Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds (14 st 4 lb/90.7 kg) are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation,[1] the World Boxing Association,[2] the World Boxing Council,[3] and the World Boxing Organization.[4]
Because this division has no weight limit, it has been historically vaguely defined. In the 19th century, for example, many heavyweight champions weighed 170 pounds (12 st 2 lb, 77 kg) or less (although others weighed 200 pounds and more). In 1920, the minimum weight for a heavyweight was set at 175 pounds (12 st 7 lb, 79 kg), which today is the light heavyweight division maximum. Today, for most boxing organizations, the maximum weight for a cruiserweight is 200 pounds. Thus, a fighter whose weight is over 200 lb may not fight as anything but a heavyweight.
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It is impossible to say with absolute certainty who the first heavyweight champion was, since the sport of boxing goes back as far as recorded history and there have always been large fighters. However, James Figg, "the father of modern pugilism", is most often referred to as the first champion of organized boxing. Even in the bare-knuckle era, "champions" were plentiful. Some of the most notable of these included the slave Tom Molineaux, Tom Cribb, Jack Slack, Jem Belcher, Ben Caunt and Jem Mace. The first heavyweight champion under the Marquess of Queensberry rules was John L. Sullivan, known as "The Boston Strong Boy." He weighed around 200 pounds when in shape and was a bare-knuckle champion. He was defeated by Jim Corbett on September 7, 1892, in 21 rounds.
It should also be noted that in recent years, the heavyweight title has become fractured amongst various sanctioning organizations, and so what was once known as the single "Heavyweight Champion," is now referred to as the "Undisputed Champion" as the one fighter that has defeated all the other titlists.
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA Super | July 2, 2011 | Wladimir Klitschko | 56-3 (49 KO) | 0 |
| WBA Regular | August 27, 2011 | Alexander Povetkin | 23-0 (16 KO) | 1 |
| WBC | October 11, 2008 | Vitali Klitschko | 43-2 (40 KO) | 7 |
| IBF | April 22, 2006 | Wladimir Klitschko | 56-3 (49 KO) | 10 |
| WBO | February 23, 2008 | Wladimir Klitschko | 56-3 (49 KO) | 6 |
The word "heavyweight" is sometimes used in other fields (e.g. politics) to denote a person who is especially powerful or influential. In this context, "big beast" has a similar meaning. Other boxing analogies include "punching above his [their] weight" to denote a person or entity (e.g. a country) whose influence is arguably greater than his/its basic attributes would suggest.
In kickboxing, a heavyweight fighter weighs between 88 kg (196 lb) and 100 kg (220 lb). Fighters over 100 kg (220 lb) are considered super heavyweights.
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