Longest reigning heavyweight boxing champions

This is a list of longest reigning heavyweight boxing champions in professional boxing, measured by the boxer's longest reign and career total time as champion (for multiple time champions). It includes their most consecutive successful title defenses as well as their career grand total title wins.

At the beginnings of boxing, the heavyweight division had no weight limit and the category historically has been 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). 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. 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. Since 1980, for most boxing organizations, the maximum weight for a cruiserweight has been 200 pounds. Boxers who weigh 200 pounds and over (14 st 3 lb, 90 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]

Since the 1960s, 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. Some title reigns are not recognized as official reigns due to long periods of inactivity, legitimacy of title, false billing and promotion. In March 1967, Muhammad Ali was systematically denied a boxing license in every state and stripped of his passport because of his refusal to be inducted into the armed forces. He was stripped of WBC and WBA titles but remained The Ring and lineal boxing champion, despite not having a boxing match until October 1970. In 2005, Ukrainian boxer Vitali Klitschko retired as WBC Champion. Following his retirement, the WBC conferred "champion emeritus" status on Klitschko, and assured him he would become the mandatory challenger if and when he decided to return.^[5] On 3 August 2008 the WBC awarded Klitschko a chance to regain his WBC Heavyweight title against then-champion Samuel Peter. Vitali regained the title after Peter asked the bout be stopped after the eighth round.

Championship recognition

All champions (updated Dec. 2016)

1884–1910

Champions were recognized by public acclamation. A champion in that era was a fighter who had a notable win over another fighter and kept winning afterward. Retirements or disputed results could lead to a championship being split among several men for periods of time. With only minor exceptions, the heavyweight division remained free from dual title-holders until the 1960s. For an early example, see the 1896 World Heavyweight Championship.

Sanctioning organizations: 1910–present

Gradually, the role of recognizing champions in the division evolved into a more formal affair, with public acclamation being supplemented (or in some cases, contradicted) by recognition by one or more athletic commissions, sanctioning organizations, or a combination of them. The most notable examples with respect to the heavyweight division have included:

• The International Boxing Union (IBU), which was formed in Paris in 1910. The organization would become the European Boxing Union in 1946, but would recognize "world" champions in various divisions until it subordinated itself in that area to the World Boxing Council.
• The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC). A governmental entity initially formed for the purpose of regulating boxing in the State of New York, thanks to New York's place as the epicenter of boxing from the 1930s through 1950s, the NYSAC expanded its reach to sanctioning championship bouts. This practice continued until, like the IBU, the NYSAC became a member of the World Boxing Council (WBC).
• The National Boxing Association (NBA) was organized in 1921. In 1962, the organization was renamed the World Boxing Association (WBA).
• The World Boxing Council (WBC) was organized in 1963.
• The International Boxing Federation (IBF), which was founded in 1983 by the members of the United States Boxing Association after the USBA withdrew from membership in the WBA.
• The World Boxing Organization (WBO), which was founded in 1989 by disgruntled members of the World Boxing Council.

Longest individual title reigns

Joe Louis holds the record for longest individual world title reign in boxing history

Keys:

     Active title reign

     Reign has ended

	Name	Title reign	Title recognition	Successful consecutive defenses
1.	Joe Louis	11 years, 8 months, 8 days	Universal	25
2.	Wladimir Klitschko	9 years, 7 months, 7 days	IBF (+WBA, WBO)	18
3.	Larry Holmes	7 years, 3 months, 12 days	WBC-to-IBF	20
4.	Jack Dempsey	7 years, 2 months, 19 days	Universal	5
5.	John L. Sullivan	7 years, 0 months, 9 days	Universal	4
6.	Jack Johnson	6 years, 3 months, 10 days	Universal	8
7.	James J. Jeffries	5 years, 11 months, 4 days	Universal	7
8.	Vitali Klitschko	5 years, 2 months, 4 days	WBC	9
9.	Joe Frazier	4 years, 10 months, 18 days	NYSAC (+WBA, WBC)	9
10.	James J. Corbett	4 years, 6 months, 10 days	Universal	1
11.	Jess Willard	4 years, 2 months, 29 days	Universal	1
12.	Lennox Lewis	4 years, 2 months, 15 days	WBC (+IBF, WBA stripped)	9
13.	Rocky Marciano	3 years, 11 months, 29 days	Universal	6
14.	Chris Byrd	3 years, 4 months, 8 days	IBF	4
15.	Muhammad Ali	3 years, 3 months, 16 days	WBC (+WBA, NYSAC)	10
16.	Mike Tyson	3 years, 2 months, 20 days	WBC (+WBA, IBF)	9
17.	George Foreman	3 years, 0 months, 17 days	IBF (+WBA, stripped)	3
18.	Evander Holyfield	3 years, 0 months, 4 days	WBA (+IBF)	4
19.	Tommy Burns	2 years, 10 months, 3 days	Universal	11
20.	Michael Spinks	2 years, 9 months, 6 days	The Ring/lineal (+IBF stripped)	3

Vitali Klitschko (right) retired as champion in 2005. Following his retirement, the WBC conferred "champion emeritus" status on Klitschko, and assured him he would become the mandatory challenger if and when he decided to return

Unofficial long title reigns

In 1967, Muhammad Ali (right) was stripped of WBA and WBC titles, but remained The Ring and lineal champion

	Name	Title reign	Title recognition	Successful defenses
N/A	Vitali Klitschko	9 years, 7 months, 22 days	Full WBC-to-WBC Emeritus-to-Full WBC (+The Ring vacated)	11
N/A	Muhammad Ali	7 years, 0 months, 11 days	The Ring/+lineal (+WBA , +WBC)	11
N/A	James Toney	4 Years, 5 months, 14 days	IBA/IBU	3
N/A	Brian Nielsen	3 years, 7 months, 20 days	IBO	5

Most consecutive heavyweight title defenses

Keys:

     Active title reign

     Reign has ended

	Name	Title defenses
1.	Joe Louis	25
2.	Larry Holmes	20
3.	Wladimir Klitschko	18
4.	Tommy Burns	11
5.	Muhammad Ali	10
6.	Vitali Klitschko	9
	Joe Frazier
	Lennox Lewis
	Mike Tyson
10.	Jack Johnson	8
	Ezzard Charles

Longest combined title reigns

Wladimir Klitschko (left) holds the record for longest combined world championship reign, while Vitali (right) is behind his brother and Joe Louis in the list

As of February 27, 2016. This list includes only major titles, and it does not include lineal championships.

Keys:

     Active title reign

     Reign has ended

	Name	Days as champion	Number of reigns	Title recognition	Cumulative title wins
1.	Wladimir Klitschko	4 383	2	IBF, WBA, WBO	25
2.	Joe Louis	4 270	1	Universal	26
3.	Vitali Klitschko	2 735	3	WBO, WBC	14
4.	Larry Holmes	2 661	1	WBC, IBF	21
5.	Jack Dempsey	2 638	1	Universal	6
6.	John L. Sullivan	2 566	1	Universal	5
7.	Muhammad Ali	2 363	3	NYSAC, WBC, WBA	22
8.	Lennox Lewis	2 346	3	WBC, IBF, WBA	16
9.	Jack Johnson	2 291	1	Universal	9
10.	Evander Holyfield	2 235	4	WBA, WBC, IBF	11
11.	James J. Jeffries	2 156	1	Universal	8
12.	Joe Frazier	1 788	1	NYSAC, WBA, WBC	10
13.	Floyd Patterson	1 761	2	Universal	8
14.	James J. Corbett	1 650	1	Universal	2
15.	Jess Willard	1 550	1	Universal	2
16.	Rocky Marciano	1 459	1	Universal	7
17.	John Ruiz	1 390	2	WBA	7
18.	Chris Byrd	1 387	2	IBF, WBO	6
19.	Mike Tyson	1 342	2	WBA, WBC, IBF	12
20.	George Foreman	1 122	2	WBA, WBC, IBF	5

Most wins in heavyweight title bouts

Keys:

     Active title reign

     Reign has ended

	Name	Title bout wins
1.	Joe Louis	26
2.	Wladimir Klitschko	25
3.	Muhammad Ali	22
4.	Larry Holmes	21
5.	Lennox Lewis	16
6.	Vitali Klitschko	15
7.	Mike Tyson	12
8.	Tommy Burns	11
9.	Joe Frazier	10
10.	Evander Holyfield	10

See also

• List of heavyweight boxing champions
• List of current world boxing champions
• List of WBA world champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of WBO world champions
• List of lineal boxing world champions
• List of undefeated boxing world champions (retired only)
• List of undisputed boxing champions

References

External links

• Statistical tables of heavyweight world championships
• Statistical comparison of eras and heavyweight boxing champions