List of current world boxing champions
At least since John L. Sullivan, in the late 19th century, there have been world boxing champions. The first of today's organizations to award a world title was the World Boxing Association, known as the National Boxing Association when it sanctioned its first title fight in 1921 between Jack Dempsey and Georges Carpentier for the heavyweight championship.
There are now four major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing. The official rules and regulations of the World Boxing Association,[1] World Boxing Council,[2] International Boxing Federation[3] and World Boxing Organization[4] all recognize the other three major sanctioning bodies in their rankings and title unification rules. Each of these organizations sanction and regulate championship bouts and award championships. American boxing magazine The Ring began awarding world championship belts in 1922.
There are seventeen weight divisions. To compete in a weight class, a boxer's weight must not exceed the upper limit. Manny Pacquiao has won world championships in eight different weight classes, more than any other boxer. The Klitschko brothers, Vitali and Wladimir, hold all five major titles in the heavyweight division. They are the first brothers to hold versions of the heavyweight championship at the same time.[5]
Championships
When a champion, for reasons beyond his control such as an illness or injury, is unable to defend his title within the normal mandatory time, the sanctioning bodies may order an interim title bout and award the winner an interim championship. The WBA and WBC may change the status of their inactive champions to Champion in Recess.
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, which today has its head office in Panama.[6] According to WBA championship rules, when a champion holds a title of one of the other three major sanctioning bodies in an equivalent weight class, the boxer is granted special recognition: he is called the unified champion and is given more time between mandatory title defences. The WBA Championships Committee and President may designate a champion as a Super Champion in exceptional circumstances.[1] The WBA title is vacated if it is one of the titles the respective boxer holds. When a WBA champion makes between five and ten successful defences, he may be granted the WBA "Super" title upon discretion of a vote of the WBA's board of governors.[7]
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.[8] The WBC established many of today's safety measures in boxing, such as the standing eight-count,[9] a limit of 12 rounds instead of 15, and additional weight classes. To read about the WBC's Diamond and Emeritus Champions, please see the separate article about the WBC.
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.[10] In April 1983, the organization established an international division that was known as the United States Boxing Association-International (USBA-I).[10] In May 1984, the New Jersey-based USBA-I was renamed and became the IBF.[10]
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."[11] When a WBO champion has reached "preeminent status" the WBO's Executive Committee may designate him as a "Super Champion".[12] Besides the beltholders that are called "Super Champion", there are other fighters that have been named "WBO Super Champion" like Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe, Kelly Pavlik, Óscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Juan Díaz, Marco Antonio Barrera, Fernando Montiel, Jorge Arce, Iván Calderón. The WBO championships are not universally recognized. Some media sites do not include the WBO in their list of champions,[13][14] but others do.[15][16] On December 8, 2012, Juan Manuel Márquez has been named "Fighter of the Decade" by the WBO and was awarded a special belt when beating Manny Pacquiao by KO within six rounds.
The Ring
The Ring is a respected boxing magazine that was founded in 1922, upon which it first began awarding world championship belts. It maintains its own version of lineal championships in each weight class. Title belts ceased to be awarded in the 1990s, but the practice was resumed in 2002.[17] From 2002 onwards, a championship system was created with the intention to "reward fighters who, by satisfying rigid criteria, can justify a claim as the true and only world champion in a given weight class."[17] The Ring claims to be more authoritative and open than that of the sanctioning bodies with regards to 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 three ways that a fighter can win The Ring's title:
- Defeat the reigning champion
- Win a bout between The Ring's #1 and #2 contenders
- If the #1 and #2 contenders chose not to fight each other, if either of them fights the #3, #4 or #5 contender, the winner may be awarded The Ring title belt if the Editorial Board deems the contenders worthy.[18]
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 |
| Alexander Povetkin Super champion  Russia27–0–0–0 (17) July 2, 2011 |
Alexander Povetkin Russia 27–0–0–0 (15) October 11, 2008 |
Alexander Povetkin Russia 27–0–0–0 (15) April 22, 2006 |
Alexander Povetkin Super champion Russia27–0–0–0 (15) February 23, 2008 |
Alexander Povetkin Russia 27–0–0–0 (15) June 20, 2009 |
Cruiserweight, Junior heavyweight (200 lb, 90.7 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Denis Lebedev Russia 25–1–0–0 (19) October 30, 2012 |
Krzysztof Włodarczyk Poland47–2–1–0 (33) May 15, 2010 |
Yoan Pablo Hernández Germany27–1–0–0 (13) October 1, 2011 |
Marco Huck Germany 35–2–1–0 (25) August 29, 2009 |
Yoan Pablo Hernández Germany 27–1–0–0 (13) February 4, 2012 |
| Guillermo Jones In recess  Panama38–3–2–0 (30) October 30, 2012 |
Ola Afolabi Interim champion  United Kingdom19–2–4–0 (9) March 3, 2012 |
Light heavyweight (175 lb, 79.4 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Beibut Shumenov Kazakhstan13–1–0–0 (8) January 29, 2010 |
Chad Dawson United States31–2–0–2 (17) April 28, 2012 |
Bernard Hopkins United States 53–6–2–2 (32) March 9, 2013 |
Nathan Cleverly United Kingdom 26–0–0–0 (12) May 18, 2011 |
Chad Dawson United States 31–2–0–2 (17) April 28, 2012 |
Super middleweight (168 lb, 76.2 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Andre Ward Super champion United States26–0–0–0 (14) November 21, 2009 |
Daniel Francisco Philippines28-0-0-0 (27) May 11, 2013 |
Carl Froch United Kingdom 30–2–0–0 (22) May 26, 2012 |
Robert Stieglitz Germany 44–3–0–0 (25) March 23, 2013 |
Andre Ward United States 26–0–0–0 (14) December 17, 2011 |
Mikkel Kessler Denmark46–2–0–0 (35) December 8, 2012 | ||||
| Stanyslav Kashtanov Interim champion  Ukraine30–1–0–0 (16) November 10, 2012 |
Middleweight (160 lb, 72.6 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Gennady Golovkin Kazakhstan 26–0–0–0 (23) October 14, 2010 |
Sergio Gabriel Martínez Argentina51–2–2–0 (28) September 15, 2012 |
Daniel Geale Australia29–1–0–0 (15) May 7, 2011 |
Peter Quillin United States 29–0–0–0 (21) October 20, 2012 |
Sergio Gabriel Martínez Argentina 51–2–2–0 (28) April 17, 2010 |
| Martin Murray Interim champion United Kingdom25–1–1–0 (11) November 24, 2012 |
Super welterweight, Junior middleweight (154 lb, 69.9 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Floyd Mayweather Jr Super champion United States44–0–0–0 (26) May 5, 2012 |
Saúl Álvarez Mexico42–0–1–0 (30) March 5, 2011 |
Ishe Smith United States 25–5–0–0 (11) February 23, 2013 |
Zaurbek Baysangurov Russia 28–1–0–0 (20) October 5, 2011 |
Saúl Álvarez Mexico 42–0–1–0 (30) April 20, 2013 |
| Saúl Álvarez Unified champion Mexico42–0–1–0 (30) April 20, 2013 |
Welterweight (147 lb, 66.7 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Paul Malignaggi United States 32–4–0–0 (7) April 29, 2012 |
Floyd Mayweather Jr United States 44–0–0–0 (26) September 17, 2011 |
Devon Alexander United States 24–1–0–0 (13) October 20, 2012 |
Timothy Bradley United States 30–0–0–1 (12) June 9, 2012 |
Floyd Mayweather Jr United States 44–0–0–0 (26) May 4, 2013 |
| Diego Gabriel Chaves Interim champion Argentina22–0–0–0 (18) July 21, 2012 |
Super lightweight, Junior welterweight (140 lb, 63.5 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Danny García Super champion United States26–0–0–0 (16) July 14, 2012 |
Danny García United States 26–0–0–0 (16) March 24, 2012 |
Lamont Peterson United States 31–1–1–0 (16) December 10, 2011 |
Juan Manuel Márquez Super champion Mexico55–6–1–0 (40) June 9, 2012 |
Danny García United States 26–0–0–0 (16) July 14, 2012 |
| Khabib Allakhverdiev Russia 18–0–0–0 (8) November 30, 2012 |
Lightweight (135 lb, 61.2 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Richar Abril Cuba18–3–1–0 (8) February 26, 2013 |
Adrien Broner United States 26–0–0–0 (22) November 17, 2012 |
Miguel Vázquez Mexico 33–3–0–0 (13) August 14, 2010 |
Ricky Burns United Kingdom 36–2–0–0 (11) March 10, 2012 |
vacant |
Super featherweight, Junior lightweight (130 lb, 59 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Takashi Uchiyama Super champion  Japan20–0–1–0 (17) May 6, 2013 |
Takashi Miura Japan 25–2–2–0 (19) April 8, 2013 |
Argenis Méndez Dominican Republic21–2–0–0 (11) March 9, 2013 |
Román Martínez Puerto Rico27–1–2–0 (16) September 15, 2012 |
vacant |
| vacant |
Featherweight (126 lb, 57.2 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Chris John Super champion  Indonesia48–0–3–0 (22) July 23, 2009 |
Abner Mares Mexico 26–0–1–0 (14) May 4, 2013 |
Evgeny Gradovich Russia 16–0–0–0 (8) March 1, 2013 |
Mikey García United States 31–0–0–0 (26) January 19, 2013 | |
Nicholas Walters Jamaica22–0–0–0 (18) December 8, 2012 | ||||
Super bantamweight, Junior featherweight (122 lb, 55.3 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Guillermo Rigondeaux Unified champion Cuba12–0–0–0 (8) April 13, 2013 |
Victor Terrazas Mexico 37–2–1–0 (21) April 20, 2013 |
Jonathan Romero Colombia23–0–0–0 (12) February 16, 2013 |
Guillermo Rigondeaux Cuba 12–0–0–0 (8) April 13, 2013 | |
| vacant | ||||
| Scott Quigg Interim champion United Kingdom25–0–1–0 (18) November 24, 2012 | ||||
Bantamweight (118 lb, 53.5 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Anselmo Moreno Super champion Panama33–2–1–0 (12) November 16, 2010 |
Shinsuke Yamanaka Japan 18–0–2–0 (13) November 6, 2011 |
Jamie McDonnell United Kingdom 21–2–1–0 (9) May 11, 2013 |
Paulus Ambunda Namibia20–0–0–0 (10) March 2, 2013 |
vacant |
| Koki Kameda Japan 30–1–0–0 (17) December 26, 2010 |
Super flyweight, Junior bantamweight (115 lb, 52.2 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
Liborio Solís Venezuela15–3–1–0 (7) May 6, 2013 |
Srisaket Sor Rungvisai Thailand19–3–1–0 (18) May 3, 2013 |
Juan Carlos Sánchez Jr Mexico 15–1–1–0 (8) February 11, 2012 |
Omar Andrés Narváez Super champion Argentina38–1–2–0 (20) May 15, 2010 |
vacant |
Flyweight (112 lb, 50.8 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Milan Melindo Unified champion Philippines29–0–0–0 (12) April 6, 2013 |
Akira Yaegashi Japan 17–3–0–0 (9) April 8, 2013 |
Froilan Saludar Philippines 17–0–1–0 (12) November 20, 2009 |
Milan Melindo Philippines 29–0–0–0 (12) April 6, 2013 |
Akira Yaegashi Japan 17–3–0–0 (9) April 8, 2013 |
| Juan Carlos Reveco Argentina 30–1–0–0 (16) December 4, 2012 | ||||
| align="center" |
Light flyweight, Junior flyweight (108 lb, 49 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Román González Super champion  Nicaragua34–0–0–0 (28) November 28, 2012 |
Adrián Hernández Mexico 27–2–1–0 (16) October 6, 2012 |
John Riel Casimero Philippines 18–2–0–0 (10) July 19, 2012 |
Donnie Nietes Philippines 31–1–4–0 (17) October 8, 2011 |
vacant |
| Kazuto Ioka Japan 12–0–0–0 (8) December 31, 2012 | ||||
| [[Rex Abad
]] |
Minimumweight, Strawweight, Mini flyweight (105 lb, 47.6 kg)
| WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | The Ring |
| Ryo Miyazaki Japan 19–0–3–0 (11) December 31, 2012 |
Xiong Zhao Zhong China20–4–1–0 (11) November 24, 2012 |
Katsunari Takayama Japan 25–6–0–1 (10) March 30, 2013 |
Merlito Sabillo Philippines 21–0–0–0 (11) April 10, 2013 |
vacant |
| Jesús Silvestre Interim champion Mexico27–3–0–0 (20) July 14, 2012 |
See also
References
- Specific
- ^ a b "Rules of World Boxing Association" (PDF). World Boxing Association. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ^ "World Boxing Council Rules and Regulations" (PDF). World Boxing Council. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ^ "IBF/USBA RULES GOVERNING CHAMPIONSHIP CONTESTS" (PDF). International Boxing Federation. Retrieved January 18, 2011.
- ^ "World Boxing Organization Regulations of World Championship Contests". World Boxing Organization. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ^ Lewis, Ron (October 13, 2008). "Vitali Klitschko impressive in comeback victory". The Times. Retrieved January 6, 2011.
- ^ "World Boxing Association History". World Boxing Association. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ^ "World Boxing Association Super Belt winners". World Boxing Association. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- ^ "World Boxing Council". World Boxing Council. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
- ^ "Rules that have changed the History of Boxing". World Boxing Council. Archived from the original on September 25, 2007. Retrieved June 6, 2006.
- ^ a b c "History of the IBF". International Boxing Federation. December 4, 2000. Archived from the original on December 4, 2000. Retrieved June 6, 2006.
- ^ "WBO logo". World Boxing Organization. Retrieved November 6, 2011.
- ^ "WBO Regulations of World Championship Contests" (PDF). World Boxing Organization. Section 14.
- ^ "Current Boxing Champions' Career Records". Sports Illustrated. March 22, 1998. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ^ "Current Boxing Champions". Yahoo!. December 11, 2010. Retrieved December 11, 2010.
- ^ "Reigning Champions". ESPN Internet Ventures. January 20, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2011.
- ^ "List of Champions". BBC Sport. May 5, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2007.
- ^ a b "About The Ring". The Ring. February 14, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Kellerman, Max (January 22, 2004). "Gatti vs. the unknown". ESPN. Retrieved March 3, 2009.
- General
- "BoxRec title search". BoxRec.com. Retrieved May 7, 2007.
- "IBF-USBA official ratings". International Boxing Federation. April 25, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2007.
- "WBA official ratings". World Boxing Association. March 2009. Retrieved March 2, 2009.
- "The Ring Ratings". The Ring. February 9, 2009. Retrieved February 8, 2009.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - "WBC official ratings". World Boxing Council. September 2009. Retrieved September 5, 2009.
- "Rankings - World Boxing Organization". World Boxing Organization. October 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2011.