World Heavyweight Boxing Champions

NBA - National Boxing Association

No.Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Jack Dempsey, 1921 Jul 2, 1926 Sep 23, 2
2 Gene Tunney,1926 Sep 23, 1928 Jul 31 R, 2
3 Max Schmeling, 1930 Jun 12, 1932 Jun 21, 1
4 Jack Sharkey, 1932 Jun 21, 1933 Jun 29 V-1, 0
5 Max Baer, 1934 Jun 14, 1935 Jun 13, 0
6 Jim Braddock, 1935 Jun 13, 1937 Jun 22, 0
7 Joe Louis, 1937 Jun 22, 1949 Mar 1 R, 25
8 Ezzard Charles, 1949 Jun 22, 1951 Jul 18, 8
9 'Jersey' Joe Walcott, 1951 Jul 18, 1952 Sep 23, 1
10 Rocky Marciano, 1952 Sep 23, 1956 Apr 27 R, 6
11 Floyd Patterson, 1956 Nov 30, 1959 Jun 26, 4
12 Ingemar Johansson, 1959 Jun 26, 1960 Jun 20, 0
13 Floyd Patterson, 1960 Jun 20, 1962 Sep 25, 2

(R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated)


WBA - World Boxing Association

No. Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Sonny Liston, 1962 Sep 25, 1964 Feb 25, 1
2 Cassius Clay, 1964 Feb 25, 1964 Sep 14 S-1, 0
3 Ernie Terrell, 1965 Mar 5, 1967 Feb 6, 2
4 Muhammad Ali, 1967 Feb 6, 1967 May 9 S-2, 1
5 Jimmy Ellis, 1968 Apr 27, 1970 Feb 16, 1
6 Joe Frazier, 1970 Feb 16, 1973 Jan 22, 4
7 George Foreman, 1973 Jan 22, 1974 Oct 30, 2
8 Muhammad Ali, 1974 Oct 30, 1978 Feb 15, 10
9 Leon Spinks, 1978 Feb 15, 1978 Sep 15, 0
10 Muhammad Ali, 1978 Sep 15, 1979 Sep 6 R, 0
11 John Tate, 1979 Oct 20, 1980 Mar 31, 0
12 Mike Weaver, 1980 Mar 31, 1982 Dec 10, 2
13 Michael Dokes, 1982 Dec 10, 1983 Sep 23, 1
14 Gerrie Coetzee, 1983 Sep 23, 1984 Dec 1, 0
15 Greg Page, 1984 Dec 1, 1985 Apr 29, 0
16 Tony Tubbs, 1985 Apr 29, 1986 Jan 17, 0
17 Tim Witherspoon, 1986 Jan 17, 1986 Dec 12, 1
18 James (Bonecrusher) Smith, 1986 Dec 12, 1987 Mar 7, 0
19 Mike Tyson, 1987 Mar 7, 1990 Feb 11, 8
20 James (Buster) Douglas, 1990 Feb 11, 1990 Oct 25, 0
21 Evander Holyfield, 1990 Oct 25, 1992 Nov 13, 3
22 Riddick Bowe, 1992 Nov 13, 1993 Nov 6, 2
23 Evander Holyfield, 1993 Nov 6, 1994 Apr 22, 0
24 Michael Moorer, 1994 Apr 22, 1994 Nov 5, 0
25 George Foreman, 1994 Nov 5, 1995 Mar 4 S-3, 0
26 Bruce Seldon, 1995 Apr 8, 1996 Sep 7, 1
27 Mike Tyson, 1996 Sep 7, 1996 Nov 9, 0
28 Evander Holyfield, 1996 Nov 9, 1999 Nov 13, 4
29 Lennox Lewis, 1999 Nov 13, 2000 Apr 29 S-4, 0
30 Evander Holyfield, 2000 Aug 12, 2001 Mar 3, 0
31 John Ruiz, 2001 Mar 3, 2003 Mar 1, 2
32 Roy Jones Jr., 2003 Mar 1, 2004 Feb 20 V-5, 0
33 John Ruiz, 2004 Feb 20 6, 2005 Dec 17, 3
34 Nikolay Valuev, 2005 Dec 17, 2007 Apr 14, 3
35 Ruslan Chagaev, 2007 Apr 14, 2008 Jul 5, 1
35 Ruslan Chagaev, 2008 Jul 5 CIR-7/S, 2009, 1
36 Nikolay Valuev, 2008 Aug 30, 2009 Nov 7, 1
37 David Haye, 2009 Nov 7, 2011 Jul 3, 3
38 Wladimir Klitschko 2011 Jul 3, present

(R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated CIR - Champion In Recess)


WBC - World Boxing Council

No. Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Sonny Liston, 1963 Jul 22, 1964 Feb 25, 0
2 Cassius Clay, 1964 Feb 25, 1970 Feb 3 R-1, 9
3 Joe Frazier, 1970 Feb 16, 1973 Jan 22, 4
4 George Foreman, 1973 Jan 22, 1974 Oct 30, 2
5 Muhammad Ali, 1974 Oct 30, 1978 Feb 15, 10
6 Leon Spinks, 1978 Feb 15, 1978 Mar 18 S-2, 0
7 Ken Norton, 1978 Mar 29, 1978 Jun 9, 0
8 Larry Holmes, 1978 Jun 9, 1983 Dec 11 V-4, 16
9 Tim Witherspoon, 1984 Mar 9, 1984 Aug 31, 0
10 Pinklon Thomas, 1984 Aug 31, 1986 Mar 22, 1
11 Trevor Berbick, 1986 Mar 22, 1986 Nov 22, 0
12 Mike Tyson, 1986 Nov 22, 1990 Feb 11, 9
13 James (Buster) Douglas, 1990 Feb 11, 1990 Oct 25, 0
14 Evander Holyfield, 1990 Oct 25, 1992 Nov 13, 2
15 Riddick Bowe, 1992 Nov 13, 1992 Dec 14 V-5, 0
16 Lennox Lewis, 1992 Dec 14, 1994 Sep 24, 3
17 Oliver McCall, 1994 Sep 24, 1995 Sep 2, 1
18 Frank Bruno, 1995 Sep 2, 1996 Mar 16, 0
19 Mike Tyson, 1996 Mar 16, 1996 Sep 24 V-7, 0
20 Lennox Lewis, 1997 Feb 7, 2001 Apr 22, 9
21 Hasim Rahman, 2001 Apr 22, 2001 Nov 17, 0
22 Lennox Lewis, 2001 Nov 17, 2004 Feb 6 R, 2
23 Vitali Klitschko, 2004 Apr 24, 2005 Nov 9 R, 1
24 Hasim Rahman, 2005 Nov 9, 2006 Aug 12, 1
25 Oleg Maskaev, 2006 Aug 12, 2008 Mar 8, 1
26 Samuel Peter, 2008 Mar 8, 2008 Oct 11, 0
27 Vitali Klitschko, 2008 Oct 11, Present, 5

R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated


IBF - International Boxing Fedreration

No. Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Larry Holmes, 1983 Dec 11 1, 1985 Sep 21, 3
2 Michael Spinks, 1985 Sep 21, 1987 Feb 26 S-2, 2
3 Tony Tucker, 1987 May 30, 1987 Aug 1, 0
4 Mike Tyson, 1987 Aug 1, 1990 Feb 11, 6
5 James (Buster) Douglas, 1990 Feb 11, 1990 Oct 25, 0
6 Evander Holyfield, 1990 Oct 25, 1992 Nov 13, 3
7 Riddick Bowe, 1992 Nov 13, 1993 Nov 6, 1
8 Evander Holyfield, 1993 Nov 6, 1994 Apr 22, 0
9 Michael Moorer, 1994 Apr 22, 1994 Nov 5, 0
10 George Foreman, 1994 Nov 5, 1995 Jun 29 V-3, 1
11 Michael Moorer, 1996 Jun 22, 1997 Nov 8, 2
12 Evander Holyfield, 1997 Nov 8, 1999 Nov 13, 2
13 Lennox Lewis, 1999 Nov 13, 2001 Apr 22, 3
14 Hasim Rahman, 2001 Apr 22, 2001 Nov 17, 0
15 Lennox Lewis, 2001 Nov 17, 2002 Sep 5 V-4, 1
16 Chris Byrd, 2002 Dec 14, 2006 Apr 22, 4
17 Wladimir Klitschko, 2006 Apr 22, present, 9

(R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated)


WBO - World Boxing Organisation

No. Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Francesco Damiani, 1989 May 6, 1991 Jan 11, 1
2 Ray Mercer, 1991 Jan 11, 1991 Dec 24 S-1, 1
3 Michael Moorer, 1992 May 15, 1993 Feb 3 V-2, 0
4 Tommy Morrison, 1993 Jun 7, 1993 Oct 29, 1
5 Michael Bentt, 1993 Oct 29, 1994 Mar 19, 0
6 Herbie Hide, 1994 Mar 19, 1995 Mar 11, 0
7 Riddick Bowe, 1995 Mar 11, 1996 Jan 11 S-3, 1
8 Henry Akinwande, 1996 Jun 29, 1997 Feb 1 V-4, 2
9 Herbie Hide, 1997 Jun 28, 1999 Jun 26, 2
10 Vitali Klitschko, 1999 Jun 26, 2000 Apr 1, 2
11 Chris Byrd, 2000 Apr 1, 2000 Oct 14, 0
12 Wladimir Klitschko, 2000 Oct 14, 2003 Mar 8, 5
13 Corrie Sanders, 2003 Mar 8, 2004 Feb 1 V-5, 0
14 Lamon Brewster, 2004 Apr 10, 2006 Apr 1, 3
15 Serguei Lyakhovich, 2006 Apr 1, 2006 Nov 4, 0
16 Shannon Briggs, 2006 Nov 4, 2007 Jun 2, 0
17 Sultan Ibragimov, 2007 Jun 2, 2008 Feb 23, 1
18 Wladimir Klitschko, 2008 Feb 23, Present, 5

(R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated)


IBO - International Boxing Organisation

No. Champion, Reign Began, Reign Ended, Defenses

1 Pinklon Thomas, 1992 Nov 14, 1993 Jan 29 V, 0
2 Lionel Butler, 1993 Feb 23, 1994 V, 0
3 Danell Nicholson, 1994 Aug 4, 1994 Oct V, 0
4 Jimmy Thunder, 1994 Oct 29, 1995 Jul V, 1
5 Tony LaRosa, 1995 Jul 29, 1996 Jan 12, 0
6 Brian Nielsen, 1996 Jan 12, 1999 Sep V, 5
7 Lennox Lewis, 1999 Nov 13, 2001 Apr 22, 3
8 Hasim Rahman, 2001 Apr 22, 2001 Nov 17, 0
9 Lennox Lewis, 2001 Nov 17, 2004 Feb 6 R, 2
10 Wladimir Klitschko, 2006 Apr 22, Present, 9

(R - Retired S - Stripped V - Vacated)