| 1903 | Jack Root,
George Gardner |
| 1903–05 | Bob Fitzsimmons |
| 1905–12 | Philadelphia Jack O'Brien1 |
| 1912–16 | Jack Dillon |
| 1916–20 | Battling Levinsky |
| 1920–22 | Georges Carpentier |
| 1923 | Battling Siki |
| 1923–25 | Mike McTigue |
| 1925–26 | Paul Berlenbach |
| 1926–27 | Jack Delaney2 |
| 1927 | Mike McTigue |
| 1927–29 | Tommy Loughran |
| 1930 | Jimmy Slattery |
| 1930–34 | Maxie Rosenbloom |
| 1934–35 | Bob Olin |
| 1935–39 | John Henry Lewis |
| 1939 | Melio Bettina |
| 1939–41 | Billy Conn2 |
| 1941 | Anton Christoforidis (NBA) |
| 1941–48 | Gus Lesnevich |
| 1948–50 | Freddie Mills |
| 1950–52 | Joey Maxim |
| 1952–61 | Archie Moore3 |
| 1961–63 | Harold Johnson |
| 1963–65 | Willie Pastrano |
| 1965–66 | José Torres |
| 1966–67 | Dick Tiger |
| 1968 | Dick Tiger, Bob Foster |
| 1969–70 | Bob Foster |
| 1971 | Vicente Rondon (WBA),
Bob Foster (WBC) |
| 1972–73 | Bob Foster (WBA, WBC) |
| 1974 | John Conteh (WBA),
Bob Foster (WBC)1, 4 |
| 1975–76 | Victor Galindez (WBA),
John Conteh (WBC) |
| 1977 | Victor Galindez (WBA),
John Conteh (WBC),4
Miguel Cuello (WBC) |
| 1978 | Victor Galindez (WBA),
Mike Rossman (WBA),
Miguel Cuello (WBC),
Mate Parlov (WBC),
Marvin Johnson (WBC) |
| 1979 | Mike Rossman (WBA),
Victor Galindez (WBA),
Marvin Johnson (WBC),
Matthew (Franklin) Saad Muhammad (WBC) |
| 1980 | Matthew Saad Muhammad (WBC),
Marvin Johnson (WBA),
Eddie (Gregory) Mustafa Muhammad (WBA) |
| 1981 | Matthew Saad Muhammad (WBC),
Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (WBA),
Michael Spinks (WBA),
Dwight Braxton (WBC) |
| 1982 | Dwight Braxton (WBC),
Michael Spinks (WBA) |
| 1983 | Michael Spinks (undisputed) |
| 1984 | Michael Spinks (undisputed) |
| 1985 | Michael Spinks (undisputed)5 |
| 1986 | Marvin Johnson (WBA),
Dennis Andries (WBC) |
| 1987 | Thomas Hearns (WBC),
Virgil Hill (WBA),
Bobby Czyz (IBF) |
| 1988 | Charles Williams (IBF),
Virgil Hill (WBA),
Donny LaLonde (WBC),
Sugar Ray Leonard (WBC) |
| 1989 | Dennis Andries (WBC),
Virgil Hill (WBA),
Charles Williams (IBF),
Jeff Harding (WBC) |
| 1990 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Charles Williams (IBF),
Jeff Harding (WBC),
Dennis Andries (WBC) |
| 1991 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Thomas Hearns (WBA),
Dennis Andries (WBC),
Charles Williams (IBF) |
| 1992 | Charles Williams (IBF),
James Waring (IBF),
Jeff Harding (WBC) |
| 1993 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Jeff Harding (WBC),
Henry Maske (IBF) |
| 1994 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Mike McCallum (WBC),
Henry Maske (IBF) |
| 1995 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Fabio Tiozzo (WBC),
Henry Maske (IBF) |
| 1996–97 | Virgil Hill (WBA),
Fabio Tiozzo (WBC),
Henry Maske (IBF) |
| 1998 | Roy Jones (WBA, WBC),
Reggie Johnson (IBF) |
1999–
2001 | Roy Jones (WBA, WBC, IBF) |
| 2002 | Bruno Girard (WBA),
Roy Jones (WBC, IBF) |
| 2003 | Vacant (WBA), Antonio Tarver (WBC, IBF) |
| 2004 | Antonio Tarver (WBC), Fabrice Tiozzo (WBA), Glen Johnson (IBF) |
| 2005 | Tomasz Adamek(WBC), Fabrice Tiozzo (WBA), Clinton Woods (IBF) |
1. Retired. 2. Abandoned title. 3. NBA withdrew recognition in 1961, New York Commission in 1962; recognized thereafter only by California and Europe. 4. WBC withdrew recognition. 5. Spinks relinquished title in 1985 to fight for heavyweight title.
