It is expanded as International Boxing Federation and also one of the prominent boxing titles. The current status of these titles is as follows: The International Boxing Federation recognizes but a single champion in the heavyweight division. The addition of the cruiserweight division, which began in 1979, reset the de facto minimum, first to 190 pounds; and then again to 200 pounds in 2004 when boxing's major sanctioning bodies universally raised the weight limit at which they'd recognize champions. Retirements or disputed results could lead to a championship being split among several men for periods of time. KOs) Manchester, England, UK. Sullivan would be defeated for the title by "Gentleman" Jim Corbett over 21 rounds on September 7, 1892, the first heavyweight titleholder solely under Queensberry rules. The Current IBF Heavyweight Champion is Anthony Joshua who won on 9 th April 2016 against Charles Martin. Joshua had lost the belt to Ruiz, suffering his first professional career defeat in the process. He held the world heavyweight championship twice, including the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, IBO, and Ring magazine titles. The current status of these titles is as follows: The World Boxing Council presently recognizes up to six distinct 'types' of champion in its weight divisions: a 'Franchise' Champion (one who holds the WBC title along with that of at least one other widely recognized sanctioning body; a distinction it has thus far only awarded once), a 'World' Champion (ostensibly one who holds the WBC title alone, but to date no unified champions in the heavyweight division have been attributed the 'Franchise' Champion status), an 'Interim' Champion (one who, ostensibly, holds the title during a period of illness or injury to the 'World' Champion), a 'Champion in Recess (a champion who retains some form of championship recognition, but who are presently inactive), and a 'Silver' Champion (a designation which has no clear distinction, but which nevertheless is recognized as a world championship-level title). Manchester, England, UK. Full & latest Heavyweight boxing rankings & champions. Can you name the men who have been named World Heavyweight Champion? Bryan was subsequently matched with former WBC titleholder, This page was last edited on 31 January 2021, at 16:04. MORE: Undisputed champion vs. unified champion Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are set to fight twice in 2021, holding the IBF, IBO, WBA, WBO, WBC and Ring titles between them. Boxing Junkie recently presented a list of the tallest heavyweight champions of all time, with the 7-foot skyscraper Nikolai Valuev at the top of the angular heap. Corbett announced his retirement from boxing in 1895, nominating Steve O'Donnell as his successor. June 27, 1979 - Oct. 2, 1980: Title Vacant; Oct. 2, 1980 - Sept. 21, 1985: Larry Holmes - Won vacant championship via 10th round TKO of Muhammad Ali to be recognized as heavyweight champion of the world. Real or not: Did Garcia make a mistake in chasing Pacquiao? A third entity with lesser public recognition, the European Boxing Union, would follow suit, with this triumvirate typically (but not always) recognizing the same boxers as world champions. To make it easier for boxing fans, below is a quick reference chart of who holds each of the titles in the four organizations. Fights we want to see in 2021, including Lopez-'Tank' Davis and, yes, Pacquiao vs. McGregor, Ryan Garcia proved he's more than a social media star, belongs among best lightweights, Sports and entertainment stars react to Ryan Garcia's TKO of Luke Campbell, Felix Alvarado retains title, but his twin brother, Rene, loses his by a point. At boxing's beginning, the heavyweight division had no weight limit, and historically the weight class has gone with vague or no definition. The closest the division came to having an undisputed champion was on November 3, 2007, when Joe Calzaghe defeated Mikkel Kessler to unify the WBA (Super), WBC, and WBO titles; the IBF champion at the time was Lucian Bute. To check the top 10 fighters in each division, visit ESPN's divisional rankings. 21. Klitschko's career is underappreciated. 'Boxing never lies': Ryan Garcia ready to prove he's more than a social media star, Why Canelo Alvarez is(n't) boxing's pound-for-pound king. World Heavyweight Boxing Videos. The fighter he won the title from, Wladimir Klitschko, is the 3rd tallest of all time. Bold predictions for 2021: A new "Four Kings" era; Anthony Joshua-Tyson Fury will happen, Mikaela Mayer is already a world champ, but she wants more for herself, and for women's boxing, Why boxing is going to be different, and better, in 2021. ANTHONY JOSHUA – IBF / WBA / WBO / Champion At present however, there is a single titleholder: Anthony Joshua, who is officially recognized as its 'Super' Champion after defeating Andy Ruiz Jr. on December 7, 2019. In pursuit of greater revenues, some organizations have now adopted a practice of simultaneously recognizing multiple champions in a weight division, creating a situation in which a champion may not only be unable to secure recognition from multiple sanctioning bodies, but to secure sole recognition from a single one. The National Boxing Association was formed in 1921 as the first organization aimed at regulating boxing on a national, and later global level. In 1967 for example, Muhammad Ali was denied a boxing license in every U.S. jurisdiction and stripped of his passport due to his refusal to be inducted into the armed forces. Boxing World Champions - Heavyweight Cruiserweight Welterweight Middleweight Lightweight Featherweight Bantamweight flyweight. Super champion. The WBC also recognizes a 'Diamond' Champion in its divisions, but this title is apparently not afforded similar status as the other types. Ronaldo: I prefer boxing, UFC over football, Nakatani fights back from brink to beat Verdejo, Berlanga extends first-round KO streak to 16, Lawrence Okolie, Hughie Fury score one-sided victories, get closer to title opportunities, The remarkable KO streak of super middleweight Edgar Berlanga. We list the top 15 Heavyweights with the WBC, WBA, IBF & WBO. It does not include fights fought under the London Prize Ring rules or bare-knuckle boxing. W e talk about fear and remorse, audacity and embarrassment and, of course, about art and boxing. Since at least John L. Sullivan, in the late 19th century, there have been world champions in professional boxing. Championship recognition withdrawn by sanctioning organization upon his refusal to fight an opponent of the organization's designation. How about Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney? Canelo Alvarez wants to unify at 168, but should he really close the door on a GGG trilogy? As professional boxing has four major sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO) each with their own champions, the sport doesn't have a centralized ranking system.The rankings published by these organizations share the trait of not ranking the other organizations' champions, as each one of the sanctioning bodies expects their champion to frequently … Anthony Joshua is currently recognized as the organization's 'super' world champion, having won the title on December 7,... Manuel Charr is currently recognized as the organization's 'regular' world champion. The International Boxing Organization recognizes but a single champion in each of its weight divisions. Wladimir Wladimirowitsch Klitschko (Ukrainian: Володимир Володимирович Кличко, born 25 March 1976) is a Ukrainian former professional boxer who competed from 1996 to 2017. Until the 1960's, such disputes were settled in the ring, typically with alternate title claimants largely being forgotten. The IBO belt is not generally considered when deciding the status of an undisputed champion, due to the computerised system that the body uses for its rankings. On April 29, 1967 his recognition as champion by both the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council was withdrawn. *Mahmoud Charr is the WBA "regular" heavyweight champion and Trevor Bryan is the WBA interim heavyweight champion, **Alexander Povetkin is the WBC interim heavyweight champion, **Beibut Shumenov is the WBA "regular" cruiserweight champion and Ryad Merhy is the WBA interim cruiserweight champion, *Jean Pascal is the WBA "regular" light heavyweight champion and Dominic Boesel is the WBA interim light heavyweight champion, *David Morrell is the WBA interim super middleweight champion, *Chris Eubank Jr. is the WBA interim middleweight champion, **Canelo Alvarez is the WBC "franchise champion", *Erislandy Lara is the WBA "regular" junior middleweight champion, *Yordenis Ugas is the WBA "regular" champion and Jamal James is the WBA interim welterweight champion, *Mario Barrios is the WBA "regular" junior welterweight champion and Alberto Puello is the WBA interim junior welterweight champion, *Gervonta Davis is the WBA "regular" lightweight champion and Rolando Romero is the WBA interim lightweight champion, **Teofimo Lopez Jr. is the WBC "franchise" champion and Ryan Garcia is the WBC interim champion, *Roger Gutierrez is the WBA "regular" junior lightweight champion and Chris Colbert is the WBA interim junior lightweight champion, *Xu Can is the WBA "regular" featherweight champion, *Ryosuke Iwasa is the IBF interim junior featherweight champion, **Brandon Figueroa is the WBA "regular" junior featherweight champion, *Guillermo Rigondeaux is the WBA "regular" bantamweight champion, *Joshua Franco is the WBA "regular" junior bantamweight champion, *Luis Concepcion is the WBA interim flyweight champion. *Carlos Canizales is the WBA "regular" junior flyweight champion and Daniel Matellon is the WBA interim junior flyweight champion. The tallest of the lineal heavyweight champions is Tyson Fury, the current lineal champion. In fact, we’ve been in a four-belt era since 2004, and the last undisputed, unified heavyweight champion was Lennox Lewis. Canelo overpowers Smith in unanimous decision win, Frank Sanchez sends Julian Fernandez out the ring with a vicious KO, Frank Sanchez scores impressive KO of Julian Fernandez on the Canelo Alvarez-Callum Smith undercard. Tyson Fury. ", From its outset until the 1990s, and again since 2002, The Ring has recognized heavyweight champions. Champions were recognized by public acclamation. The undisputed champion in boxing is a fighter who holds all belts from the four major governing bodies: the WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF. Known as the "Boston Strong Boy," Sullivan weighed around 200 pounds when in shape, and helped transition the sport from its bare-knuckle era. For a list of the best fighters regardless of weight class, check ESPN's pound-for-pound rankings. Retirements from the ring periodically led to a "true" champion going unrecognized, or for several to be recognized by the public for periods of time. In 2012 these policies were revised so that a champion could be more readily recognized, and expanding the means by which championship recognition could be withdrawn (specifically, by not scheduling a fight with a top five rated contender for two years, or any bout at all for 18 months).[1]. Firstly, it is known as the United States Boxing Association (USBA) formed in 1983 in New Jersey. As tradition demanded the title be won in the ring, O'Donnell was matched against, Jeffries announced his retirement, relinquishing the title and promoting a match between, Schmeling earned championship recognition by defeating, Two months after Louis' retirement announcement, the, Following Marciano's retirement, Patterson was matched against, To fill its vacant championship title, the, Frazier defeated Ellis to unify the heavyweight championship, but did not gain universal public acclaim as champion until defeating, In an unprecedented move, upon withdrawing its recognition of, Following its 1978 precedent, upon withdrawing championship recognition from Riddick Bowe, the, Following its withdrawal of recognition from, Following repeated injuries which prevented him from defending his title, the, On October 29, 1877 a fight between British fighters, On January 29, 2021, the World Boxing Association announced it would henceforth recognize Manuel Charr as its 'Champion in Recess,' following his inability to secure a visa to box against then-interim champion Trevor Bryan. The list includes The Ring belt. At its 1962 convention the NBA's non-U.S. members exploited a membership rule and took control of the organization. Under its original policy a champion won the title either by defeating a recognized champion or winning a bout between the magazine's top-rated contenders. Heavyweight Boxing Champions. A champion in that era was a fighter who had a notable win over another fighter and kept winning afterward. Results, Rankings, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Alexander Povetkin, Dillian Whyte, Jarrell Miller, Luis Ortiz, Heavyweight, Boxing News, West Highland Way He's a member of a persecuted ethnic minority group known as "Irish Travellers." He regained the title with a unanimous points victory over Andy Ruiz Jr in their rematch in Saudi Arabia in December 2019. Sept. 15, 1978 - June 27, 1979: Muhammad Ali - Won championship via 15 round decision over Leon Spinks. 1. The current WBA world heavyweight champion is Anthony Joshua (24-1). Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Logan Paul: What you need to know about their exhibition bout. Overview. The record of, refusal to be inducted into the armed forces, World heavyweight boxing championship records and statistics, List of Olympic medalists in boxing#Heavyweight, List of WBA female world champions#Light heavyweight, List of WBC female world champions#Heavyweight, List of IBF female world champions#Heavyweight, List of WBO female world champions#Heavyweight, "Professional boxing record: John L. Sullivan", "Professional boxing record: James J. Corbett", "Professional boxing record: Bob Fitzsimmons", "Professional boxing record: James J. Jeffries", "Professional boxing record: Marvin Hart", "Professional boxing record: Tommy Burns", "Professional boxing record: Jack Johnson", "Professional boxing record: Jess Willard", "Professional boxing record: Jack Dempsey", "Professional boxing record: Gene Tunney", "Professional boxing record: Max Schmeling", "Professional boxing record: Jack Sharkey", "Professional boxing record: Primo Carnera", "Professional boxing record: Jim Braddock", "Professional boxing record: Ezzard Charles", "Professional boxing record: Jersey Joe Walcott", "Professional boxing record: Rocky Marciano", "Professional boxing record: Floyd Patterson", "Professional boxing record: Ingemar Johansson", "Professional boxing record: Sonny Liston", "Professional boxing record: Muhammad Ali", "Professional boxing record: Ernie Terrell", "Professional boxing record: Joe Frazier", "Professional boxing record: Jimmy Ellis", "Professional boxing record: George Foreman", "Professional boxing record: Leon Spinks", "Professional boxing record: Larry Holmes", "Professional boxing record: Mike Weaver", "Professional boxing record: Michael Dokes", "Professional boxing record: Gerrie Coetzee", "Professional boxing record: Tim Witherspoon", "Professional boxing record: Pinklon Thomas", "Professional boxing record: Michael Spinks", "Professional boxing record: Trevor Berbick", "Professional boxing record: James Smith", "Professional boxing record: Tony Tucker", "Professional boxing record: Francesco Damiani", "Professional boxing record: James Douglas", "Professional boxing record: Evander Holyfield", "Professional boxing record: Michael Moorer", "Professional boxing record: Riddick Bowe", "Professional boxing record: Lennox Lewis", "Professional boxing record: Tommy Morrison", "Professional boxing record: Michael Bentt", "Professional boxing record: Herbie Hide", "Professional boxing record: Oliver McCall", "Professional boxing record: Bruce Seldon", "Professional boxing record: Frank Bruno", "Professional boxing record: Henry Akinwande", "Professional boxing record: Vitali Klitschko", "Professional boxing record: Wladimir Klitschko", "Professional boxing record: Hasim Rahman", "Professional boxing record: Roy Jones Jr", "Professional boxing record: Corrie Sanders", "Professional boxing record: Lamon Brewster", "Professional boxing record: Nikolai Valuev", "Professional boxing record: Siarhei Liakhovich", "Professional boxing record: Oleg Maskaev", "Президент России предоставил гражданство Олегу Маскаеву", "Professional boxing record: Shannon Briggs", "Professional boxing record: Ruslan Chagaev", "Professional boxing record: Sultan Ibragimov", "Professional boxing record: Samuel Peter", "Professional boxing record: Alexander Povetkin", "Professional boxing record: Bermane Stiverne", "Professional boxing record: Deontay Wilder", "Professional boxing record: Charles Martin", "Professional boxing record: Lucas Browne", "Professional boxing record: Anthony Joshua", "Professional boxing record: Joseph Parker", "Professional boxing record: Manuel Charr", "Professional boxing record: Andy Ruiz Jr", NYSAC World Heavyweight Champion - BoxRec, The BoxRec – Boxing's Official Record Keeper, The Boxing Register: International Boxing Hall Of Fame Official Record Book, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_world_heavyweight_boxing_champions&oldid=1003977455, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Reclassified from 'Regular Champion' status.