List of NYSAC world champions

This is a list of NYSAC world champions, showing every world champion certified by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC).

The NYSAC was established after the Frawley Law was enacted on July 26, 1911, which legalized the sport of boxing in the state of New York. As the first such commission established in the United States, the NYSAC became the preeminent boxing entity in the world, proceeding to recognize several reigning world champions with its own world title. Previously, champions were only recognized by "public acclamation," and the NYSAC title was thus a way for champions to have official recognition. The first champions to be recognized by the NYSAC were lineal heavyweight champion Jack Johnson and lineal bantamweight champion Johnny Coulon, who were awarded their titles in August 1911. Over the next few years, the NYSAC crowned champions in the lightweight, middleweight, and light-heavyweight divisions.

On May 13, 1917, the Frawley Law was repealed by the Slater bill, leading to the disbandment of the NYSAC and a temporary end to their championship lineages. The Walker Law, signed into law on May 24, 1920, made boxing legal again in New York, and the NYSAC and its championship lineages were reestablished. During its second incarnation, the NYSAC also recognized champions in the flyweight, junior-featherweight, junior-lightweight, junior-welterweight, and welterweight divisions, though the junior-featherweight title lasted for little more than a year while the junior-featherweight division was discontinued in 1929; the flyweight title remained vacant after 1938.

By 1963, the NYSAC had come under the auspices of the newly created World Boxing Council (WBC), which saw a gradual phasing out of the NYSAC's titles as the WBC inaugurated its own title lineages. The last champion to be recognized by the NYSAC was Hedgemon Lewis, who continued to hold his title until August 3, 1974, after losing an undisputed title bout with WBC champion José Nápoles.

Most consecutive title defenses

Heavyweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Jack Johnson()Aug 1911 – 5 April 191532 Jess Willard5 April 1915 – 14 Nov 191703 Jack Dempsey()25 Mar 1920 – 23 Sep 192654 Gene Tunney23 Sep 1926 – 31 Jul 192825 Max Schmeling()12 Jun 1930 – 6 Jan 193106 Max Schmeling (2)()22 Jan 1932 – 21 Jun 193207 Jack Sharkey21 Jun 1932 – 29 Jun 193308 Primo Carnera29 Jun 1933 – 14 Jun 193419 Max Baer14 Jun 1934 – 13 Jun 1935010 James J. Braddock13 Jun 1935 – 22 Jun 1937011 Joe Louis22 Jun 1937 – 28 Feb 19492512 Ezzard Charles()27 Sep 1950 – 18 Jul 1951413 Jersey Joe Walcott18 Jul 1951 – 23 Sep 1952114 Rocky Marciano23 Sep 1952 – 27 Apr 1956615 Floyd Patterson()30 Nov 1956 – 26 Jun 1959316 Ingemar Johansson26 Jun 1959 – 20 Jun 1960017 Floyd Patterson (2)20 Jun 1960 – 25 Sep 1962218 Sonny Liston25 Sep 1962 – 25 Feb 1964119 Muhammad Ali25 Feb 1964 – 28 Apr 1967920 Joe Frazier()4 Mar 1968 – 16 Feb 19705

Light heavyweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Bob Moha()Aug 1913 – 15 Jun 191422 Jack Dillon15 Jun 1914 – 24 Oct 191633 Battling Levinsky24 Oct 1916 – 14 Nov 19171 Battling Levinsky – 25 Mar – 12 Oct 192014 Georges Carpentier()12 Oct 1920 – 24 Sep 192215 Battling Siki24 Sep 1922 – 17 Mar 192306 Mike McTigue17 Mar 1923 – 30 May 192517 Paul Berlenbach30 May 1925 – 16 Jul 192638 Jack Delaney16 July 1926 – 26 July 192719 Mike McTigue()26 July 1927 – 7 Oct 1927010 Tommy Loughran7 Oct 1927 – 3 Sep 1929611 Jimmy Slattery()10 Feb 1930 – 25 Jun 1930012 Maxie Rosenbloom25 Jun 1930 – 16 Nov 1934713 Bob Olin16 Nov 1934 – 31 Oct 1935014 John Henry Lewis31 Oct 1935 – 28 Jul 1938515 Melio Bettina()3 Feb 1939 – 13 Jul 1939016 Billy Conn13 Jul 1939 – 3 Jun 1941317 Gus Lesnevich()26 Aug 1941 – 26 Jul 1948 418 Freddie Mills26 Jul 1948 – 24 Jan 1950019 Joey Maxim24 Jan 1950 – 17 Dec 1952220 Archie Moore17 Dec 1952 – 12 May 1962921 Harold Johnson()12 May 1962 – 14 Feb 19631

Middleweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Frank Klaus()24 Jun 1912 – 11 Oct 191312 George Chip11 Oct 1913 – 7 Apr 191453 Al McCoy7 Apr 1914 – 14 Nov 191774 Mike O'Dowd14 Nov 19170 Mike O'Dowd – 25 Mar – 6 May 192005 Johnny Wilson6 May 1920 – 21 Jun 192246 Dave Rosenberg14 Aug – 30 Nov 192207 Mike O'Dowd (2)30 Nov 1922 – 16 Mar 192308 Jock Malone16 Mar – 12 Apr 192309 Johnny Wilson (2)12 Apr – 31 Aug 1923110 Harry Greb31 Aug 1923 – 25 Feb 1926411 Tiger Flowers25 Feb – 3 Dec 1926112 Mickey Walker3 Dec 1926 – 31 Jan 1931313 Ben Jeby()13 Jan – 9 Aug 1933214 Lou Brouillard9 Aug – 30 Oct 1933115 Vince Dundee30 Oct 1933 – 11 Sep 1934216 Teddy Yarosz11 Sep 1934 – 19 Sep 1935017 Eddie Babe Risko19 Sep 1935 – 11 Jul 1936118 Freddie Steele11 Jul 1936 – May 1938519 Fred Apostoli()11 Nov 1938 – 2 Oct 1939020 Ceferino Garcia2 Oct 1939 – 23 May 1940121 Ken Overlin23 May 1940 – 9 May 1941222 Billy Soose9 May – Nov 1941023 Tony Zale()28 Nov 1941 – 16 Jul 1947124 Tony Zale (2)()10 Jun – 21 Sep 1948025 Marcel Cerdan21 Sep 1948 – 16 Jun 1949026 Jake LaMotta16 Jun 1949 – 14 Feb 1951227 Sugar Ray Robinson14 Feb – 10 Jul 1951 028 Randolph Turpin10 Jul – 12 Sep 1951029 Sugar Ray Robinson (2)12 Sep 1951 – 4 Dec 1952230 Bobo Olson()21 Oct 1953 – 9 Dec 1955331 Sugar Ray Robinson (3)9 Dec 1955 – 2 Jan 1957132 Gene Fullmer2 Jan – 1 May 1957 033 Sugar Ray Robinson (4)1 May – 23 Sep 1957 034 Carmen Basilio23 Sep 1957 – 25 Mar 1958035 Sugar Ray Robinson (5)25 Mar 1958 – 2 Jan 1960036 Paul Pender()2 Jan 1960 – 11 Jul 1961337 Terry Downes11 Jul 1961 – 7 Apr 1962038 Paul Pender (2)7 Apr – 9 Nov 1962039 Dick Tiger()9 Nov 1962 – 10 Aug 19631

Welterweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Jack Britton()25 Mar 1920 – 1 Nov 192292 Mickey Walker1 Nov 1922 – 6 Jun 192313 Dave Shade()6 Jun – 27 Jul 192304 Jimmy Jones27 Jul – 8 Oct 192305 Mickey Walker (2)()31 Oct 1923 – 20 May 192616 Pete Latzo20 May 1926 – 3 Jun 192727 Joe Dundee3 Jun 1927 – 25 Jul 192918 Jackie Fields25 Jul 1929 – 9 May 193009 Jack Thompson9 May – 5 Sep 1930010 Tommy Freeman5 Sep 1930 – 14 Apr 1931011 Jack Thompson (2)14 Apr – 23 Oct 1931012 Lou Brouillard23 Oct 1931 – 28 Jan 1932013 Jackie Fields (2)28 Jan 1932 – 22 Feb 1933014 Young Corbett III22 Feb – 29 May 1933015 Jimmy McLarnin29 May 1933 – 28 May 1934016 Barney Ross28 May – 17 Sep 1934017 Jimmy McLarnin (2)17 Sep 1934 – 28 May 1935018 Barney Ross (2)28 May 1935 – 31 May 1938219 Henry Armstrong31 May 1938 – 4 Oct 19401920 Fritzie Zivic4 Oct 1940 – 29 Jul 1941121 Freddie Cochrane29 Jul 1941 – 1 Feb 1946022 Marty Servo1 Feb – 3 Sep 1946023 Sugar Ray Robinson()20 Dec 1946 – 14 Feb 1951524 Kid Gavilán()18 May 1951 – 20 Oct 1954725 Johnny Saxton20 Oct 1954 – 1 Apr 1955026 Tony DeMarco1 Apr – 10 Jun 1955027 Carmen Basilio10 Jun 1955 – 14 Mar 1956028 Johnny Saxton (2)14 Mar – 12 Sep 1956029 Carmen Basilio (2)12 Sep 1956 – 23 Sep 1957130 Virgil Akins()6 Jun – 5 Dec 1958031 Don Jordan5 Dec 1958 – 27 May 1960232 Benny Paret27 May 1960 – 1 Apr 1961133 Emile Griffith1 Apr – 30 Sep 1961134 Benny Paret (2)30 Sep 1961 – 24 Mar 1962035 Emile Griffith (2)24 Mar 1962 – 21 Mar 1963236 Luis Manuel Rodríguez21 Mar – 8 Jun 1963037 Emile Griffith (3)8 Jun 1963 – 1 Aug 1966538 Curtis Cokes()24 Aug 1966 – 18 Apr 1969539 José Nápoles18 Apr 1969 – 3 Dec 1970340 Billy Backus3 Dec 1970 – 4 Jun 1971041 José Nápoles (2)4 Jun – 1 Nov 1971042 Hedgemon Lewis()16 Jun 1972 – 3 Aug 19741

Junior welterweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Pinky Mitchell()22 Nov 1922 – Aug 192502 Willie Harmon()14 Aug 1925 – Aug 192603 Pinky Mitchell (2)()Aug 1926 – 21 Sep 192604 Mushy Callahan21 Sep 1926 – 18 Feb 193015 Jack Kid Berg18 Feb 1930 – 24 Apr 193186 Tony Canzoneri24 Apr 1931 – 18 Jan 193237 Johnny Jadick18 Jan 1932 – 6 February 193318 Tippy Larkin()29 Apr – 5 Nov 194619 Carlos Ortiz()12 Jun 1959 – 1 Sep 1960210 Duilio Loi1 Sep 1960 – 14 Sep 1962211 Eddie Perkins14 Sep 1962 – 15 Dec 1962012 Duilio Loi (2)15 Dec 1962 – 24 Jan 19630

Lightweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Benny Leonard()May 28 – 14 Nov 19171 Benny Leonard – 25 Mar 1920 – 15 Jan 192562 Jimmy Goodrich()13 Jul – 7 Dec 192503 Rocky Kansas7 Dec 1925 – 3 Jul 192604 Sammy Mandell3 Jul 1926 – 17 Jul 193055 Al Singer17 Jul – 14 Nov 193006 Tony Canzoneri14 Nov 1930 – 23 Jun 193347 Barney Ross23 Jun 1933 – 15 Apr 193518 Tony Canzoneri (2)()10 May 1935 – 3 Sep 193619 Lou Ambers3 Sep 1936 – 17 Aug 1938210 Henry Armstrong17 Aug 1938 – 22 Aug 1939111 Lou Ambers (2)22 Aug 1939 – 10 May 1940012 Lew Jenkins10 May 1940 – 19 Dec 1941113 Sammy Angott19 Dec 1941 – 14 Nov 1942114 Beau Jack ()18 Dec 1942 – 21 May 1943015 Bob Montgomery21 May – 19 Nov 1943016 Beau Jack (2)19 Nov 1943 – 3 Mar 1944017 Bob Montgomery (2)3 Mar 1944 – 4 Aug 1947218 Ike Williams4 Aug 1947 – 25 May 1951519 Jimmy Carter25 May 1951 – 14 May 1952220 Lauro Salas14 May – 15 Oct 1952021 Jimmy Carter (2)15 Oct 1952 – 5 Mar 1954322 Paddy DeMarco5 Mar – 17 Nov 1954023 Jimmy Carter (3)17 Nov 1954 – 29 Jun 1955024 Wallace Bud Smith29 Jun 1955 – 24 Aug 1956125 Joe Brown24 Aug 1956 – 21 Apr 19621126 Carlos Ortiz21 Apr 1962 – 7 Apr 19631

Junior lightweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Johnny Dundee()18 Nov 1921 – 30 May 192332 Jack Bernstein30 May – 17 Dec 192313 Johnny Dundee (2)17 Dec 1923 – 20 Jun 192404 Steve Sullivan20 Jun 1924 – 1 Apr 192525 Mike Ballerino1 Apr – 2 Dec 192516 Tod Morgan2 Dec 1925 – 19 Dec 1929127 Benny Bass19 Dec – 31 Dec 19290

Featherweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Johnny Kilbane()25 Mar 1920 – 21 Jun 192212 Johnny Dundee()15 Aug 1922 – May 192303 Johnny Kilbane (2)()May – 2 Jun 192304 Eugène Criqui2 Jun – 26 Jul 192305 Johnny Dundee (2)26 Jul 1923 – 20 Aug 192406 Kid Kaplan()2 Jan 1925 – 6 Jul 192637 Tony Canzoneri()24 Oct 1927 – 28 Sep 192818 André Routis28 Sep 1928 – 23 Sep 192919 Christopher Battalino23 Sep 1929 – 8 Jan 1932510 Kid Chocolate()13 Oct 1932 – 19 Feb 1934211 Baby Arizmendi()30 Aug 1934 – 19 May 1936012 Mike Belloise()19 May 1936 – 10 Aug 1937 113 Henry Armstrong()29 Oct 1937 – 12 Sep 1938014 Joey Archibald()17 Oct 1938 – 20 May 1940215 Harry Jeffra20 May 1940 – 12 May 1941116 Joey Archibald (2)12 May – 11 Sep 1941017 Chalky Wright11 Sep 1941 – 20 Nov 1942218 Willie Pep20 Nov 1942 – 29 Oct 1948619 Sandy Saddler29 Oct 1948 – 11 Feb 1949020 Willie Pep (2)11 Feb 1949 – 8 Sep 1950321 Sandy Saddler (2)8 Sep 1950 – 21 Jan 1957322 Hogan Bassey()24 Jun 1957 – 18 Mar 1959123 Davey Moore18 Mar 1959 – 21 Mar 1963524 Sugar Ramos21 Mar 19630

Junior featherweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Jack "Kid" Wolfe()21 Sep 1922 – 29 Aug 192302 Carl Duane 29 Aug 1923 – November 19230

Bantamweight No.NameReignDefenses1 Johnny Coulon()18 Aug 1911 – 9 Jun 191482 Kid Williams9 Jun 1914 – 10 Sep 19152 Kid Williams – 10 Sep 1915 – 9 Jan 191743 Johnny Ertle10 Sep 1915 – 9 Jan 1917114 Pete Herman9 Jan 1917 – 14 Nov 1917 1 Pete Herman – 25 Mar 1920 – 22 Dec 1920 05 Joe Lynch22 Dec 1920 – 25 Jul 192116 Pete Herman (2)25 July – 23 Sep 192107 Johnny Buff 23 Sep 1921 – 10 Jul 192218 Joe Lynch (2)10 Jul 1922 – 19 Oct 192339 Joe Burman19 Oct 1923010 Abe Goldstein19 Oct 1923 – 19 Dec 1924411 Eddie Martin19 Dec 1924 – 20 Mar 1925112 Charlie Phil Rosenberg20 Mar 1925 – 4 Feb 1927213 Bushy Graham()23 May 1928 – Jan 1929014 Panamá Al Brown()18 Jun 1929 – 27 Mar 1934915 Louis Salica()26 Aug – 15 Nov 1935016 Sixto Escobar15 Nov 1935 – 23 Sep 1937317 Harry Jeffra23 Sep 1937 – 20 Feb 1938018 Sixto Escobar (2)20 Feb 1938 – 27 Oct 1939119 Louis Salica (2)()17 Nov 1939 – 15 Dec 1942420 Manuel Ortiz()10 Mar 1943 – 6 Jan 19471221 Harold Dade6 Jan – 11 Mar 1947022 Manuel Ortiz (2)11 Mar 1947 – 31 May 1950423 Vic Toweel31 May 1950 – 15 Nov 1952324 Jimmy Carruthers15 Nov 1952 – 3 May 1954325 Robert Cohen()19 Sep 1954 – 29 Jun 1956125 Mario D'Agata29 Jun 1956 – 1 Apr 1957026 Alphonse Halimi1 Apr 1957 – 8 Jul 1959127 José Becerra8 Jul 1959 – 30 Aug 1960228 Éder Jofre()18 Jan 1962 – 4 Apr 19632

Flyweight