Longest reigning heavyweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses
1.	Joe Louis	11 years, 8 months, 8 days	Universal	25
2.	Larry Holmes	7 years, 3 months, 12 days	WBC-to-IBF (+The Ring/Lineal)	20
3.	Jack Dempsey	7 years, 2 months, 19 days	Universal	5
4.	Wladimir Klitschko	22 April 2006 - present	IBF (+WBA, WBO, The Ring)	14
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.	Joe Frazier	4 years, 10 months, 18 days	NYAC (+WBA, WBC)	9
9.	Vitali Klitschko	11 October 2008 – present	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, The Ring/Lineal)	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	The Ring/Lineal, (+WBA, WBC stripped)	10
16.	Mike Tyson	3 years, 2 months, 20 days	WBC (+WBA, IBF, The Ring/Lineal)	9
17.	George Foreman	3 years, 0 months, 17 days	Lineal (+WBA, IBF 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

Unofficial Long Title reigns

The following title reigns are not recognized as official reigns due to: long periods of inactivity, legitimacy of title, false billing & promotion etc.

	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses
N/A	Vitali Klitschko	24 April 2004 – present	Full WBC-to-WBC Emeritus-to-Full WBC (+The Ring stripped)	11
N/A	Muhammad Ali	7 years, 0 months, 11 days	The Ring/Lineal	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

Key

     Active Title Reign

     Reign has ended

External links

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