History of World Heavyweight Championship Fights (WBC, WBA, IBF)

Updated September 27, 2017 | Infoplease Staff

(Bouts in which a new champion was crowned)

Date Where held Winner, weight (age) Loser, weight (age) Rounds Referee
Sept. 7, 1892 New Orleans, La. James J. Corbett, 178 (26) John L. Sullivan, 212 (33) 21 Prof. John Duffy
March 17, 1897 Carson City, Nev. Bob Fitzsimmons, 167 (34) James J. Corbett, 183 (30) KO 14 George Siler
June 9, 1899 Coney Island, N.Y. James J. Jeffries, 206 (24)1 Bob Fitzsimmons, 167 (37) KO 11 George Siler
July 3, 1905 Reno, Nev. Marvin Hart 190 (28) Jack Root 171 (29) TKO 12 James J. Jeffries
Feb. 23, 1906 Los Angeles Tommy Burns, 180 (24)2 Marvin Hart, 188 (29) 20 James J. Jeffries
Dec. 26, 1908 Sydney, Australia Jack Johnson, 196 (30) Tommy Burns, 176 (27) KO 14 Hugh McIntosh
April 5, 1915 Havana, Cuba Jess Willard, 230 (33) Jack Johnson, 2051/2 (37) KO 26 Jack Welch
July 4, 1919 Toledo, Ohio Jack Dempsey, 187 (24) Jess Willard, 245 (37) KO 3 Ollie Pecord
Sept. 23, 1926 Philadelphia Gene Tunney, 189 (28)3 Jack Dempsey, 190 (31) 10 Pop Reilly
June 12, 1930 New York Max Schmeling, 188 (24) Jack Sharkey, 197 (27) WF 4 Jim Crowley
June 21, 1932 Long Island City Jack Sharkey, 205 (29) Max Schmeling, 188 (26) 15 Gunboat Smith
June 29, 1933 Long Island City Primo Carnera, 2601/2 (26) Jack Sharkey, 201 (30) KO 6 Arthur Donovan
June 14, 1934 Long Island City Max Baer, 2091/2 (25) Primo Carnera, 2631/4 (27) KO 11 Arthur Donovan
June 13, 1935 Long Island City Jim Braddock, 1933/4 (29) Max Baer, 2091/2 (26) 15 Jack McAvoy
June 22, 1937 Chicago Joe Louis, 1971/4 (23) Jim Braddock, 197 (31) KO 8 Tommy Thomas
June 22, 1949 Chicago Ezzard Charles, 1813/4 (27)4 Joe Walcott, 1951/2 (35) 15 Davey Miller
Sept. 27, 1950 New York Ezzard Charles, 1841/2 (29)5 Joe Louis, 218 (36) 15 Mark Conn
July 18, 1951 Pittsburgh Joe Walcott, 194 (37) Ezzard Charles, 182 (30) KO 7 Buck McTiernan
Sept. 23, 1952 Philadelphia Rocky Marciano, 184 (29)6 Joe Walcott, 196 (38) KO13 Charley Daggert
Nov. 30, 1956 Chicago Floyd Patterson, 1821/4 (21) Archie Moore, 1873/4 (42) KO 5 Frank Sikora
June 26, 1959 New York Ingemar Johansson, 196 (26) Floyd Patterson, 182 (24) KO 3 Ruby Goldstein
June 20, 1960 New York Floyd Patterson, 190 (25) Ingemar Johansson, 1943/4 (27) KO 5 Arthur Mercante
Sept. 25, 1962 Chicago Sonny Liston, 214 (28) Floyd Patterson, 189 (27) KO 1 Frank Sikora
Feb. 25, 1964 Miami Beach, Fla. Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), 210 (22)7 Sonny Liston, 218 (30) KO 7 Barney Felix
March 4, 1968 New York Joe Frazier, 2041/2 (24)8 Buster Mathis, 2431/2 (23) KO 11 Arthur Mercante
April 27, 1968 Oakland, Calif. Jimmy Ellis, 197 (28)9 Jerry Quarry, 195 (22) 15 Elmer Costa
Feb. 16, 1970 New York Joe Frazier, 205 (26)10 Jimmy Ellis, 201 (29) KO 5 Tony Perez
Jan. 22, 1973 Kingston, Jamaica George Foreman, 2171/2 (24) Joe Frazier, 214 (29) KO 2 Arthur Mercante
Oct. 30, 1974 Kinshasa, Zaire Muhammad Ali, 2161/2 (32) George Foreman, 220 (26) KO 8 Zack Clayton
Feb. 15, 1978 Las Vegas, Nev. Leon Spinks, 197 (25) Muhammad Ali, 2241/2 (36) 15 Howard Buck
June 9, 1978 Las Vegas, Nev. Larry Holmes, 212 (28)11 Ken Norton, 220 (32) 15 Mills Lans
Sept. 15, 1978 New Orleans Muhammad Ali, 221 (36)12 Leon Spinks, 201 (25) 15 Lucien Joubert
Oct. 20, 1979 Pretoria, S. Africa John Tate, 240 (24)13 Gerrie Coetzee, 222 (24) 15 Carlos Berrocal
March 31, 1980 Knoxville, Tenn. Mike Weaver, 2071/2 (27) John Tate, 232 (25) KO 15 Ernesto Magana Ansorena
Dec. 10, 1982 Las Vegas, Nev. Michael Dokes, 216 (24) Mike Weaver, 2091/2 (30) KO 1 Joey Curtis
Sept. 23, 1983 Richfield, Ohio Gerrie Coetzee, 215 (28) Michael Dokes, 217 (25) KO 10 Tony Perez
March 9, 1984 Las Vegas, Nev. Tim Witherspoon, 2201/2 (26)14 Greg Page, 2391/2 (25) 12 Mills Lane
Aug. 31, 1984 Las Vegas, Nev. Pinklon Thomas, 216 (26) Tim Witherspoon, 217 (26) 12 Richard Steele
Nov. 9, 1984 Las Vegas, Nev. Larry Holmes, 2211/2 (35)15 James Smith, 227 (31) KO 12 Dave Pearl
Dec. 1, 1984 Sun City, S. Africa Greg Page, 236 (25)16 Gerry Coetzee, 217 (29) KO 8 unavailable
April 29, 1985 Buffalo, N.Y. Tony Tubbs, 229 (26)16 Greg Page, 2391/2 (26) 15 unavailable.
Sept. 21,1985 Las Vegas, Nev. Michael Spinks, 200 (29) Larry Holmes, 221 (35) 15 Carlos Padilla
Jan. 17, 1986 Atlanta, Ga. Tim Witherspoon, 227 (28) Tony Tubbs, 229 (27) 15 unavailable
Nov. 23, 1986 Las Vegas, Nev. Mike Tyson, 217 (20)17 Trevor Berbick, 220 (29) KO 2 unavailable
Dec. 12, 1986 New York James Smith, 230 (33)16 Tim Witherspoon, 218 (29) KO 1 unavailable
March 7, 1987 Las Vegas, Nev. Mike Tyson, 217 (20)16 James Smith, 230 (33) 12 unavailable
Feb. 10, 1990 Tokyo James “Buster” Douglas, 2311/2 (29)18 Mike Tyson, 220 (23) KO 10 Octavio Meyrom
Oct. 25, 1990 Las Vegas, Nev. Evander Holyfield, 208 (28) James “Buster” Douglas, 246 (30) KO 3 Mills Lane
Nov. 13, 1992 Las Vegas, Nev. Riddick Bowe, 235 (25)19 Evander Holyfield, 205 (30) 12 Joe Cortez
Nov. 6, 1993 Las Vegas, Nev. Evander Holyfield, 217 (30) Riddick Bowe, 246 (26) 12 Mills Lane
April 22, 1994 Las Vegas, Nev. Michael Moorer, 214 (26) Evander Holyfield, 214 (31)20 12 unavailable
Sept 24, 1994 London Oliver McCall, 228 (29)21 Lennox Lewis, 238 (28) 2 Lupe Garcia
Nov. 5, 1994 Las Vegas, Nev. George Foreman, 250 (45)22 Michael Moorer, 222 (26) 10 unavailable
April 8, 1995 Las Vegas, Nev. Bruce Seldon, 232 (28)23 Tony Tucker, 238 (36) 7 unavailable
Dec.9, 1995 Stuttgart, Ger. Frans Botha, 227 (28)24 Axel Schulz, 222 (27) 12 unavailable
March 16, 1996 Las Vegas, Nev. Mike Tyson, 220 (29)25 Frank Bruno, 247 (34) 3 Mills Lane
June 22, 1996 Dortmund, Ger. Michael Moorer, 222 (28) Axel Schulz, 222 (27) 12 unavailable
Sept. 7, 1996 Las Vegas, Nev. Mike Tyson, 219 (30) Bruce Seldon, 229 (29) 1 unavailable
Nov. 9, 1996 Las Vegas, Nev. Evander Holyfield, 215 (34)23 Mike Tyson, 222 (30) 11 Mills Lane
Feb. 7, 1997 Las Vegas, Nev. Lennox Lewis, 251 (31)25 Oliver McCall, 237 (30) 5 unavailable
Nov. 8, 1997 Las Vegas, Nev. Evander Holyfield, 214 (35)26 Michael Moorer, 223 (30) 8 Mitch Halpern
Nov. 13, 1999 Las Vegas, Nev. Lennox Lewis, 240 (33)23, 27 Evander Holyfield, 217 (36) 12
Aug. 12, 2000 Las Vegas, Nev. Evander Holyfield, 221 (37)23 John Ruiz, 224 (24) 12
March 3, 2001 Las Vegas, Nev. John Ruiz, 227 (27)23 Evander Holyfield, 217 (38) 12
Apr. 21, 2001 South Africa Hasim Rahman, 237 (28)25, 26 Lennox Lewis, 253 (35) KO 5
Nov. 17, 2001 Las Vegas, Nev. Lennox Lewis, 246 (36)25, 26, 28 Hasim Rahman, 236 (29) KO 4
Dec. 14, 2002 Atlantic City, N.J. Chris Byrd, 214 (32)26 Evander Holyfield, 220 (40) 12
March 1, 2003 Las Vegas, Nev. Roy Jones, Jr., 193 (34)23 John Ruiz, 226 (31) 12
April 17, 2004 New York John Ruiz, 240 (32)23 Fres Oquendo, 222 (31) 11
April 24, 2004 Los Angeles, Calif. Vitali Klitschko, 245 (33)25, 29 Corrie Sanders, 235 (32) 8
April 30, 2005 New York James Toney, 233 (37)30 John Ruiz, 241 (33) 12
Dec. 17, 2005 Berlin, Germany Nikolay Valuev, 323 (32)23 John Ruiz, 238 (33) 12
Apr. 22, 2006 Mannheim, Ger. Wladimir Klitschko, 240 (30)26 Chris Byrd, 210 (35) 7
Aug. 12, 2006 Las Vegas, Nev. Oleg Maskaev, 238 (37)25 Hasim Rahman, 235 (33) TKO 12
Nov. 4, 2006 Phoenix, Ariz. Shannon Briggs, 268 Sergei Liakhovich, 238 TKO 12 Robert Ferrara
Apr. 15, 2007 Stuttgart, Ger. Ruslan Chagaev, 228¼ Nicolay Valuev, 319 12 Luis Pabon
Jun. 2, 2007 Atlantic City, N.J. Sultan Ibragimov, 221 Shannon Briggs, 273 12 Eddie Cotton
Feb. 23, 2008 New York City, N.Y. Wladimir Klitschko, 238 Sultan Ibragimov, 219 12 Wayne Kelly
Mar. 8, 2008 Cancun, Mex. Samuel Peter, 250¾ Oleg Maskaev, 243 TKO 6 Guadalupe Garcia
Aug. 30, 2008 Berlin, Ger. Nikolay Valuev, 317¾ John Ruiz, 239 12 Derek Milham
Oct. 11, 2008 Berlin, Ger. Vitali Klitschko, 247 Samuel Peter, 253½ 9 Massimo Barrovecchio
1. Jeffries retired as champion in March 1905. He named Marvin Hart and Jack Root as leading contenders and agreed to referee their fight in Reno, Nev., on July 3, 1905, with the stipulation that he would term the winner the champion. Hart, 190 (28), knocked out Root, 171 (29), in the 12th round.
2. Burns claimed the title after defeating Hart.
3. Tunney retired as champion after defeating Tom Heeney on July 26, 1928.
4. After Louis announced his retirement as champion on March 1, 1949, Charles won recognition from the National Boxing Association as champion by defeating Walcott.
5. Charles gained undisputed recognition as champion by defeating Louis, who came out of retirement.
6. Retired as champion April 27, 1956.
7. The World Boxing Association (WBA) later withdrew its recognition of Clay as champion and declared the winner of a bout between Ernie Terrell and Eddie Machen would gain its version of the title. Terrell, 199 (25), won a 15-round decision from Machen, 192 (32), in Chicago on March 5, 1965. Clay, 2121/4 (25) and Terrell, 2121/2 (27), met in Houston on Feb. 6, 1967, Clay winning a 15-round decision.
8. Winner recognized by N.Y., Mass., Maine, Ill., Tex. and Pa. to fill vacated title when Clay was stripped of championship for failing to accept U.S. Induction.
9. Bout was final of eight-man tournament to fill Clay's place and is recognized by World Boxing Association.
10. Bout settled controversy over title.
11. Holmes won World Boxing Council title after WBC had withdrawn recognition of Spinks, March 18, 1978, and awarded its title to Norton. WBC said Spinks had reneged on agreement to fight Norton.
12. Ali regained World Boxing Association championship.
13. Tate won WBA title after Ali retired and left it vacant.
14. Tim Witherspoon and Greg Page fought for the WBC heavyweight title vacated by Larry Holmes, who could not come to agreement on a deal to fight Page, the No. 1 contender. Holmes declared he would fight under the banner of the International Boxing Federation (IBF). Several dates were set and postponed for fights between Holmes and Gerry Coetzee, the WBA champ, the latest being Nov. 16, 1984.
15. First fight under banner of International Boxing Federation.
16. New WBA champion.
17. New WBC champion.
18. New undisputed champion.
19. The WBC stripped Bowe of its version of the title in December 1992 and named Lennox Lewis champion.
20. After the loss, Holyfield retired.
21. New WBC champion. Lennox Lewis had been named champion in 1992 and had won three title defenses before losing to McCall.
22. For combined WBA/IBF titles. Later WBA stripped Foreman of title for failing to fight no. 1 contender Tony Tucker. IBF also stripped Foreman on June 29, 1995.
23. New WBA champion.
24. Botha later tested positive for steroids and was stripped of the title.
25. New WBC champion.
26. New IBF champion.
27. Surrendered WBA title to fight Michael Grant in unsanctioned bout.
28. Lewis surrendered his IBF title in 2002.
29. Vitali Klitschko retired in Nov. 2005. Hasim Rahman was named interim champion.
30. Originally a unanimous decision in Toney's favor, the bout was changed to “no contest” after Toney tested positive for a banned substance. Ruiz retained the title.

Boxing Summary Other World Boxing Titleholders
Boxing Summary
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