List of current world boxing champions

Contents

This is a list of current boxing world champions who are certified by the four major boxing sanctioning bodies[1] and The Ring.

Championships

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—a Venezuelan-based worldwide regulating body, which today has its head office in Panama.[2] According to WBA championship rules, when a champion holds at least one title of one of the other three major sanctioning bodies, the boxer is granted special recognition: he is called the undisputed world champion and is given more time between mandatory title defences. The "regular" WBA world title is vacated if it is one of the titles the respective boxer holds. When a boxer defends his WBA title for the fifth consecutive time, he is normally granted the "WBA Super Belt".[3]

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.[4] The WBC established many of today's safety measures in boxing, such as the standing eight-count,[5] a limit of 12 rounds instead of 15, and additional weight classes. In its discretion, the WBC may designate and recognize, upon a two-thirds majority vote of their Board of Governors, one or more emeritus world champions in each weight class. Such a recognition is for life and is only bestowed upon present or past WBC world champions. The following boxers have earned the Emeritus Championship appellation throughout their careers: Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko, Bernard Hopkins, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Kostya Tszyu, Manny Pacquiao, Érik Morales, Vic Darchinyan, and Édgar Sosa.

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.[6] In April 1983, the organization established an international division that was known as the United States Boxing Association-International (USBA-I).[6] In May 1984, the New Jersey-based USBA-I was renamed and became the IBF.[6]

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. Its motto is "dignity, democracy, honesty."[7] A boxer may be considered for designation for "Super Champion" status when he meets the criteria under Section 14 of WBO Regulations.[8] Besides the beltholders that are called "Super Champion" by the WBO, there are some more fighters that have been named "WBO Super Champion" like Bernard Hopkins, Óscar De La Hoya, Juan Díaz, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joe Calzaghe, Kelly Pavlik. Some media sites do not include the WBO in their list of champions,[9][10] whereas others do.[11][12]

The Ring

The Ring is a respected boxing magazine that was founded in 1922. The Ring has its own version of lineal championship in a given weight class where The Ring Champion holds the linear reign to the throne, the man who beat the man. The Ring began awarding world championship belts in 1922. The Ring stopped giving belts to the world champions in the 1990s but began again in 2002.[13]

In 2002, The Ring created a championship system that is "intended to reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class."[14] The Ring claims to be more authoritative and open than the sanctioning bodies' rankings, with a page devoted to full explanations for ranking changes. A fighter pays no sanctioning fees to defend or fight for the title at stake, contrary to practices of the sanctioning bodies. There are currently only two ways that a boxer can win The Ring's title: defeat the reigning champion; or win a box-off between The Ring's number-one and number-two rated contenders (or, sometimes, number-one and number-three rated).[15] There are also only three ways that a boxer can lose The Ring's title: lose a championship fight, move to a different weight class, or retire.[15]

Current champions

The current champions in each weight class 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
United Kingdom David Haye
24-1 (22 KO)
November 7, 2009		 Ukraine Vitali Klitschko
40-2 (38 KO)
October 11, 2008		 Ukraine Wladimir Klitschko[nb 1]
54-3 (48 KO)
April 22, 2006		 Ukraine Wladimir Klitschko[nb 2]
54-3 (48 KO)
February 23, 2008		 Ukraine Wladimir Klitschko
54-3 (48 KO)
June 20, 2009

Cruiserweight, Junior heavyweight (200 lb, 90.7 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Panama Guillermo Jones
36-3-2 (28 KO)
September 27, 2008		 Poland Krzysztof Włodarczyk
43-2-1 (32 KO)
May 15, 2010		 United States Steve Cunningham
23-2 (12 KO)
June 5, 2010		 Germany Marco Huck
30-1 (23 KO)
August 29, 2009		 vacant
France Steve Hérélius[nb 3]
20-1-1 (12 KO)
July 3, 2010

Light heavyweight (175 lb, 79.4 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Kazakhstan Beibut Shumenov
10-1 (6 KO)
January 29, 2010		 Canada Jean Pascal
26-1 (16 KO)
June 19, 2009		 United States Tavoris Cloud
21-0 (18 KO)
August 28, 2009		 Germany Juergen Braehmer
36-2 (29 KO)
November 13, 2009		 Canada Jean Pascal
26-1 (16 KO)
August 14, 2010

Super middleweight (168 lb, 76.2 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
United States Andre Ward[nb 1]
22-0 (13 KO)
November 21, 2009		 Denmark Mikkel Kessler
43-2 (32 KO)
April 24, 2010		 Romania Lucian Bute
26-0 (21 KO)
October 19, 2007		 Germany Robert Stieglitz
38-2 (23 KO)
August 22, 2009		 vacant
Germany Dimitri Sartison
27-1 (17 KO)
November 21, 2009

Middleweight (160 lb, 72.6 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Germany Felix Sturm[nb 1]
34-2-1 (14 KO)
March 22, 2010		 Argentina Sergio Gabriel Martínez
45-2-2 (24 KO)
April 17, 2010		 Germany Sebastian Sylvester
33-3-1 (16 KO)
September 19, 2009		 Russia Dmitry Pirog
17-0 (14 KO)
July 31, 2010		 Argentina Sergio Gabriel Martínez
45-2-2 (24 KO)
April 17, 2010
vacant Germany Sebastian Zbik[nb 3]
30-0 (10 KO)
July 11, 2009
Kazakhstan Gennady Golovkin[nb 3]
19-0 (16 KO)
August 14, 2010

Super welterweight, Junior middleweight (154 lb, 69.9 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Puerto Rico Miguel Ángel Cotto
35-2 (28 KO)
June 5, 2010		 vacant United States Cornelius Bundrage
30-4-0-1 (18 KO)
August 7, 2010		 Ukraine Serhiy Dzinziruk
37-0 (23 KO)
December 3, 2005		 vacant
Japan Nobuhiro Ishida[nb 3]
22-5-2 (7 KO)
August 30, 2009

Welterweight (147 lb, 66.7 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Ukraine Viacheslav Senchenko
31-0 (20 KO)
April 10, 2009		 United States Andre Berto
26-0 (20 KO)
June 21, 2008		 Slovenia Jan Zaveck
30-1-0-1 (17 KO)
December 11, 2009		 Philippines Manny Pacquiao[nb 2]
51-3-2 (38 KO)
November 14, 2009		 vacant
France Souleymane M'baye[nb 3]
39-3-1 (21 KO)
May 28, 2010

Super lightweight, Junior welterweight (140 lb, 63.5 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
United Kingdom Amir Khan
23-1 (17 KO)
July 18, 2009		 United States Devon Alexander[nb 1]
21-0 (13 KO)
August 1, 2009		 United States Devon Alexander
21-0 (13 KO)
March 6, 2010		 United States Timothy Bradley
26-0-0-1 (11 KO)
April 4, 2009		 vacant
Argentina Marcos René Maidana[nb 3]
29-1 (27 KO)
June 27, 2009

Lightweight (135 lb, 61.2 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Mexico Juan Manuel Márquez[nb 1]
51-5-1 (37 KO)
February 28, 2009		 Mexico Humberto Soto
52-7-2-1 (32 KO)
March 13, 2010		 Mexico Miguel Vázquez
26-3 (12 KO)
August 14, 2010		 Mexico Juan Manuel Márquez[nb 2]
51-5-1 (37 KO)
February 28, 2009		 Mexico Juan Manuel Márquez
51-5-1 (37 KO)
September 13, 2008
Venezuela Miguel Acosta
27-3-2 (21 KO)
May 29, 2010		 Australia Michael Katsidis[nb 3]
27-2 (22 KO)
September 19, 2009

Super featherweight, Junior lightweight (130 lb, 59 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Japan Takashi Uchiyama
15-0 (12 KO)
January 11, 2010		 Germany Vitali Tajbert
20-1 (6 KO)
March 17, 2010		 South Africa Mzonke Fana
30-4 (12 KO)
September 1, 2010		 United Kingdom Ricky Burns
29-2 (7 KO)
September 4, 2010		 vacant
Mexico Jorge Solís[nb 3]
40-2-2-1 (29 KO)
February 6, 2010

Featherweight (126 lb, 57.2 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Indonesia Chris John[nb 1]
43-0-2 (22 KO)
July 23, 2009		 vacant Mexico Orlando Salido
34-10-2-1 (22 KO)
May 15, 2010		 Puerto Rico Juan Manuel López
29-0 (26 KO)
January 23, 2010		 vacant
Cuba Yuriorkis Gamboa
18-0 (15 KO)
July 23, 2009		 Dominican Republic Elio Rojas[nb 4]
22-1 (13 KO)
August 25, 2010

Super bantamweight, Junior featherweight (122 lb, 55.3 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Panama Celestino Caballero[nb 1]
34-2 (23 KO)
November 21, 2008		 Japan Toshiaki Nishioka
36-4-3 (23 KO)
December 18, 2008		 Canada Steve Molitor
32-1 (12 KO)
March 27, 2010		 Puerto Rico Wilfredo Vázquez Jr
19-0-1 (16 KO)
February 27, 2010		 vacant
Thailand Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym
41-1 (29 KO)
September 26, 2009

Bantamweight (118 lb, 53.5 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Panama Anselmo Moreno
30-1-1 (10 KO)
May 31, 2008		 Mexico Fernando Montiel[nb 1]
43-2-2 (33 KO)
April 30, 2010		 Colombia Yonnhy Pérez
20-0-1 (14 KO)
October 31, 2009		 Mexico Fernando Montiel[nb 2]
43-2-2 (33 KO)
April 25, 2009		 vacant
Puerto Rico Eric Morel[nb 3]
42-2 (21 KO)
February 13, 2010

Super flyweight, Junior bantamweight (115 lb, 52.2 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Armenia Vic Darchinyan[nb 1]
35-2-1 (27 KO)
November 1, 2008		 vacant Mexico Juan Alberto Rosas
32-5 (26 KO)
July 31, 2010		 Argentina Omar Andrés Narváez[nb 2]
32-0-2 (19 KO)
May 15, 2010		 vacant
Mexico Hugo Fidel Cázares
32-6-2 (23 KO)
May 8, 2010
Philippines Nonito Donaire[nb 3]
24-1 (16 KO)
August 15, 2009

Flyweight (112 lb, 50.8 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Japan Daiki Kameda
17-2 (11 KO)
February 7, 2010		 Thailand Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
76-3-1 (40 KO)
March 27, 2010		 South Africa Moruti Mthalane
26-2 (17 KO)
November 20, 2009		 Mexico Julio César Miranda
33-5-1 (26 KO)
June 12, 2010		 Thailand Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
76-3-1 (40 KO)
March 27, 2010
Panama Luis Concepción[nb 3]
21-1 (16 KO)
September 5, 2009

Light flyweight, Junior flyweight (108 lb, 49 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Mexico Giovanni Segura[nb 1]
25-1-1 (21 KO)
August 28, 2010		 Mexico Omar Niño Romero
30-3-2-1 (12 KO)
June 19, 2010		 Argentina Luis Alberto Lazarte
48-9-1-1 (18 KO)
May 29, 2010		 Mexico Giovanni Segura
25-1-1 (21 KO)
August 28, 2010		 Mexico Giovanni Segura
25-1-1 (21 KO)
August 28, 2010
Argentina Juan Carlos Reveco
25-1 (15 KO)
August 28, 2010		 Mexico Ramón García Hirales[nb 3]
13-1-1 (8 KO)
July 24, 2010

Minimumweight, Strawweight, Mini flyweight (105 lb, 47.6 kg)

WBA WBC IBF WBO The Ring
Nicaragua Román González
26-0 (22 KO)
September 15, 2008		 Thailand Oleydong Sithsamerchai
34-0-1 (12 KO)
November 29, 2007		 South Africa Nkosinathi Joyi
21-0 (15 KO)
March 26, 2010		 Philippines Donnie Nietes
27-1-3 (15 KO)
September 30, 2007		 vacant

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 Undisputed world champion, WBA super champion.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 WBO super champion.
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 Interim world champion.
  4. ↑ Champion in recess.

See also

References

  1. ↑ The official rules and regulations of the WBA, IBF, and WBO all mention by name the other three major sanctioning bodies in their title unification rules. The WBC does not mention by name any other sanctioning body in its rules, but it does list the other three major sanctioning bodies' champions on its website. [1].
  2. ↑ "World Boxing Association History". World Boxing Association. http://wbanews.com/artman/publish/wbahistory/index.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-02. 
  3. ↑ "World Boxing Association Super Belt winners". World Boxing Association. http://wbanews.com/artman/publish/campionshipSuperBeltWinners/index.shtml. Retrieved 2009-03-02. 
  4. ↑ "World Boxing Council". World Boxing Council. http://www.wbcboxing.com/indexEng.php. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
  5. ↑ "Rules that have changed the History of Boxing". World Boxing Council. http://suljos.tv/prepro/cmb/swf/wbcNewRulesAndRegulations2009.zip. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "History of the IBF". International Boxing Federation. December 4, 2000. Archived from the original on 2000-12-04. http://web.archive.org/web/20001204194900/http://ibf-usba-boxing.com/history.html. Retrieved 2006-06-06. 
  7. ↑ "WBO logo". World Boxing Organization. http://www.wbo-int.com/images/logo.jpg. Retrieved 2006-06-06. 
  8. ↑ "WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests". World Boxing Organization. http://www.wbo-int.com/revised/WBO_Rules_Regulations.pdf. 
  9. ↑ "Current Boxing Champions.". Yahoo!. May 7, 2007. http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news?slug=champs&prov=st&type=lgns. Retrieved 2007-05-07. 
  10. ↑ "Current Boxing Champions". Sports Illustrated. April 5, 2007. http://sports.si.cnn.com/default.asp?c=cnnsi&page=boxing/stat/champions.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-07. 
  11. ↑ Eisele, Andrew (May 6, 2007). "Boxing Champions". About.com. http://boxing.about.com/cs/rankingschampions/a/champs.htm. Retrieved 2007-05-07. 
  12. ↑ "List of Champions". BBC Sport. May 5, 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/champions_list/default.stm. Retrieved 2007-05-07. 
  13. ↑ About The Ring
  14. ↑ "About The Ring". The Ring. February 14, 2009. http://www.ringtv.com/. Retrieved 2009-02-08. 
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Kellerman, Max (January 22, 2004). "Gatti vs. the unknown". ESPN. http://static.espn.go.com/boxing/columns/kellerman_max/1715320.html. Retrieved 2009-03-03. 
World boxing champions
Champions by sanctioning body
Major titles
WBA (List) · WBC (List) · IBF (List) · WBO (List) · The Ring (List)
Minor titles
IBO (List) · IBA · WPBF · WBF · UBO
Champions by weight class
Heavyweight (200+ lbs) · Cruiserweight (200 lbs) · Light Heavyweight (175 lbs) · Super Middleweight (168 lbs) · Middleweight (160 lbs) · Super Welterweight (154 lbs) · Welterweight (147 lbs) · Super Lightweight (140 lbs) · Lightweight (135 lbs) · Super Featherweight (130 lbs) · Featherweight (126 lbs) · Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) · Bantamweight (118 lbs) · Super Flyweight (115 lbs) · Flyweight (112 lbs) · Light Flyweight (108 lbs) · Strawweight (105 lbs)
Champions by different weight class
Triple Champions (List) · Quadruple Champions (List) · Quintuple Champions (List) · Sextuple Champions (List) · Septuple Champions (List) · Octuple Champions (List)
Terms
Pound for pound (The Ring List) · Lineal championship · Undisputed championship (List) · Interim championship