List of current world boxing champions
This is a list of current world boxing champions. Since at least John L. Sullivan, in the late 19th century, there have been world champions in professional boxing. The first of today's organizations to award a world title was the World Boxing Association (WBA), then known as the National Boxing Association (NBA), when it sanctioned its first title fight in 1921 between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier for the world heavyweight championship.
There are now four major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing. The official rules and regulations of the World Boxing Association,[1] World Boxing Council (WBC),[2] International Boxing Federation (IBF),[3] and World Boxing Organization (WBO)[4] all recognize each other in their rankings and title unification rules. Each of these organizations sanction and regulate championship bouts and award world titles. American boxing magazine The Ring began awarding world titles in 1922.
There are seventeen weight divisions. To compete in a division, a boxer's weight must not exceed the upper limit. Manny Pacquiao has won world championships in eight different weight divisions, more than any other boxer. The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, held all four major titles in the heavyweight division from 2011 to 2013; they were the first brothers to hold versions of the heavyweight championship at the same time.[5]
Championships
When a champion, for reasons beyond his control such as an illness or injury, is unable to defend his title within the normal mandatory time, the sanctioning bodies may order an interim title bout and award the winner an interim championship. The WBA and WBC may change the status of their inactive champions to "Champion in Recess".
World Boxing Association
The World Boxing Association (WBA) was founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA), a national regulating body of the United States. On August 23, 1962, the NBA became the WBA, which today has its head office in Panama.[6] According to WBA championship rules, when a champion also holds a title of one of the other three major sanctioning bodies in an equivalent weight division, that boxer is granted a special recognition of "Unified Champion", and is given more time between mandatory title defences. The WBA Championships Committee and President may also designate a champion as a "Super Champion" or "Undisputed Champion" in exceptional circumstances;[1] the standard WBA title is then vacated and contested between WBA-ranked contenders. When a WBA "Regular Champion" makes between five and ten successful defences, he may be granted the WBA "Super" title upon discretion of a vote of the WBA's board of governors.
World Boxing Council
The World Boxing Council (WBC) was founded in Mexico City, Mexico on February 14, 1963 in order to establish an international regulating body.[7] The WBC established many of today's safety measures in boxing, such as the standing eight count,[8] a limit of 12 rounds instead of 15, and additional weight divisions. More information about the WBC's titles including "Silver", "Diamond", "Emeritus", "Honorary", and "Supreme Champion" can be read at the WBC article.
International Boxing Federation
The International Boxing Federation (IBF) originated in September 1976 as the United States Boxing Association (USBA) when American members of the WBA withdrew in order to legitimize boxing in the United States with "unbiased" ratings.[9] In April 1983, the organization established an international division that was known as the United States Boxing Association-International (USBA-I).[9] In May 1984, the New Jersey-based USBA-I was renamed and became the IBF.[9]
World Boxing Organization
The World Boxing Organization (WBO) was founded in San Juan, Puerto Rico (which is a self-governing commonwealth of the United States) in 1988. In its early years the WBO's titles were not widely recognized. By 2012 when the Japan Boxing Commission officially recognized the governing body, it had gained similar status to the other three major sanctioning bodies. Its motto is "dignity, democracy, honesty."[10] When a WBO champion has reached "preeminent status", the WBO's Executive Committee may designate him as a "Super Champion".[11] However, this is only an honorary title and not the same as the WBA's policy of having separate "Super" and "Regular" champions. A WBO "Super Champion" cannot win or lose that recognition in the ring; it is merely awarded by the WBO.
The Ring
The boxing magazine The Ring maintains its own version of the lineal championship. The original title sequence began from the magazine's first publication in the 1920s until its titles were placed on hiatus in 1989, continuing as late as 1992 in some divisions. When The Ring started awarding titles again in 2001, it did not calculate retrospective lineages to fill in the gap years, instead nominating a new champion.[12] Cyber Boxing Zone, a website dedicated to tracking lineal champions, commented in 2004 that "The Ring has forfeited its credibility by pulling names out of its ass to name fighters as champions".[13]
In 2007, The Ring was acquired by the owners of fight promoter Golden Boy Promotions,[14] which has publicized The Ring's world championships when they are at stake in fights it promotes (such as Joe Calzaghe vs. Roy Jones Jr. in 2008).[15] Since 2012, to reduce the number of vacant titles, The Ring allows fights between a number one or two contender; or alternatively a number three, four, or five contender to fill a vacant title. This has prompted further doubts about its credibility.[16][17][18] Some boxing journalists have been 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.[19][20][21]
Current champions
The current champions in each weight division are listed below. Each champion's professional boxing record is shown in the following format: wins–losses–draws–no contests (knockout wins).
Heavyweight (200+ lb/90.7+ kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Anthony Joshua Super champion 22–0–0–0 (21) April 29, 2017 |
Deontay Wilder 40–0–0–0 (39) January 17, 2015 |
Anthony Joshua 22–0–0–0 (21) April 9, 2016 |
Anthony Joshua 22–0–0–0 (21) March 31, 2018 |
vacant |
Manuel Charr Regular champion 31–4–0–0 (17) November 25, 2017 | ||||
Trevor Bryan Interim champion 20–0–0–0 (14) August 11, 2018 |
Cruiserweight (200 lb/90.7 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Oleksandr Usyk Super champion 15–0–0–0 (11) July 21, 2018 |
Oleksandr Usyk 15–0–0–0 (11) January 27, 2018 |
Oleksandr Usyk 15–0–0–0 (11) July 21, 2018 |
Oleksandr Usyk 15–0–0–0 (11) September 17, 2016 |
Oleksandr Usyk 15–0–0–0 (11) July 21, 2018 |
Beibut Shumenov Regular champion 18–2–0–0 (12) July 7, 2018 | ||||
Arsen Goulamirian Interim champion 23–0–0–0 (15) March 24, 2018 | ||||
Denis Lebedev Champion in recess 31–2–0–1 (23) February 1, 2018 |
Light heavyweight (175 lb/79.4 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Dmitry Bivol 14–0–0–0 (11) September 23, 2017 |
Adonis Stevenson 29–1–1–0 (24) June 8, 2013 |
Artur Beterbiev 13–0–0–0 (13) November 11, 2017 |
Eleider Álvarez 24–0–0–0 (12) August 4, 2018 |
vacant |
Oleksandr Gvozdyk Interim champion 15–0–0–0 (12) March 17, 2018 |
Super middleweight (168 lb/76.2 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Callum Smith Super champion 25–0–0–0 (18) September 28, 2018 |
vacant | José Uzcátegui 27–2–0–0 (23) July 5, 2018 |
Gilberto Ramírez 38–0–0–0 (25) April 9, 2016 |
Callum Smith 25–0–0–0 (18) September 28, 2018 |
Rocky Fielding Regular champion 27–1–0–0 (15) July 14, 2018 |
David Benavidez Champion in recess 20–0–0–0 (17) September 8, 2017 |
Middleweight (160 lb/72.6 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Canelo Álvarez Super champion 50–1–2–0 (34) September 15, 2018 |
Canelo Álvarez 50–1–2–0 (34) September 15, 2018 |
vacant | vacant | Canelo Álvarez 50–1–2–0 (34) September 15, 2018 |
Ryōta Murata Regular champion 14–1–0–0 (11) October 22, 2017 |
Jermall Charlo Interim champion 27–0–0–0 (21) April 21, 2018 |
Light middleweight (154 lb/69.9 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Jarrett Hurd Super champion 22–0–0–0 (15) April 8, 2018 |
Jermell Charlo 31–0–0–0 (15) May 21, 2016 |
Jarrett Hurd 22–0–0–0 (15) February 25, 2017 |
Jaime Munguia 31–0–0–0 (26) May 12, 2018 |
vacant |
Brian Castaño Regular champion 15–0–0–0 (11) October 22, 2016 |
Welterweight (147 lb/66.7 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Keith Thurman Super champion 28–0–0–1 (22) February 7, 2017 |
Shawn Porter 29–2–1–0 (17) September 8, 2018 |
Errol Spence Jr. 24–0–0–0 (21) May 27, 2017 |
Terence Crawford 34–0–0–0 (25) June 9, 2018 |
vacant |
Manny Pacquiao Regular champion 60–7–2–0 (39) July 15, 2018 |
Light welterweight (140 lb/63.5 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Kiryl Relikh 23–2–0–0 (19) March 10, 2018 |
José Ramírez 23–0–0–0 (16) March 17, 2018 |
vacant | Maurice Hooker 24–0–3–0 (16) June 9, 2018 |
vacant |
Lightweight (135 lb/61.2 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Vasyl Lomachenko Super champion 11–1–0–0 (9) May 12, 2018 |
Mikey Garcia 39–0–0–0 (30) January 28, 2017 |
Mikey Garcia 39–0–0–0 (30) July 28, 2018 |
José Pedraza 25–1–0–0 (12) August 25, 2018 |
Vasyl Lomachenko 11–1–0–0 (9) May 12, 2018 |
Super featherweight (130 lb/59 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Gervonta Davis Super champion 20–0–0–0 (19) April 21, 2018 |
Miguel Berchelt 34–1–0–0 (30) January 28, 2017 |
Tevin Farmer 26–4–1–1 (5) August 3, 2018 |
Masayuki Ito 24–1–1–0 (12) July 28, 2018 |
vacant |
Alberto Machado Regular champion 20–0–0–0 (16) October 21, 2017 |
Featherweight (126 lb/57.2 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Léo Santa Cruz Super champion 35–1–1–0 (19) January 28, 2017 |
Gary Russell Jr. 29–1–0–0 (17) March 28, 2015 |
Josh Warrington 27–0–0–0 (6) May 19, 2018 |
Óscar Valdez 24–0–0–0 (19) July 23, 2016 |
vacant |
Jesús Rojas Regular champion 26-2-2-1 (19) July 4, 2018 |
Carl Frampton Interim champion 26–1–0–0 (15) April 21, 2018 | |||
Jhack Tepora Interim champion 22–0–0–0 (17) July 15, 2018 |
Super bantamweight (122 lb/55.3 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Daniel Roman 26–2–1–0 (10) September 3, 2017 |
Rey Vargas 32–0–0–0 (22) February 25, 2017 |
TJ Doheny 20–0–0–0 (14) August 16, 2018 |
Isaac Dogboe 20–0–0–0 (14) April 28, 2018 |
vacant |
Bantamweight (118 lb/53.5 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Ryan Burnett Unified champion 19–0–0–0 (9) October 21, 2017 |
vacant | Emmanuel Rodríguez 18–0–0–0 (12) May 5, 2018 |
Zolani Tete 28–3–0–0 (21) April 22, 2017 |
vacant |
Naoya Inoue Regular champion 17–0–0–0 (15) May 25, 2018 | ||||
Reymart Gaballo Interim champion 20–0–0–0 (17) March 23, 2018 |
Super flyweight (115 lb/52.2 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Khalid Yafai 24–0–0–0 (15) December 10, 2016 |
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai 47–4–1–0 (41) March 18, 2017 |
Jerwin Ancajas 30–1–2–0 (20) September 3, 2016 |
vacant | Srisaket Sor Rungvisai 47–4–1–0 (41) February 24, 2018 |
Flyweight (112 lb/50.8 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Artem Dalakian 17–0–0–0 (12) February 24, 2018 |
Cristofer Rosales 28–3–0–0 (19) April 15, 2018 |
Moruti Mthalane 36–2–0–0 (24) July 15, 2018 |
Kosei Tanaka 12–0–0–0 (7) September 24, 2018 |
vacant |
Light flyweight (108 lb/49 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Hekkie Budler Super champion 32–3–0–0 (10) May 19, 2018 |
Ken Shiro 14–0–0–0 (8) May 20, 2017 |
vacant | Ángel Acosta 19–1–0–0 (19) December 2, 2017 |
Hekkie Budler 32–3–0–0 (10) May 19, 2018 |
Carlos Cañizales Regular champion 21–0–1–0 (17) March 18, 2018 |
Minimumweight (105 lb/47.6 kg)
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Thammanoon Niyomtrong 18–0–0–0 (7) June 29, 2016 |
Wanheng Menayothin 51–0–0–0 (18) November 6, 2014 |
vacant | Vic Saludar 18–3–0–0 (10) July 13, 2018 |
vacant |
See also
- List of WBA world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of WBO world champions
- List of The Ring world champions
- List of lineal boxing world champions
- List of current female world boxing champions
- List of undefeated boxing world champions (retired only)
- List of undisputed boxing champions
- List of current boxing rankings
- World boxing championship records and statistics
References
- 1 2 "Rules of World Boxing Association" (PDF). World Boxing Association. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ↑ "World Boxing Council Rules and Regulations" (PDF). World Boxing Council. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ↑ "IBF/USBA Rules Governing Championship Contests" (PDF). International Boxing Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 27, 2013. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ↑ "World Boxing Organization Regulations of World Championship Contests". World Boxing Organization. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ↑ Lewis, Ron (October 13, 2008). "Vitali Klitschko impressive in comeback victory". The Times. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ↑ "World Boxing Association History". World Boxing Association. Retrieved June 22, 2016.
- ↑ "World Boxing Council". World Boxing Council. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- ↑ "Rules that have changed the History of Boxing". World Boxing Council. Archived from the original on September 25, 2007. Retrieved September 30, 2013.
- 1 2 3 "History of the IBF". International Boxing Federation. December 4, 2000. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved June 6, 2006.
- ↑ "WBO logo". World Boxing Organization. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ↑ "WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests" (PDF). World Boxing Organization. Section 14.
- ↑ "Boxing News : The Disputed Light Heavyweight Champion of the World". Web.archive.org. October 15, 2004. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ↑ DeLisa, Mike (August 2004). "What the CBZ Means When it Refers to "Lineal Championships"". The CBZ Journal. cyberboxingzone. Retrieved August 12, 2013.
- ↑ "Golden Boy Enterprises' Subsidiary, Sports and Entertainment Publications, LLC, Acquires The Ring Magazine, KO, World Boxing and Pro Wrestling Illustrated". Golden Boy Promotions. September 12, 2007. Archived from the original on November 19, 2008. Retrieved November 20, 2008.
- ↑ Kimball, George (April 27, 2008). "Calzaghe claim far from undisputed". Boston Herald. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
- ↑ "Chat with Dan Rafael". Espn.go.com. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ↑ The Horrible New Ring Magazine Championship Policy - Queensberry Rules Archived May 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Ring Magazine's pretend rankings upgrade 'championship' policy". Theboxingtribune.com. May 4, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2018.
- ↑ "Chat: Chat with Dan Rafael - SportsNation". Espn.com.
- ↑ Archived May 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ "Ring Magazine's pretend rankings upgrade 'championship' policy". Theboxingtribune.com.