Championship recognition

Public Acclamation: 1884 to 1921

Champions were recognized by wide public acclamation. A heavyweight champion was a boxer who had a notable win over another notable boxer and then went without defeat. 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. Typically, public interest in having a single, "true" champion resulted in claimants to the heavyweight title being matched with one another; the winner of that bout was subsequently deemed the champion, with the claim (and title lineage) of the defeated boxer largely forgotten.

Sanctioning Bodies: 1921 to present

The National Boxing Association (NBA), was formed in 1921 as the first organization aimed at regulating boxing on a national (and later global) level. The prominence of New York City as the epicenter of boxing would lead to a governmental entity, the powerful New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), to join the NBA in sanctioning bouts as "world championships." A third entity, with lesser public recognition inside the USA, the European Boxing Union (EBU), would follow suit, with this triumvirate typically (but not always) recognizing the same boxers as world champions.

At its 1962 convention the NBA's non-U.S. members exploited a membership rule and took control of the organization, rebranding it the World Boxing Association. The (WBA), was joined a year later by a combination of state and national boxing commissions (including the NYSAC and IBU) to form a separate sanctioning body, the World Boxing Council (WBC). Each organization would later have a spin-off competing sanctioning body emerge: the International Boxing Federation (IBF), which was formed by members of the United States Boxing Association in 1983; and the World Boxing Organization (WBO), which was formed in 1989. A fifth significant (but not as publicly accepted) body came in the form of the International Boxing Organization (IBO), in 1991, and today there are over a dozen sanctioning organizations, of varying degrees of public acceptance, sanctioning bouts as for a world championship and proclaiming their title winners "Champion of the World."


Reign Began Reign Ended Champion Recognition
World
1889-03-31 1890-01-13 Ike Weir World
The featherweight class was established in 1860 but did not achieve universal recognition until Weir won the title.[1]
1890-01-13 1890-09-02 Torpedo Billy Murphy World
1890-09-02 1892-Vacated Young Griffo World
1892-06-27 1896-11-27 George Dixon World
1896-11-27 1897-03-24 Frank Erne World
1897-03-24 1897-10-24 George Dixon World
1897-10-04 1898-09-26 Solly Smith World
1898-09-26 1898-11-11 Dave Sullivan World
1898-11-11 1900-01-09 George Dixon World
1899-05-29 1899-10-10 Ben Jordan British World Title
Jordan and Santry were recognized as champion in Britain. When Terry McGovern defeated Santry in 1900 the title was reunified.[1]
1899-10-10 1900-02-01 Eddie Santry British World Title
1900-01-09 1901-11-28 Terry McGovern World
1901-11-28 1902-Vacated Young Corbett II World
Corbett could not make weight and relinquished the title (although some sources say he continued to defend the title at a higher weight). Attell was recognized as the best man at the weight and thus was proclaimed champion.[1]
1904-02-01 1912-02-22 Abe Attell World
1912-02-22 1923-06-02 Johnny Kilbane World
1923-06-02 1923-07-26 Eugène Criqui World
1923-07-26 1923-07-26-Vacated Johnny Dundee World
1925-01-02 1926-Vacated Louis Kid Kaplan World
1927-09-12 1928-02-10 Benny Bass World
1928-02-10 1928-09-28 Tony Canzoneri World
1928-09-28 1929-09-23 Andre Routis World
1929-09-23 1932-01-27 Christopher Battalino World
1932-05-26 1933-01-13 Tommy Paul NBA
1933-01-13 1936-05-11 Freddie Miller NBA
1936-05-11 1937-10-29 Petey Sarron NBA
1937-10-29 1937-10-29 Henry Armstrong World
1939-04-18 1939-04-18 Joey Archibald World
1940-05-01 1941-07-01 Petey Scalzo NBA
1941-07-01 1941-11-18 Richie Lemos NBA
1941-11-18 1943-01-18 Jackie Wilson NBA
1943-01-18 1943-08-16 Jackie Callura NBA
1943-08-16 1944-03-10 Phil Terranova NBA
1944-03-10 1946-05-03 Sal Bartolo NBA
1946-06-07 1948-10-29 Willie Pep World
1948-10-29 1949-02-11 Sandy Saddler World
1949-02-11 1950-09-08 Willie Pep World
1950-09-08 Jan 1957-Vacated Sandy Saddler World
1957-06-24 1959-03-18 Hogan Bassey World
1959-03-18 1963-03-21 Davey Moore World
1963-03-21 1964-09-26 Sugar Ramos WBA/WBC
1964-09-26 1967-10-14-Vacated Vicente Saldivar WBA/WBC
WBC
Title inaugurated
1963-03-21 1964-09-26 Sugar Ramos WBC
1964-09-26 1967-10-Retired Vicente Saldivar WBC
1968-01-23 1968-07-24 Howard Winstone WBC
1968-07-24 1969-01-21 José Legrá WBC
1969-01-21 1970-05-09 Johnny Famechon WBC
1970-05-09 1970-12-11 Vicente Saldivar WBC
1970-12-11 1972-05-19 Kuniaki Shibata WBC
1972-05-19 1972-12-16-Stripped Clemente Sanchez WBC
1972-12-16 1973-05-05 José Legrá WBC
1973-05-05 1974-06-17-Stripped Eder Jofre WBC
1974-09-07 1975-06-20 Bobby Chacon WBC
1975-06-20 1975-09-20 Rubén Olivares WBC
1975-09-20 1976-11-06 David Kotei WBC
1976-11-06 1980-02-02 Danny Lopez WBC
1980-02-02 1982-07-21-Died Salvador Sánchez WBC
1982-09-15 1984-03-31 Juan LaPorte WBC
1984-03-31 1984-12-08 Wilfredo Gómez WBC
1984-12-08 1987-08-29-Vacated Azumah Nelson WBC
1988-03-07 1989-04-08-Vacated Jeff Fenech WBC
1990-06-02 1991-11-13 Marcos Villasana WBC
1991-11-13 1993-04-28 Paul Hodkinson WBC
1993-04-28 1993-12-04 Gregorio Vargas WBC
1993-12-04 1995-01-07 Kevin Kelley WBC
1995-01-07 1995-09-23 Alejandro Martín González WBC
1995-09-23 1995-12-11 Manuel Medina WBC
1995-12-11 1999-05-15 Luisito Espinosa WBC
1999-05-15 1999-10-22 Cesar Soto WBC
1999-10-22 2000-Vacated Naseem Hamed WBC
2000-04-14 2001-02-17 Guty Espadas Jr WBC
2001-02-17 2002-06-22-Stripped* Erik Morales WBC
*Morales lost to Marco Antonio Barrera, who declined title.
2002-11-16 2003-05-03-Vacated Erik Morales WBC
2004-04-10 2006-01-29 In-Jin Chi WBC
2006-01-29 2006-07-30 Takashi Koshimoto WBC
2006-07-30 2006-12-17 Rudy Lopez WBC
2006-12-17 2007-07-Retired In-Jin Chi WBC
2007-07-21 2008-08-13-Vacated Jorge Linares WBC
2008-08-13 2009-03-12 Óscar Larios WBC
2009-03-12 2009-07-14 Takahiro Aoh WBC
2009-07-14 2010-08-25-Stripped Elio Rojas WBC
2010-11-26 2011-04-08 Hozumi Hasegawa WBC
2011-04-08 2012-09-12 Jhonny González WBC
2012-09-12 2013-05-04 Daniel Ponce De Leon WBC
2013-05-04 2013-08-24 Abner Mares WBC
2013-08-24 2015-03-28 Jhonny González WBC
2015-03-28 2022-01-22 Gary Russell, Jr. WBC
2022-01-22 2022-07-09 Mark Magsayo WBC
2022-07-09 Present Rey Vargas WBC
WBA
Title inaugurated
1963-03-21 1964-09-26 Sugar Ramos WBA
1964-09-26 1967-10-Retired Vicente Saldivar WBA
1968-03-28 1968-09-27 Raul Rojas WBA
1968-09-27 1971-09-02 Shozo Saijo WBA
1971-09-02 1972-08-19 Antonio Gomez WBA
1972-08-19 1974-02-16-Retired Ernesto Marcel WBA
1974-07-09 1974-11-23 Rubén Olivares WBA
1974-11-23 1976-06-19-Vacated Alexis Argüello WBA
1977-01-15 1977-12-17 Rafael Ortega WBA
1977-12-17 1978-04-15 Cecilio Lastra WBA
1978-04-15 1985-06-08 Eusebio Pedroza WBA
1985-06-08 1986-06-23 Barry McGuigan WBA
1986-06-23 1987-03-06 Steve Cruz WBA
1987-03-06 1991-03-30 Antonio Esparragoza WBA
1991-03-30 1993-12-04 Yong-Kyun Park WBA
1993-12-04 1996-05-18 Eloy Rojas WBA
1996-05-18 1997-11-08-Stripped Wilfredo Vazquez WBA
1998-04-03 1998-07-10-Stripped Freddie Norwood WBA
1998-10-03 1999-05-29 Antonio Cermeno WBA
1999-05-29 2000-09-09 Freddie Norwood WBA
2000-09-09 2003-11-01 Derrick Gainer WBA
2003-11-01 2005-Stripped Juan Manuel Márquez WBA Super Champion
2003-11-01 2013-12-06 Chris John WBA Super Champion
2009-07-23 2011-06-11-Stripped Yuriorkis Gamboa WBA Unified Champion
2010-12-04 2011-10-14 Jonathan Victor Barros WBA Regular Champion
2011-10-14 2012-08-07-Vacated Celestino Caballero WBA Regular Champion
2012-12-08 2015-06-12-Stripped Nicholas Walters WBA Super Champion
2013-12-06 2014-05-31 Simpiwe Vetyeka WBA Super Champion
2014-05-31 2014-10-18 Nonito Donaire WBA Super Champion
2015-02-21 2016-12-10 Jesus Cuellar WBA Regular Champion
2015-08-29 2016-07-30 Leo Santa Cruz WBA Super Champion
2016-07-30 2017-01-28 Carl Frampton WBA Super Champion
2016-12-10 2018-06-09-Vacated Abner Mares WBA Regular Champion
2017-01-28 Present Leo Santa Cruz WBA Super Champion
2019-01-26 2021-07-21 Xu Can WBA Regular Champion
2021-07-21 Present Leigh Wood WBA Regular Champion
IBF
Title inaugurated
1984-03-04 1985-11-29 Min-Keun Oh IBF
1985-11-29 1986-08-30 Ki-Young Chung IBF
1986-08-30 1988-01-23 Antonio Rivera IBF
1988-01-23 1988-08-04 Calvin Grove IBF
1988-08-04 1990-07-08-Vacated Jorge Páez IBF
1991-06-03 1991-08-12 Troy Dorsey IBF
1991-08-12 1993-02-26 Manuel Medina IBF
1993-02-26 1997-02-08 Tom Johnson IBF
1997-02-08 1997-07-19-Vacated Naseem Hamed IBF
1997-12-13 1998-04-24 Hector Lizarraga IBF
1998-04-24 1999-11-13 Manuel Medina IBF
1999-11-13 2000-12-16 Paul Ingle IBF
2000-12-16 2001-04-06 Mbulelo Botile IBF
2001-04-06 2001-11-16 Frank Toledo IBF
2001-11-16 2002-04-27 Manuel Medina IBF
2002-04-27 2002-11-Vacated Johnny Tapia IBF
2003-02-01 2005-05-07-Stripped Juan Manuel Márquez IBF
2006-01-20 2006-05-13 Valdemir Pereira IBF
2006-05-13 2006-09-02 Eric Aiken IBF
2006-09-02 2006-11-04 Robert Guerrero IBF
2006-11-04 2006-11-10-Stripped Orlando Salido IBF
2007-02-23 2008-06-23-Vacated Robert Guerrero IBF
2008-10-23 2010-05-15 Cristobal Cruz IBF
2010-05-15 2010-09-11-Stripped Orlando Salido IBF
2010-09-11 2011-03-26-Stripped Yuriorkis Gamboa IBF
2011-07-29 2013-03-01 Billy Dib IBF
2013-03-01 2015-05-30 Evgeny Gradovich IBF
2015-05-30 2018-05-19-Stripped Lee Selby IBF
2018-05-19 2021-01-21-Vacated Josh Warrington IBF
2021-08-07 2021-11-13 Kid Galahad (boxer) IBF
2021-11-13 2022-03-26 Kiko Martinez IBF
2022-03-26 2022-12-10 Josh Warrington IBF
2022-12-10 Present Luis Alberto Lopez IBF
WBO
Title inaugurated
1989-01-28 1989-11-11 Maurizio Stecca WBO
1989-11-11 1990-04-07 Louie Espinoza WBO
1990-04-07 1990-07-08-Vacated Jorge Páez WBO
1991-01-26 1992-05-16 Maurizio Stecca WBO
1992-05-16 1992-09-26 Colin McMillan WBO
1992-09-26 1993-01-Retired Rubén Darío Palacio WBO
1993-04-17 1995-09-30 Steve Robinson WBO
1995-09-30 2000-09-20-Vacated Naseem Hamed WBO
2001-01-27 2001-06-16 Istvan Kovacs WBO
2001-06-16 2002-10-19 Julio Pablo Chacón WBO
2002-10-19 2003-07-23 Scott Harrison WBO
2003-07-23 2003-11-29 Manuel Medina WBO
2003-11-29 2006-06-23-Vacated Scott Harrison WBO
2006-12-06 2007-04-01-Vacated Juan Manuel Márquez WBO
2007-07-14 2010-01-23 Steven Luevano WBO
2010-01-23 2011-04-16 Juan Manuel Lopez WBO
2011-04-16 2013-01-19 Orlando Salido WBO
2013-01-19 2013-06-14-Stripped Mikey García WBO
2013-10-12 2014-02-28-Stripped Orlando Salido WBO
2014-06-21 2015-11-7-Vacated Vasyl Lomachenko WBO
2016-07-23 2019-08-02-Vacated Óscar Valdez WBO
2019-10-26 2020-07-09-Vacated Shakur Stevenson WBO
2020-10-09 2023-02-10 Vacated Emanuel Navarrete WBO

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Mullan, Harry (1996). The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing. London, England: Carlton Books. p. 172. ISBN 0-7858-0641-5.
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