List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions

This is a chronological list of world light heavyweight boxing champions, as recognized by four of the better-known sanctioning organizations:

Championship recognition

1903–1910 The light-heavyweight division was created in 1903, the brainchild of Chicago journalist Lou Houseman who was also a boxing manager and promoter. He matched his own fighter Jack Root with Kid McCoy and announced the fight as being for the light-heavyweight championship of the world. The boxing press accepted the new weight division and Root was accepted as the inaugural world champion. Jack Root was defeated in his first title defense against George Gardner (boxer), who was considered the most thrilling fighter in the division, and the first undisputed Light - Heavyweight Champion of the World. During the 1980s, however, some boxing historians found records indicating that Joe Choynski won a twenty-round decision over Jimmy Ryan on August 18, 1899, in a fight billed as being for the light heavyweight championship. Choynski never seems to have made any claim to be the first light heavyweight champion.

The International Boxing Union (IBU), formed in Paris in 1910. Changed name to European Boxing Union in 1946. It organised world title fights from 1913 to 1963 after which it was incorporated into the World Boxing Council (WBC). The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), formed originally in 1911, banned in 1917, and then reformed in 1920. It organized world title bouts until the early 1970s when it became a member of World Boxing Council (WBC). The National Boxing Association (NBA) formed in the USA in 1921.

1961–present

Championship awarding organizations The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA); it changed its name in 1961 and allowed membership from outside the USA. The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963. The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983. The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988. Reign BeganReign EndedChampionRecognition Undisputed Champions 1903-04-221903-07-04 Jack RootWorld1903-07-041903-11-25 George GardinerWorldThe light-heavyweight division was not recognized outside North America until the Gardiner-Fitzsimmons title fight of November 19031903-11-251905-12-20 Bob FitzsimmonsWorld1905-12-201905-12-20-Vacated Philadelphia Jack O'BrienWorld1913-02-171914-06-15 Bob MohaNYSAC1914-04-141916-10-24 Jack DillonWorld1916-10-241920-10-12 Battling LevinskyWorld1920-10-121922-09-24 Georges CarpentierWorld1922-09-241923-03-17 Battling SikiWorld1923-03-171925-05-30 Mike McTigueWorld1925-05-301926-07-16 Paul BerlenbachWorld1926-07-161927-07-26-Vacated Jack DelaneyWorldDelaney vacated the title to campaign in the heavyweight division. McTigue would subsequently be awarded the NYSAC title.1927-07-261927-10-07 Mike McTigueNYSAC1927-08-301927-12-12 Jimmy SlatteryNBA1927-10-071929-07-18-Vacated Tommy Loughran Nat Fleischer, Sam Andre, An Illustrated History of Boxing (Citadel Press, 2002) pp195-196NYSAC/World1930-02-101930-06-25 Jimmy SlatteryNYSAC1930-06-251933-03-24 Maxie RosenbloomNYSAC/World/NYSACRosenbloom would be awarded the NBA title on September 1930, but would later be stripped of the same title on June 6, 1931 for inactivity.1932-03-181932-12-17-Stripped George NicholsNBANichols was stripped of the title after losing a non-title bout to Lou Scozza. Joe Knight was subsequently awarded the vacant title.1933-02-281933-03-01 Joe KnightNBA1933-03-011933-03-24 Bob GodwinNBA1933-03-241934-11-16 Maxie RosenbloomWorld/NYSACRosenbloom was stripped of his NBA title on 17 Sep, 1934.1934-11-161935-10-31 Bob OlinWorld1935-10-311938-10-28-Vacated John Henry LewisWorldLewis retired due to failing eyesight.1939-02-031939-07-13 Melio BettinaNYSAC1939-07-101942-06-20 Len HarveyBBBofC1939-07-131940-06-05-Vacated Billy ConnWorld1941-01-131941-05-22 Anton ChristoforidisNBA1941-05-221948-07-26 Gus LesnevichNBA/World1948-07-261950-01-24 Freddie MillsWorld1950-01-241952-12-17 Joey MaximWorld1952-12-171960-10-25 Archie MooreWorldMoore was stripped of the NBA title for inactivity but retained the NYSAC and EBU versions.1960-10-251962-02-09 Archie MooreNYSAC/EBUMoore was stripped of the EBU and NYSAC titles for inactivity.1961-02-071962-05-12 Harold JohnsonNBA1962-05-121963-06-01 Harold JohnsonWorld1963-06-011965-03-30 Willie PastranoWBA/WBC1965-03-301966-12-16 José Louis TorresWBA/WBC1966-12-161968-05-24 Dick TigerWBA/WBC1968-05-241970-12-09 (Stripped of WBA Championship) Bob FosterWBA/WBC1972-04-071974-06-17 (Vacated WBA Championship) Bob FosterWBA/WBC1984-02-251985-06-06 (Vacated WBC Championship WBC Championship) Michael SpinksWBA/WBC/IBF1999-06-052003-03-01 (Vacated IBF Championship) Roy Jones Jr.WBA/WBC/IBF2024-10-122025-02-22 Artur BeterbievWBA/WBC/IBF/WBO2025-02-222025-04-07 (Vacated WBC Championship) Dmitry BivolWBA/WBC/IBF/WBO WBC ChampionsTitle inaugurated1963-06-011965-03-30 Willie PastranoWBC1965-05-301966-12-16 José Louis TorresWBC1966-12-161968-05-24 Dick TigerWBC1968-05-241974-06-17-Vacated Bob FosterWBC1974-10-011977-05-21-Stripped John ContehWBC1977-05-211978-01-07 Miguel Angel CuelloWBC1978-01-071978-12-02 Mate ParlovWBC1978-12-021979-04-22 Marvin JohnsonWBC1979-04-221981-12-19 Matthew Saad MuhammadWBC1981-12-191983-03-18 Dwight Muhammad QawiWBC1983-03-181985-06-06-Vacated Michael SpinksWBC1985-12-101986-04-30 JB WilliamsonWBC1986-04-301987-03-07 Dennis AndriesWBC1987-03-071987-Vacated Thomas HearnsWBC1987-11-271988-11-07 Donny LalondeWBC1988-11-071989-Vacated Sugar Ray LeonardWBC1989-02-211989-06-24 Dennis AndriesWBC1989-06-241990-07-28 Jeff HardingWBC1990-07-281991-09-11 Dennis AndriesWBC1991-09-111994-07-23 Jeff HardingWBC1994-07-231995-06-16 Mike McCallumWBC1995-06-161997-03-Vacated Fabrice TiozzoWBC1997-031997-03-21 Roy Jones Jr.WBC1997-03-211997-08-07 Montell GriffinWBC1997-08-072003-03-01-Vacated Roy Jones Jr.WBC1998-03-212000-04-15 Graciano RocchigianiWBC2003-04-232003-11-08 Antonio TarverWBC2003-11-082004-05-15 Roy Jones Jr.WBC2004-05-152004-12-Stripped Antonio TarverWBC2005-05-212007-02-03 Tomasz AdamekWBC2007-02-032008-07-11-Stripped Chad DawsonWBC2008-07-112009-06-19 Adrian DiaconuWBC2009-06-192011-05-21 Jean PascalWBC2011-05-212012-04-28 Bernard HopkinsWBC2012-04-282013-06-08 Chad DawsonWBC2013-06-082018-12-01 Adonis StevensonWBC2018-12-012019-10-18 Oleksandr GvozdykWBC2019-10-182025-02-22 Artur BeterbievWBC2025-02-222025-04-07-Vacated Dmitry BivolWBC 2025-04-07Present David BenavidezWBC WBA Title inaugurated1963-06-011965-03-30 Willie PastranoWBA1965-03-301966-12-16 José Louis TorresWBA1966-12-161968-05-24 Dick TigerWBA1968-05-241970-12-09-Stripped Bob FosterWBA1971-02-271972-04-07 Vicente RondonWBA1972-04-071974-09-16-Vacated Bob FosterWBA1974-12-071978-09-15 Victor GalindezWBA1978-09-151979-04-14 Mike RossmanWBA1979-04-141979-11-30 Victor GalindezWBA1979-11-301980-03-31 Marvin JohnsonWBA1980-03-311981-07-18 Eddie Mustafa MuhammadWBA1981-07-181985-09-21-Vacated Michael SpinksWBA1986-02-091987-05-23 Marvin JohnsonWBA1987-05-231987-09-05 Leslie StewartWBA1987-09-051991-06-03 Virgil HillWBA1991-06-031992-03-20 Thomas HearnsWBA1992-03-201992-Vacated Iran BarkleyWBA1992-09-291997-06-13 Virgil HillWBA1997-06-131997-07-01-Vacated Dariusz MichalczewskiWBA1997-09-201998-07-18 Lou Del ValleWBA1998-07-182004-05-15 Roy Jones Jr.WBA Super Champion2001-12-222003-03-08 Bruno GirardWBA Regular Champion2003-03-082003-10-10 Mehdi SahnouneWBA Regular Champion2003-10-102004-03-20 Silvio BrancoWBA Regular Champion2004-03-202006-10-19-Retired Fabrice TiozzoWBA Regular Champion2004-05-152004-12-Stripped Antonio TarverWBA Super Champion2006-10-192007-04-28 Silvio BrancoWBA2007-04-282007-12-16 Stipe DrvisWBA2007-12-162008-03-25-Retired Danny GreenWBA2008-07-032009-06-20 Hugo GarayWBA2009-06-202010-01-29 Gabriel CampilloWBA2010-01-292014-04-19 Beibut ShumenovWBA Super Champion2013-12-142016-10-01 Juergen BraehmerWBA Regular Champion2014-04-192014-11-08 Bernard HopkinsWBA Super Champion 2014-11-082016-11-19 Sergey KovalevWBA Super Champion2016-10-012017-08-26 Nathan CleverlyWBA Regular Champion2016-11-192017-09-21-Vacated Andre WardWBA Super Champion2017-08-262017-09-21-Elevated Badou JackWBA Regular Champion2017-09-212017-09-23-Vacated Badou JackWBA Champion2017-09-232024-10-12 Dmitry BivolWBA Super Champion2019-10-102021-07-09-Stripped Jean PascalWBA Regular Champion2024-08-032025-02-01 David MorrellWBA Regular Champion 2024-10-122025-02-22 Artur BeterbievWBA Super Champion2025-02-01Present David BenavidezWBA Regular Champion 2025-02-22Present Dmitry BivolWBA Super Champion IBF Title inaugurated1984-02-251985-09-21-Vacated Michael SpinksIBF1985-12-211986-09-06 Slobodan KačarIBF1986-09-061987-10-29 Bobby CzyzIBF1987-10-291993-03-20 Charles WilliamsIBF1993-03-201996-11-23 Henry MaskeIBF1996-11-231997-06-13 Virgil HillIBF1997-06-131997-06-16-Vacated Dariusz MichalczewskiIBF1997-07-191998-02-06 William GuthrieIBF1998-02-061999-06-05 Reggie JohnsonIBF1999-06-052003-03-01-Vacated Roy Jones Jr.IBF2003-04-262003-11-08-Stripped Antonio TarverIBF2004-02-062004-12-Vacated Glen JohnsonIBF2005-03-042008-04-12 Clinton WoodsIBF2008-04-122008-10-11 Antonio TarverIBF2008-10-112009-05-27-Vacated Chad DawsonIBF2009-08-282013-03-09 Tavoris CloudIBF2013-03-092014-11-08 Bernard HopkinsIBF2014-11-082016-11-19 Sergey KovalevIBF2016-11-192017-09-21-Vacated Andre WardIBF2017-11-112025-02-22 Artur BeterbievIBF2025-02-22Present Dmitry BivolIBF WBO Title inaugurated1988-12-031990-12-15-Vacated Michael MoorerWBO1991-05-091994-09-10 Leeonzer BarberWBO1994-09-102003-10-18 Dariusz MichalczewskiWBO2003-10-182004-01-17 Julio César GonzálezWBO2004-01-172009-11-Vacated Zsolt ErdeiWBO2009-11-132011-05-19-Stripped Jürgen BrähmerWBO2011-05-192013-08-17 Nathan CleverlyWBO2013-08-172016-11-19 Sergey KovalevWBO2016-11-192017-09-21-Vacated Andre WardWBO2017-11-252018-08-04 Sergey KovalevWBO2018-08-042019-02-02 Eleider ÁlvarezWBO2019-02-022019-11-02 Sergey KovalevWBO2019-11-022019-12-17 Vacated Canelo ÁlvarezWBO2021-04-102022-06-18 Joe Smith Jr.WBO2022-06-182025-02-22 Artur BeterbievWBO2025-02-22Present Dmitry BivolWBO

See also List of British world boxing champions

References

External links

World Title Lineages