List of Heavyweight Champions

A chronological list of Heavyweight boxing champions, as recognized:

• Prior to the rise of sanctioning bodies, by the general public at large;
• The World Boxing Association ("WBA"), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association ("NBA"),
• The International Boxing Federation ("IBF"), founded in 1983,
• The World Boxing Organization ("WBO"), founded in 1988,
• The International Boxing Organization ("IBO"), founded in 1991, and
• The World Boxing Council ("WBC"), which has operated since 1963 but whose existence is currently in doubt. The organization reportedly has (or will) file for bankruptcy on 14 Jun 2004.

(1) - First champion under Marquess of Queensberry rules.
(2) - Relinquished championship title.
(3) - Retired as champion, relinquishing title.
(4) - Jack Sharkey defeated Tommy Loughran for vacant National Boxing Association championship, but was not universally recognized as champion.
(5) - Defeated NBA champion Jack Sharkey to earn universal recognition as champion.
(6) - Ezzard Charles won the vacant National Boxing Association championship, but was not universally recognized as champion until defeating Joe Louis, the former champion who had come out of retirement.
(7) - The World Boxing Association withdrew its recognition of Clay (now known as Muhammad Ali) as champion for agreeing to an immediate rematch against former champion Charles 'Sonny' Liston, a violation of the organization's rules. The World Boxing Council and other organizations continued to recognize him, however.
(8) - All professional boxing sanctioning bodies withdrew recognition of Ali as champion for his refusal to be inducted into the United States Army subsequent to being drafted in early 1967.
(9) - Frazier was recognized by all sanctioning bodies as champion after defeating Ellis to unify the titles, but universal recognition came only upon defeating Ali on March 8, 1971.
(10) - Championship recognition withdrawn by sanctioning organization due to champion's failure or refusal to defend title against the organization's #1 ranked contender.
(11) - A drug test following Botha's victory over Axel Shultz for the IBF title revealed that he had used illegal anabolic steroids. Upon the discovery the IBF vacated its championship. The organization has erased the episode from its own written history, not listing Botha among its recognized champions.
(12) - The WBA's 'interim' champion, Ruiz was awarded the championship following Roy Jones, Jr.'s announcement that he was relinquishing the title.
(13) - The World Boxing Council entered bankruptcy liquidation proceedings on 14 Jun 2004, in effect self-terminating its existence. While as of 14 Jun 2004 it is rumored that the WBC will be reconstitued under a new name (but with the same management), technically Klitschko's title as Heavyweight Champion has ceased to exist.