Sextuple Champion
In different sports when a sportsman wins six crowns, titles, medals, belts or another distinctions is called a Sextuple Champion.
Boxing
In boxing, a sextuple champion is a boxer who has won world titles in six different weight classes.
The first man in boxing to earn that distinction was Oscar De La Hoya on June 5, 2004. His first title was the WBO Super Featherweight Title (130 lbs) on March 5, 1994 against Jimmy Bredahl; his second belt was obtained at Lightweight (135 lbs) when he seized the vacant WBO Lightweight Title on February 18, 1995 after defeating John-John Molina; later he moved up in divisions to fight the legendary Julio César Chávez and won the WBC Light Welterweight (140 lbs) title on June 7, 1996; then he challenged Pernell Whitaker to get the title by split decision and conquest the fourth title at Welterweight (147 lbs) on April 12, 1997. Later he annexed a fifth world title by gaining the WBC Light Middleweight (154 lbs) title on June 23, 2001 versus Javier Castillejo from Spain; and finally the last frontier was reached: the sixth title, the WBO Middleweight (160 lbs) title, in his sixth weight divisions defeating the double champion Felix Sturm by decision.
Manny Pacquiao is also a six division titlist. He first held the WBC Flyweight (112 lbs) title on December 4, 1998 when he defeated Chartchai Sasakul in Bangkok, Thailand by TKO in the 8th round; later he moved up to Super Bantamweight (122 lbs) and obtained the IBF Super Bantamweight title on June 23, 2001 after defeating Lehlohonolo Ledwaba in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA by TKO in the 6th round; he defeated Marco Antonio Barrera in Featherweight (126 lbs) bout on November 15, 2003 in Texas, USA via TKO in 11th round and earned him The Ring Featherweight title; he then bagged the WBC and The Ring Super Featherweight (130 lbs) title on March 15, 2008 when he defeated Juan Manuel Márquez in Las Vegas; then he knocked out David Díaz in the 9th round of their June 28, 2008 bout in Las Vegas clinching the WBC Lightweight (135 lbs) title; and finally, Pacquiao earned The Ring and IBO Light Welterweight (140 lbs) title when he knocked out Ricky Hatton in the 2nd round of their May 2, 2009 bout in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
If the world minor titles will be also counted, the first man to win six world titles in this category was Thomas Hearns. Hearns won titles at 147, 154, 175, 160, 168 & 190 pounds. His first belt was at Welterweight (147 lbs) when he won the WBA Welterweight Title on August 2, 1980 from Pipino Cuevas; after losing to Ray Leonard he moved up to Light Middleweight (154 lbs) to challenge the youngest ever champion in boxing Wilfred Benítez adding a second crown to his record on December 3, 1982; Hearns made an unusual move when he was the first ever former Welterweight champ to fight for the WBC Light Heavyweight (175 lbs) title on March 7, 1987 against Dennis Andries for his third title in third weight divisions. Later, he moved down in weight to fight for the vacant WBC Middleweight (160 lbs) title on October 29, 1987 versus Juan Domingo Roldán of Argentina winning his fourth world title; the fifth title was the vacant WBO Super Middleweight (168 lbs) title from James Kinchen in Nevada on November 4, 1988 by decision in 12 rounds. Finally he obtained the sixth title at Cruiserweight (200 lbs) but it was sanctioned by a minor sanctioning body, the World Boxing Union or WBU, taking the vacant title from Lenny LaPaglia by 1st round knock out on March 31, 1995.
See also
- List of boxing triple champions
- List of boxing quadruple champions
- List of boxing quintuple champions
- List of boxing sextuple champions
- List of boxing septuple champions
- List of boxing octuple champions
- List of The Ring world champions
- List of WBC world champions
- List of WBA world champions
- List of IBF world champions
- List of WBO world champions
- List of IBO world champions