A quadruple champion in boxing refers to a boxer who has won world titles in four different categories of weight.
Recognition Major sanctioning bodies There is some dispute on which sanctioning body is considered "major" enough to award championships. The "Big 4" sanctioning bodies are always included. They are arranged in order of foundation:
World Boxing Association (WBA) — founded in 1921 World Boxing Council (WBC) — founded in 1963 International Boxing Federation (IBF) — founded in 1983 World Boxing Organization (WBO) — founded in 1988
The Ring The Ring, a well known boxing magazine, has awarded world championships in professional boxing within each weight class from its foundation in 1922 until the 1990s, and again since 2001. The Ring champions were at one point held the linear reign to the throne, the man who beat the man. The lineal champion is also known as the true champion of the division. The Ring stopped giving belts to world champions in the 1990s but began again in 2002.
In 2002, The Ring attempted to clear up the confusion regarding world champions by creating a championship policy. It echoed many critics' arguments that the sanctioning bodies in charge of boxing championships had undermined the sport by pitting undeserving contenders against undeserving "champions", and forcing the boxing public to see mismatches for so-called "world championships". The Ring attempted to clear up the confusion regarding world champions by creating a championship policy that is "intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class." The Ring claims to be more authoritative and open than the sanctioning bodies' rankings, with a page devoted to full explanations for ranking changes. A fighter pays no sanctioning fees to defend or fight for the title at stake, contrary to practices of the sanctioning bodies. Furthermore, a fighter cannot be stripped of the title unless he loses, decides to move to a different weight division, or retires.
There are currently only two ways that a boxer can win The Rings title: defeat the reigning champion; or win a box-off between the magazine's number-one and number-two rated contenders (or, sometimes, number-one and number-three rated). A vacant Ring championship is filled when the number-one contender in a weight-division battles the number-two contender or the number-three contender (in cases where The Ring determines that the number-two and number-three contenders are close in abilities and records).
In May 2012, citing the number of vacancies in various weight classes as primary motivation, The Ring unveiled a new championship policy. Under the new policy, The Ring title can be awarded when the No. 1 and No. 2 fighters face one another or when the Nos. 1 and 2 contenders choose not to fight one another and either of them fights No. 3, No. 4 or No. 5, the winner may be awarded The Ring belt. In addition, there are now six ways for a fighter to lose his title: lose a fight in his championship weight class; move to another weight class; not schedule a fight in any weight class for 18 months; not schedule a fight in his championship weight class for 18 months, even if fighting at another weight class; not scheduling a fight with a top 5 contender in any weight class for two years; or retiring.
Many media outlets and members are extremely critical of the new championship policy and state that if this new policy is followed The Ring title will lose the credibility it once held.
Lineal The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (TBRB) hands out the official version of the lineal championship. TBRB awards vacant championships when the two top-ranked fighters in any division meet and currently recognizes legitimate world champions or "true champions" each weight classes. The Board was formed to continue where The Ring "left off" in the aftermath of its purchase by Golden Boy Promotions in 2007 and the following dismissal of Nigel Collins. After the new editors announced a controversial new championship policy in May 2012, three prominent members of the Ring Advisory Panel resigned. This three members (Springs Toledo, Cliff Rold and Tim Starks) became the founding members of the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, which was formed over the summer of 2012 with the assistance of Stewart Howe of England.
Since 2012, lineal champions are predetermined by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board, which promotes the concept of a singular world champion per weight class. Lineal champions are listed on Cyber Boxing Zone website which list lineal champions of the Queensberry Era to date.
Minor sanctioning bodies They are: International Boxing Organization (IBO), World Professional Boxing Federation (WPBF), International Boxing Association (IBA), International Boxing Council (IBC), International Boxing Board (IBB), International Boxing League (IBL), International Boxing Union (IBU), Global Boxing Association (GBA), Global Boxing Council (GBC), Global Boxing Federation GBF, Global Boxing Organization (GBO), Global Boxing Union (GBU), National Boxing Association (NBA), Transcontinental World Boxing Association (TWBA), Universal Boxing Association (UBA), Universal Boxing Council (UBC), Universal Boxing Federation (UBF), Universal Boxing Organization (UBO), UNIBOX, United States Boxing Council (USBC), World Athletic Association (WAA), World Boxing Board (WBB), World Boxing Championship Committee (WBCC), World Boxing Foundation (WBFo), World Boxing Institute (WBI), World Boxing League (WBL), World Boxing Network (WBN), World Boxing Union (WBU).
Note:
The International Boxing Association (IBA) is not to be confused with the International Boxing Association (AIBA), a French acronym for Association Internationale de Boxe Amateur, which sanctions amateur matches. The National Boxing Association (NBA) was established in 1984 and is not to be confused with the original National Boxing Association that was established in 1921 and changed its name to World Boxing Association (WBA) in 1962.
List of men's quadruple champions This list is credited for boxers who have won championships in boxing from major sanctioning bodies (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO), The Ring.WBA has four recognized world champions, Super, Undisputed, Unified, and Regular. The highest tier title is considered the primary champion of the division. Only boxers who are in the primary champion lineage are listed.
The ranking of WBA's primary champions are as follows: Super/Undisputed Unified Regular
Inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame World Titles from The Ring ‡WBA Regular Champion as primary title because WBA Super, Undisputed, and Unified is vacant/vacated during his title reign.
No.NameTitlesDateOpponentResult1 Thomas HearnsWBA Welterweight Aug 2, 1980 Pipino CuevasTKO 2/15WBC Light middleweight Dec 3, 1982 Wilfred BenítezMD 15/15The Ring Light middleweight WBC Light heavyweight Mar 7, 1987 Dennis AndriesTKO 10/12WBC Middleweight Oct 29, 1987 Juan Domingo RoldánKO 4/12WBA Light heavyweight Mar 6, 1991 Virgil HillUD 12/122 Sugar Ray LeonardWBC Welterweight Nov 30, 1979 Wilfred Benítez TKO 15/15 The Ring Welterweight WBC Welterweight – (2)Nov 25, 1980 Roberto DuránTKO 8/15 The Ring Welterweight – (2)WBA Light middleweight Jun 25, 1981 Ayub Kalule TKO 9/15 The Ring Light middleweight WBA Welterweight Sep 16, 1981 Thomas HearnsTKO 14/15WBC Middleweight Apr 6, 1987 Marvin Hagler SD 12/12 The Ring Middleweight WBC Super middleweight Nov 7, 1988 Don Lalonde TKO 9/123 Roberto DuránWBA Lightweight Jun 26, 1972 Ken Buchanan TKO 13/15 The Ring Lightweight WBC Lightweight Jan 21, 1978 Esteban de JesúsTKO 12/15WBC Welterweight Jun 20, 1980 Sugar Ray Leonard UD 15/15 The Ring Welterweight WBA Light middleweight Jun 16, 1983 Davey Moore TKO 8/15WBC Middleweight Feb 24, 1989 Iran Barkley SD 12/124 Pernell WhitakerIBF Lightweight Feb 18, 1989 Greg Haugen UD 12/12 WBC Lightweight Aug 20, 1989 José Luis Ramírez UD 12/12 The Ring LightweightWBA Lightweight Aug 11, 1990 Juan NazarioKO 1/12IBF Light welterweight Jul 18, 1992 Rafael Pineda UD 12/12WBC Welterweight Mar 6, 1993 James McGirtUD 12/12WBA Light middleweight Mar 4, 1995 Julio César Vásquez UD 12/125 Oscar De La HoyaWBO Super featherweight Mar 5, 1994 Jimmy BredahlTKO 10/12WBO Lightweight Feb 18, 1995 John-John MolinaUD 12/12IBF Lightweight May 6, 1995 Rafael RuelasTKO 2/12WBC Light welterweight Jun 7, 1996 Julio César Chávez TKO 4/12WBC Welterweight Apr 12, 1997 Pernell Whitaker UD 12/12WBC Welterweight – (2)Mar 21, 2000No. 1 contender promoted6 Leo GámezWBA Mini flyweight Jan 10, 1988 Kim Bong Jun UD 12/12WBA Light flyweight Oct 21, 1993 Shiro Yahiro TKO 9/12WBA Flyweight Mar 13, 1999 Hugo Rafael Soto KO 3/12WBA Super flyweight Oct 9, 2000 Hideki Todaka KO 7/127 Roy Jones Jr.IBF Middleweight May 22, 1993 Bernard Hopkins UD 12/12IBF Super middleweight Oct 21, 1993 James Toney UD 12/12WBC Light heavyweight Jan 13, 1997Interim promotedWBC Light heavyweight – (2) Aug 7, 1997 Montell Griffin KO 1/12WBC Light heavyweight – (3) Jun 1998ReinstatedWBA Light heavyweight, Jul 18, 1998 Lou Del ValleUD 12/12Dec 2000Aug 5, 2002IBF Light heavyweight Jun 5, 1999 Reggie JohnsonUD 12/12 The Ring Light heavyweight Dec 2, 2001 Awarded}WBA Heavyweight Mar 1, 2003 John Ruiz UD 12/12WBA (Unified) Light heavyweight – (2) Nov 8, 2003 Antonio Tarver UD 12/12WBC Light heavyweight – (4) 8 Floyd Mayweather Jr.WBC Super featherweight Oct 3, 1998 Genaro Hernandez RTD 8/12WBC Lightweight Apr 20, 2002 José Luis Castillo UD 12/12 The Ring Lightweight WBC Light welterweightJun 25, 2005 Arturo GattiTKO 6/12IBF Welterweight Apr 8, 2006 Zab JudahUD 12/12WBC WelterweightNov 4, 2006 Carlos Baldomir UD 12/12 The Ring Welterweight WBC Welterweight – (2)Dec 17, 2011 Victor OrtizKO