francisco, CA, USA
Defeats Joe Thomas for the second time since 07-09-02 in Colma, CA, USA; also defeats other title claimants: Mike Sullivan on 08-02-22 in Colma, CA, USA and Billy Papke on 08-06-04 in Milwaukee, WI, USA.
Billy Papke
1908-09-07
Vernon, CA, USA
Stanley Ketchel [2]
1908-11-26
Colma, CA, USA
Also holds American Title; vacant when Ketchel is murdered on 10-10-15; Papke again claims both titles in late 09 when Kechel competes as a heavyweight but loses his world title claim to Johnny Thompson on 11-02-11 in Sudney, NSW, AUS.
Frank Klaus
1913-03-05
Paris, FRA
Has defeated Georges Carpentier on 12-06-24 in Dieppe, FRA for the recognition in Europe; defeats Papke on 13-03-05; Johnny Thompson relinquishes his claim in 13-10.
George Chip
1913-10-11
Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Al McCoy
1914-04-07
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Mike O'Dowd
1917-11-14
Brooklyn, NY, USA
Also defeats another title claimant Mike Gibbons on 19-11-21.
Johnny Wilson
1920-05-06
Boston, MA, USA
Defeats William Bryan Downey on 21-07-27 in Cleveland, OH, USA by foul, but later the Ohio Boxing Federation rules Downey's victory via TKO and recognizes him as the champion.
Harry Greb
1923-08-31
New York, NY, USA
Also defeats William Bryan Downey, claimant recognized by the Ohio Boxing Federation, on 23-12-03 in Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Tiger Flowers
1926-02-26
New York, NY, USA
Mickey Walker
1926-12-03
Chicago, IL, USA
Vacates on 31-06-19 when Walker moves up to the heavyweight class; Freddie Steele is recognized as the champion by the World Boxing Commission, consisting of IBU, NBA, NYSAC, BBBofC, etc., in 38-04 (International News Service, 38-04-22) but generally not recognized as the lineal champion.
Tony Zale
1941-11-28
New York, NY, USA
Has won NBA title on 40-07-19; defeats Georgie Abrams on 41-11-28 to be recognized by NYSAC.
Rocky Graziano
1947-07-16
Chicago, IL, USA
NYSAC has revoked Graziano's license on 47-02-07 and does not recognize the title change.
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).
Gene Fullmer
1957-01-02
New York, NY, USA
Sugar Ray Robinson [4]
1957-05-01
Chicago, IL, USA
Carmen Basilio
1957-09-23
New York, NY, USA
Sugar Ray Robinson [5]
1958-03-25
Chicago, IL, USA
Stripped of the NBA title on 59-05-04 for failure to fight Carmen Basilio.
Paul Pender
1960-01-02
Boston, MA, USA
Wins NYSAC title.
Terry Downes
1961-07-11
London, ENG, GBR
Paul Pender [2]
1962-04-07
Boston, MA, USA
Vacant on 63-05-07 upon retirement.
Dick Tiger
1963-08-10
Ibadan, NGR
Has won WBA title on 62-10-23; has been recognized by NYSAC, EBU, and BBBoC since 62-11-09; defeats Gene Fullmer on 63-08-10 to become the first WBC champion.
Joey Giardello
1963-12-07
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Dick Tiger [2]
1965-10-21
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Emile Griffith
1966-04-25
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Nino Benvenuti
1967-04-17
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Emile Griffith [2]
1967-09-29
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Nino Benvenuti [2]
1968-03-04
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Carlos Monzon
1970-11-07
Rome, ITA
Wins WBA and WBC titles; stripped of WBC title on 74-02-09; vacates WBA title on 77-08-29 upon retirement.
Rodrigo Valdez
1977-11-05
Campione d'Italia, ITA
Has won WBC title on 74-05-25; defeats Bennie Briscoe on 77-11-05 to win WBA title.
Hugo Corro
1978-04-22
Buenos Aires, ARG
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Vito Antuofermo
1979-06-30
Monte Carlo, MON
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Alan Minter
1980-03-16
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wins WBA and WBC titles.
Marvin Hagler
1980-09-27
London, ENG, GBR
Wins WBA and WBC titles; also defeats Wilford Scypion on 83-05-27 in Providence, RI, USA to become the first IBF world champion; stripped of WBA title on 87-03-10 and IBF title on 87-04-06.
Sugar Ray Leonard
1987-04-06
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wins WBC title; vacates on 87-06-27.
Michael Nunn
1989-03-25
Winchester, NV, USA
Has won IBF title on 88-07-29; defeats Sumbu Kalambay on 89-03-25.
James Toney
1991-05-10
Davenport, IA, USA
Vacant on 93-02-13 when Toney wins IBF World Super Middleweight Title.
Bernard Hopkins
2001-09-29
New York, NY, USA
Has won IBF title on 1993-05-22 and WBC title on 2001-04-14; defeats Felix Trinidad on 01-09-29 to win WBA Super title; also defeats Oscar De La Hoya on 04-09-18 to win WBO title.
Jermain Taylor
2005-07-16
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Wins WBA Super, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles; stripped of IBF title on 05-10-11 and WBA Super title on 06-12-14.
Kelly Pavlik
2007-09-29
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Wins WBC and WBO titles.
Sergio Martínez
2010-04-17
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Wins WBC and WBO titles; stripped of WBO title on 10-06-01.
Miguel Cotto
2014-06-07
New York, NY, USA
Wins WBC title; stripped of WBC title on 15-11-17.
Canelo Álvarez
2015-11-21
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Defeats Miguel Cotto to win WBC title; TBRB (Transnational Boxing Rankings Board) declares the title vacant on 17-04-18; Álvarez is stripped of The Ring title on 18-06-12.
Canelo Álvarez [2]
2018-09-15
Paradise, NV, USA
Defeats Gennady Golovkin to win WBA (Super) and WBC titles; wins WBA (Super) and WBC super middleweight titles on 20-12-19 and vacates the middleweight title on 21-01-01.
