List of world light-heavyweight boxing champions

Template:Short description 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 Began	Reign Ended	Champion	Recognition
World
1903-04-22	1903-07-04	Template:Flagicon Jack Root	World
1903-07-04	1903-11-25	Template:Flagicon George Gardiner	World
The light-heavyweight division was not recognized outside North America until the Gardiner-Fitzsimmons title fight of November 1903
1903-11-25	1905-12-20	Template:Flagicon Bob Fitzsimmons	World
1905-12-20	1905-12-20-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Philadelphia Jack O'Brien	World
1913-02-17	1914-06-15	Template:Flagicon Bob Moha	NYSAC
1914-04-14	1916-10-24	Template:Flagicon Jack Dillon	World
1916-10-24	1920-10-12	Template:Flagicon Battling Levinsky	World
1920-10-12	1922-09-24	Template:Flagicon Georges Carpentier	World
1922-09-24	1923-03-17	Template:Flagicon Battling Siki	World
1923-03-17	1925-05-30	Template:Flagicon Mike McTigue	World
1925-05-30	1926-07-16	Template:Flagicon Paul Berlenbach	World
1926-07-16	1927-07-27-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Jack Delaney	World
Delaney vacated the title to campaign in the heavyweight division.
1927-08-30	1927-12-12	Template:Flagicon Jimmy Slattery	NBA
1927-10-07	1929-07-18-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Tommy Loughran	NYSAC
1930-02-10	1930-06-25	Template:Flagicon Jimmy Slattery	NYSAC
1930-06-25	1933-03-10	Template:Flagicon Maxie Rosenbloom	NYSAC
1932-03-18	1932-12-17-Stripped	Template:Flagicon George Nichols	NBA
Nichols was stripped of the title after losing a non-title bout to Lou Scozza.
Awarded the title	1933-03-01	Template:Flagicon Joe Knight	NBA
1933-03-01	1933-03-24	Template:Flagicon Bob Godwin	NBA
1933-03-24	1934-11-16	Template:Flagicon Maxie Rosenbloom	World
1934-11-16	1935-10-31	Template:Flagicon Bob Olin	World
1935-10-31	1938-10-28-Vacated	Template:Flagicon John Henry Lewis	World
Lewis retired due to failing eyesight.
1938-11-29	1939-02-03	Template:Flagicon Tiger Jack Fox	NYSAC
1939-02-03	1939-07-13	Template:Flagicon Melio Bettina	NYSAC
1939-07-10	1942-06-20	Template:Flagicon Len Harvey	EBU
1939-07-13	1940-06-05-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Billy Conn	NBA/NYSAC
1941-01-13	1941-05-22	Template:Flagicon Anton Christoforidis	NBA
1941-05-22	1941-11-14	Template:Flagicon Gus Lesnevich	NBA/NYSAC
1942-06-20	1946-05-14	Template:Flagicon Freddie Mills	EBU
1946-05-14	1948-07-26	Template:Flagicon Gus Lesnevich	World
1948-07-26	1950-01-24	Template:Flagicon Freddie Mills	World
1950-01-24	1952-12-17	Template:Flagicon Joey Maxim	World
1952-12-17	1960-10-??	Template:Flagicon Archie Moore	World
Moore was stripped of the NBA title for inactivity but retained the NYSAC and EBU versions.
1960-10-??	1962-02-09	Template:Flagicon Archie Moore	NYSAC/EBU
Moore was stripped of the EBU and NYSAC titles for inactivity.
1961-02-07	1962-05-12	Template:Flagicon Harold Johnson	NBA
1962-05-12	1963-06-01	Template:Flagicon Harold Johnson	World
1963-06-01	1965-03-30	Template:Flagicon Willie Pastrano	WBA/WBC
1965-03-30	1966-12-16	Template:Flagicon José Louis Torres	WBA/WBC
1966-12-16	1968-05-24	Template:Flagicon Dick Tiger	WBA/WBC
Title Split into WBA and WBC Belts
WBC
Title inaugurated
1963-06-01	1965-03-30	Template:Flagicon Willie Pastrano	WBC
1965-05-30	1966-12-16	Template:Flagicon José Louis Torres	WBC
1966-12-16	1968-05-24	Template:Flagicon Dick Tiger	WBC
1968-05-24	1974-06-17-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Bob Foster	WBC
1974-10-01	1977-05-21-Stripped	Template:Flagicon John Conteh	WBC
1977-05-21	1978-01-07	Template:Flagicon Miguel Angel Cuello	WBC
1978-01-07	1978-12-02	Template:Flagicon Mate Parlov	WBC
1978-12-02	1979-04-22	Template:Flagicon Marvin Johnson	WBC
1979-04-22	1981-12-19	Template:Flagicon Matthew Saad Muhammad	WBC
1981-12-19	1983-03-18	Template:Flagicon Dwight Muhammad Qawi	WBC
1983-03-18	1985-06-06-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Michael Spinks	WBC
1985-12-10	1986-04-30	Template:Flagicon JB Williamson	WBC
1986-04-30	1987-03-07	Template:Flagicon Dennis Andries	WBC
1987-03-07	1987-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Thomas Hearns	WBC
1987-11-27	1988-11-07	Template:Flagicon Donny Lalonde	WBC
1988-11-07	1989-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Sugar Ray Leonard	WBC
1989-02-21	1989-06-24	Template:Flagicon Dennis Andries	WBC
1989-06-24	1990-07-28	Template:Flagicon Jeff Harding	WBC
1990-07-28	1991-09-11	Template:Flagicon Dennis Andries	WBC
1991-09-11	1994-07-23	Template:Flagicon Jeff Harding	WBC
1994-07-23	1995-06-16	Template:Flagicon Mike McCallum	WBC
1995-06-16	1997-03-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Fabrice Tiozzo	WBC
1997-03	1997-03-21	Template:Flagicon Roy Jones Jr.	WBC
1997-03-21	1997-08-07	Template:Flagicon Montell Griffin	WBC
1997-08-07	2003-03-01-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Roy Jones Jr.	WBC
1998-03-21	2000-04-15	Template:Flagicon Graciano Rocchigiani	WBC
2003-04-23	2003-11-08	Template:Flagicon Antonio Tarver	WBC
2003-11-08	2004-05-15	Template:Flagicon Roy Jones Jr.	WBC
2004-05-15	2004-12-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Antonio Tarver	WBC
2005-05-21	2007-02-03	Template:Flagicon Tomasz Adamek	WBC
2007-02-03	2008-07-11-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Chad Dawson	WBC
2008-07-11	2009-06-19	Template:Flagicon Adrian Diaconu	WBC
2009-06-19	2011-05-21	Template:Flagicon Jean Pascal	WBC
2011-05-21	2012-04-28	Template:Flagicon Bernard Hopkins	WBC
2012-04-28	2013-06-08	Template:Flagicon Chad Dawson	WBC
2013-06-08	2018-12-01	Template:Flagicon Adonis Stevenson	WBC
2018-12-01	2019-10-18	Template:Flagicon Oleksandr Gvozdyk	WBC
2019-10-18	2025-02-22	Template:Flagicon Artur Beterbiev	WBC
2025-02-22	2025-04-07-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Dmitry Bivol	WBC
2025-04-07	Present	Template:Flagicon David Benavidez	WBC
WBA
Title inaugurated
1963-06-01	1965-03-30	Template:Flagicon Willie Pastrano	WBA
1965-03-30	1966-12-16	Template:Flagicon José Louis Torres	WBA
1966-12-16	1968-05-24	Template:Flagicon Dick Tiger	WBA
1968-05-24	1970-12-09-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Bob Foster	WBA
1971-02-27	1972-04-07	Template:Flagicon Vicente Rondon	WBA
1972-04-07	1974-09-16-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Bob Foster	WBA
1974-12-07	1978-09-15	Template:Flagicon Victor Galindez	WBA
1978-09-15	1979-04-14	Template:Flagicon Mike Rossman	WBA
1979-04-14	1979-11-30	Template:Flagicon Victor Galindez	WBA
1979-11-30	1980-03-31	Template:Flagicon Marvin Johnson	WBA
1980-03-31	1981-07-18	Template:Flagicon Eddie Mustafa Muhammad	WBA
1981-07-18	1985-09-21-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Michael Spinks	WBA
1986-02-09	1987-05-23	Template:Flagicon Marvin Johnson	WBA
1987-05-23	1987-09-05	Template:Flagicon Leslie Stewart	WBA
1987-09-05	1991-06-03	Template:Flagicon Virgil Hill	WBA
1991-06-03	1992-03-20	Template:Flagicon Thomas Hearns	WBA
1992-03-20	1992-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Iran Barkley	WBA
1992-09-29	1997-06-13	Template:Flagicon Virgil Hill	WBA
1997-06-13	1997-07-01-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Dariusz Michalczewski	WBA
1997-09-20	1998-07-18	Template:Flagicon Lou Del Valle	WBA
1998-07-18	2004-05-15	Template:Flagicon Roy Jones Jr.	WBA Super Champion
2001-12-22	2003-03-08	Template:Flagicon Bruno Girard	WBA Regular Champion
2003-03-08	2003-10-10	Template:Flagicon Mehdi Sahnoune	WBA Regular Champion
2003-10-10	2004-03-20	Template:Flagicon Silvio Branco	WBA Regular Champion
2004-03-20	2006-10-19-Retired	Template:Flagicon Fabrice Tiozzo	WBA Regular Champion
2004-05-15	2004-12-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Antonio Tarver	WBA Super Champion
2006-10-19	2007-04-28	Template:Flagicon Silvio Branco	WBA
2007-04-28	2007-12-16	Template:Flagicon Stipe Drvis	WBA
2007-12-16	2008-03-25-Retired	Template:Flagicon Danny Green	WBA
2008-07-03	2009-06-20	Template:Flagicon Hugo Garay	WBA
2009-06-20	2010-01-29	Template:Flagicon Gabriel Campillo	WBA
2010-01-29	2014-04-19	Template:Flagicon Beibut Shumenov	WBA Super Champion
2013-12-14	2016-10-01	Template:Flagicon Juergen Braehmer	WBA Regular Champion
2014-04-19	2014-11-08	Template:Flagicon Bernard Hopkins	WBA Super Champion
2014-11-08	2016-11-19	Template:Flagicon Sergey Kovalev	WBA Super Champion
2016-10-01	Present	Template:Flagicon Nathan Cleverly	WBA Regular Champion
2016-11-19	2017-09-21-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Andre Ward	WBA Super Champion
2017-09-23	2024-10-12	Template:Flagicon Dmitry Bivol	WBA Super Champion
2024-08-03	2025-02-01	Template:Flagicon David Morrell	WBA Regular Champion
2024-10-12	2025-02-22	Template:Flagicon Artur Beterbiev	WBA Super Champion
2025-02-01	Present	Template:Flagicon David Benavidez	WBA Regular Champion
2025-02-22	Present	Template:Flagicon Dmitry Bivol	WBA Super Champion
IBF
Title inaugurated
1984-02-25	1985-09-21-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Michael Spinks	IBF
1985-12-21	1986-09-06	Template:Flagicon Slobodan Kačar	IBF
1986-09-06	1987-10-29	Template:Flagicon Bobby Czyz	IBF
1987-10-29	1993-03-20	Template:Flagicon Charles Williams	IBF
1993-03-20	1996-11-23	Template:Flagicon Henry Maske	IBF
1996-11-23	1997-06-13	Template:Flagicon Virgil Hill	IBF
1997-06-13	1997-06-16-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Dariusz Michalczewski	IBF
1997-07-19	1998-02-06	Template:Flagicon William Guthrie	IBF
1998-02-06	1999-06-05	Template:Flagicon Reggie Johnson	IBF
1999-06-05	2003-03-01-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Roy Jones Jr.	IBF
2003-04-26	2003-11-08-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Antonio Tarver	IBF
2004-02-06	2004-12-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Glen Johnson	IBF
2005-03-04	2008-04-12	Template:Flagicon Clinton Woods	IBF
2008-04-12	2008-10-11	Template:Flagicon Antonio Tarver	IBF
2008-10-11	2009-05-27-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Chad Dawson	IBF
2009-08-28	2013-03-09	Template:Flagicon Tavoris Cloud	IBF
2013-03-09	2014-11-08	Template:Flagicon Bernard Hopkins	IBF
2014-11-08	2016-11-19	Template:Flagicon Sergey Kovalev	IBF
2016-11-19	2017-09-21-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Andre Ward	IBF
2017-11-11	2025-02-22	Template:Flagicon Artur Beterbiev	IBF
2025-02-22	Present	Template:Flagicon Dmitry Bivol	IBF
WBO
Title inaugurated
1988-12-03	1990-12-15-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Michael Moorer	WBO
1991-05-09	1994-09-10	Template:Flagicon Leeonzer Barber	WBO
1994-09-10	2003-10-18	Template:Flagicon Dariusz Michalczewski	WBO
2003-10-18	2004-01-17	Template:Flagicon Julio César González	WBO
2004-01-17	2009-11-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Zsolt Erdei	WBO
2009-11-13	2011-05-19-Stripped	Template:Flagicon Jürgen Brähmer	WBO
2011-05-19	2013-08-17	Template:Flagicon Nathan Cleverly	WBO
2013-08-17	2016-11-19	Template:Flagicon Sergey Kovalev	WBO
2016-11-19	2017-09-21-Vacated	Template:Flagicon Andre Ward	WBO
2017-11-25	2018-08-04	Template:Flagicon Sergey Kovalev	WBO
2018-08-04	2019-02-02	Template:Flagicon Eleider Álvarez	WBO
2019-02-02	2019-11-02	Template:Flagicon Sergey Kovalev	WBO
2019-11-02	2019-12-17 Vacated	Template:Flagicon Canelo Álvarez	WBO
2021-04-10	2022-06-18	Template:Flagicon Joe Smith Jr.	WBO
2022-06-18	2025-02-22	Template:Flagicon Artur Beterbiev	WBO
2025-02-22	Present	Template:Flagicon Dmitry Bivol	WBO

See also

• List of British world boxing champions

External links

• World Title Lineages