Boxing
10 heavyweight champions in history for the longest time
Published
1 year agoon
World Boxing News presents the longest heavyweight masters in history since the creation of the division.
In 1885, the Glamor weight class enjoyed the first linear owner of heavyweight, John L. Sullivan. The first boxing superstar has been in this position for seven years.
Over 140 years later, only four boxers exceeded this feat.
WBN mentions them all below in the top ten.
10. Deontay Wilder [5 years, 1 month and 5 days]
Wilder took the WBC heavyweight championship from January 2015 to February 2020. The “Bronze Bomad” created ten successful defense during his reign, until he fell into Tyson Fury at MGM Grand Garden Arena a few days before the closure of the world.
9. Vitali Klitschko [5 years, 2 months and 4 days]
During the second spell, Klilitschko as a champion Ukrainian made the most impression. After retiring in 2004, after winning the heavyweight title, WBC from Corries Sanders, Klitschko returned to regain green and gold in 2008 against Samuel Piotr.
Together with his brother Wladimir, the brothers kept the castle division until Vitali left after defeating Mahmoud Charra in 2012.
Elder Sibling Kliczko lost only twice in a unique career 47.
8. James J. Jeffries [5 years, 11 months and 4 days]
“Massive Jeff or Jim” or “The Great White Hope”, as he was known, Jeffries won the linear crown in 1899 against Bob Fitzsimmons. Within almost six years, at the top of sport, he made an amazing 22 defense, registering the fastest knockout in history in the fight for championship in weighty weight.
In 45 or 55 seconds he defeated Jacek Finnegan massively, depending on the report from 1900. Jeffries’s reign ended only when he retired in 1904 at the unbeaten 18-0-2.
Jeffries came out of his pension six years later to challenge Jacek Johnson, but he was defeated in the fifteen of the 45 -planned round. It was his only loss.
7. Muhammad Ali [5 years, 11 months and 9 days]
By beating Jeffries for a few days, Ali does not need to introduce and he would prevail much longer if he did not fall into Joe Frazier. The fight of the century stopped the extraordinary first era of Ali as a world ruler after he “shook the world” against Sonna Liston in 1964.
6. Jack Johnson [6 years, 3 months and 10 days]
Jack Johnson is one of the most memorable linear heavyweight champions as the first of African Origin. The boxer from Galveston in Texas maintained a segregated crown from 1903, until he finally fought for a full title in 1908.
Johnson beat Tommy Burns on points and did six defense to lose to Jess Willard in 1915.
5. John Sullivan [7 years and 9 days]
Sullivan spent the first three years of his reign as a boxing master Barenuckle boxing not recognized because of his reluctance to face black fighters. Ultimately, Sullivan recognized the linear championship in 1885 and held him until 1892, when losing to James J. Corbett in Nowy Orleans.
His victory over Dominick McCaffrey was intended as the beginning of the race, which covered only three defense in seven years. Before Sullivan faced Corbett, he was out of the ring for five years.
Sullivan kept his pedigree as a man to defeat because he was undefeated in 37 matches before the Corbetta fight.
4. Jack Dempsey [7 years, 2 months, and 19 days]
Dempsey was a weighty champion in 1916, after which he moved to heavyweight and won the belt in 1919. “Manassa Mauler” did five defense before she lost to Gene Tunney in 1926.
3. Larry Holmes [7 years, 3 months, and 12 days]
Holmes won the WBC Crown from Ken Norton in 1978 and chased the aging Muhammad Ali for a linear title. Finally he met “The Greatest” in 1980 and beat him to the pulp in ten rounds. He performed several defense of the WBC belt until he resigned in 1983.
Even over Holmes directed Greg Page led to IBF, which agrees to convey his world heavyweight title to Holmes. Holmes defended him twice until he lost to Michael Spinks in 1985. Five months later he lost the rematch.
In general, Holmes created 18 title defense of WBC and IBF strips.
2. Wladimir Klitschko [9 years, 7 months, and 6 days]
The younger Klitschko, Wladimir, has a record of the longest control in boxing in weighty weight containing physical belts. By rolling the crown of IBF from Chris Byrd in 2006, Klitschko seemed impossible to beat until Tyson Fury appeared in 2015.
In the ponderous age of the division, Klitschko continued to rule the iron fist, defeating Aleksandra Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev and David Haye.
1. Joe Louis [11 years, 8 months, and 8 days]
Louis was recognized as a linear heavyweight champion in 1937 by Recent York State Athletic Commission, and a year later around the world. He made 25 more defense, including ten wins over world champions for almost a dozen or so years.
In recent counting of Worldboxingnews.com, Louis was named the second best boxer behind the great sugar Ray Robinson in the history of this sport.
Special references go to Rocky Marciano, Lennox Lewis, the prevailing master Oleksandr Usyk, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Max Schmeling, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Patterson, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Leon Spinks and Riddick Bowe, everyone who contributed to weighty boxing during weighty boxing during weighty boxing during your Eras class.
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Boxing
Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’
Published
19 minutes agoon
April 24, 2026
Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua look set to face each other later this year in what could be one of the biggest British boxing events of all time.
Another British legend, Naseem Hamed, presented the course of the fight in a surprising way.
Fury had his ring returned within a a decision victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov earlier this monthshaking off ring rust at the age of 37 and allegedly preparing for a showdown with Joshua that the “Gypsy King” was set to take place this summer.
However, ‘AJ’ instead maintained that he would prefer a warm-up fight first, with the Londoner expected to return to action in July, ahead of a long-awaited meeting with his arch-rival in November.
I’m talking to talkSPORT BoxingHamed was looking forward to this match and suggested that a draw could be on the cards.
“Who do I think will win the fight between AJ and Fury? Well, that is the question and everyone wants to know.
“Years ago, Tyson had this awkward style for me where he could make AJ look stupid, that’s true. Now everything has changed. Tyson seemed to have backed off a little bit.
“But with Tyson Fury you never know, maybe one night he’ll show up and box amazingly and do what he did to Wilder. Those first few rounds [against Makhmudov]I was a little disappointed that he didn’t go from the start.
“This is going to sound crazy to you, but would it be unbelievable if I said it could be a draw?”
It is unclear whether Fury will also fight in the summer or whether he will avoid risking a lucrative romance with Joshua and wait patiently on the sidelines.
Ben Whittaker’s next few months are already taking shape following his quick knockout victory in Liverpool, and Adam Smith outlines a busy summer schedule that should finally see the delicate heavyweight fighter face stronger tests
Smith said Whittaker is expected to return to the United States in overdue June on the Jaron “Boots” Ennis card, then return to the UK in the summer for a major date in his hometown of Birmingham.
Whittaker stopped Brian Suarez in two rounds last weekend and performed brilliantly throughout, adding another early finish to the stretch that helped rebuild attention around him after his first fight with Liam Cameron ended in a draw.
Smith said the June outing would support expose Whittaker to a wider audience ahead of a bigger national night later in the year.
“He will fight at the end of June in America at the Boots Ennis gala. That’s good. Show him to a global audience. Then he will come back here in overdue summer, maybe early September and fight in Birmingham in a huge fight,” Adam Smith said in an interview with Sport Boxing.
Smith also named British opponents who could be next, naming Lyndon Arthur, Brad Rea and Craig Richards as possible options once Whittaker returns home.
Smith believes that in the long term, bigger domestic fights with Joshua Buatsi and Anthony Yard should come within the next year if Whittaker continues to win.
“Buatsis and Yards need to be delivered within the next 6-12 months.”
Whittaker has had a lot of notoriety since turning pro, but the activity and matchmaking are looking more grave now. The next two fights should tell more than the first ten.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
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Last updated: 24/04/2026 at 17:38
Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya admits that he would consider returning on one condition
Published
4 hours agoon
April 24, 2026
Six-division world champion and Golden Boy promoter Oscar De La Hoya hasn’t fought since 2008, but revealed he would be willing to return for one fighter.
De La Hoya is a newfangled pound-for-pound legend, being one of only two six-division champions in the history of the sport – joined by Filipino fan favorite Manny Pacquiao, who has reached eighth in this ultra-elite club.
While De La Hoya has moved on to promote the sport, “Pac Man” recently returned to the pro ranks, challenging Mario Barrios for the WBC welterweight world title last July in an attempt to break his own record as boxing’s oldest 147-pound ruler.
Pacquiao could only get a draw in that fight, but now he’s ready for an even bigger fight – at least financially – after signing a contract for a rematch with Floyd Mayweather, who defeated him in 2015 in the “Fight of the Century.”
Time will tell whether this fight will have an impact on Mayweather’s renowned 50-0 record or not. “TBE” apparently wants to change his contract to an exhibition fight despite signing a contract for sanctioned competition.
If that fight takes place in September, Mayweather will come out on top again, De La Hoya said Fighting the noise that he would also be willing to have a rematch with Mayweather.
“I am a fighter. I will always be a fighter. If Mayweather beats Pacquiao, Floyd, you owe me a rematch! Let’s go!”
Mayweather defeated De La Hoya by split decision to win the WBC super lightweight title in 2007, and De La Hoya still maintains he deserved to win the fight.
Prince Naseem Hamed predicts Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight: ‘It’s going to sound crazy’
Adam Smith reveals Ben Whittaker’s summer fight plan
Nate Diaz KEEPS IT 100 on Mayweather vs Pacquiao 2
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