Boxing
10 heavyweight champions in history for the longest time
Published
12 months 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
Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser
Published
58 minutes agoon
March 7, 2026
Jai Opetai’s fight against Brandon Glanton is still moving forward, but veteran reporter Dan Rafael says the issue that caused the IBF title to be removed from the fight had to do with how the belt was presented during fight week. Rafael reported that IBF president Daryl Peoples believes that the organization’s title was shown as secondary to Zuffa’s belt during a recent press conference.
This explanation makes the argument about the presentation rather than the match itself. Rafael wrote that Peoples objected to the way the belts were arranged at the press, with Zuffa’s belt posed for the cameras while Opetaia held the IBF title rather than raising it in the usual manner towards the audience.
“The IBF withdrew sanctions and sent the overseer home after the journalist because IBF President Daryl Peoples felt disrespected by the belt being placed secondary to Zuffa’s,” Rafael wrote on social media.
Fight week photos reflect the arrangement Rafael described. At the final press conference on Friday, Zuffa’s belt was centered and Opetaia held the red IBF title at his side. Saturday’s weigh-in had a similar effect. Zuffa’s belt was raised over the fighters on the restart, while Opetaia continued to hold the IBF Championship on his chest. This sequence appears to have irritated the sanctioning authority.
Rafael also reported another unusual detail related to the fight. Even after the IBF dropped its sanctions, Opetai and Glanton were still expected to adhere to IBF weight rules ahead of the morning fight. Rafael said that no competitor can weigh more than ten pounds over the cruiserweight weight limit of 200.
Rafael later noticed that the IBF belt continued to appear in promotion for the event. Opetaia held the title at media events and discussed it publicly, and graphics broadcast by Zuffa covered the championship. Rafael’s account points to the dispute that raged over Zuffa’s title belt relationship during press events.
Opetaia entered fight week as the IBF cruiserweight champion after regaining the belt in a rematch victory over Mairis Briedis in 2024. The Australian continues to wear the physical belt while promoting his fight against Glanton. Once he steps into the ring and takes part in an unsanctioned fight, the IBF Championship will no longer move forward with him.
The fight remains scheduled, and reports from Rafael indicate that the split was due to belt politics and presentations at public events. The episode shows how rigorously sanctioning bodies guard the status of their championships as modern promoters introduce competitive titles.
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Last update: 2026/03/07 at 15:51
Ryan Garcia has named one opponent he’s eager to face next, even though that particular fighter is negotiating for another opportunity.
The 27-year-old scored a dominant victory over Mario Barrios, whom he defeated in the first round, and then announced a unanimous verdict.
In this way, Garcia dethroned his fighter and became the WBC welterweight champion, securing his first victory since 2023.
Indeed, many took issue with the fact that “King Ry,” who suffered a unanimous decision loss to Rolando Romero last May, was given an immediate title shot against Barrios.
Previously in April 2024, Garcia tested positive twice for the banned substance ostarine, causing his majority victory over Devin Haney to be declared a no contest.
Garcia was also given a one-year ban by the Modern York State Athletic Commission, but is now considered one of the sport’s best-selling champions.
And while it has yet to be confirmed what the American will do next, it appears that a rematch with WBO welterweight champion Haney is at the top of his list.
Moving on to social mediaGarcia expressed interest in their potential unification match.
“I want to make this clear. If we can figure this out, I will fight this fight next. Point to blank period. #GarciaHaney2.”
Although Haney has also previously expressed interest in their possible rematch, it now appears that the 27-year-old will likely enter a unification fight with Romero.
There are rumors that “The Dream” will face his WBA counterpart on May 30, with the fight set to be headlined at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
Boxing
Eddie Hearn has decided to aid Tom Aspinall regain his mojo.
Published
5 hours agoon
March 7, 2026
LONDON – Eddie Hearn said he wanted to aid Tom Aspinall found his motivation again after signing a business deal with the UFC heavyweight champion.
Aspinall (15-3) announced on Thursday that he has signed with Hearn’s newly formed Matchroom talent agency, meaning the British promoter will aid him manage his career and business interests.
Aspinall has not fought since October against Ciryl Gane, when the fight was stopped prematurely after Aspinall was repeatedly poked in the eye. He has since undergone eye surgery.
Hearn said when he first spoke to Aspinall last week, you might have thought the UFC champion lacked the spark usually associated with a fighter of his stature.
“Sometimes when I say it… I don’t want him to be offended by it. When I first talked to him, I felt like I was talking to someone who didn’t realize who he was and what he was about,” Hearn said at a news conference Friday.
“Who is a huge star. A huge world star, one of the biggest in combat sports.
“In fact, the worst person in the world. Sometimes you can impose a narrative: it dampens your mood, and two: it just makes you feel like ‘I don’t really want to do this anymore.’
“When I was talking to him and he started talking about his injuries and multiple surgeries, I thought, ‘Man, we need to get over this and realize how large you are.’
“I see a man who is determined to get back there and I don’t want to say prove, he doesn’t have to prove, he fought everyone who came before him.”
Aspinall said he is still receiving advice from doctors, but has returned to featherlight training and wants to return to the octagon as soon as possible.
The 32-year-old expressed hope that he could take his commercial value to the next level by bringing Hearn into the fold, especially considering he has been forced to sit on the sidelines recently.
“As athletes, we have a miniature window in which we can make a lot of money. Considering what has happened in my career, my recent injuries, I want to make as much money as possible. I want to provide for my family from generation to generation,” Aspinall said.
“It was tough as hell. It was tough to be in the position I was in, and a lot of people thought about what they thought about you. Of course, I want to come back from it.”
Aspinall is still under contract with the UFC, and Hearn said he has no plans to move into boxing.
However, Hearn’s rivalry with UFC boss Dana White – who now also heads Zuffa Boxing – has intensified in recent weeks. White and Zuffa signed British player Conor Benn, whom Matchroom described as their biggest star of the future.
While there have been plenty of verbal spats between the two in the media, Aspinall’s alliance with Hearn marks a major victory for Matchroom, which will now work with the UFC and White on Aspinall, one of the biggest stars in the sport.
Dan Rafael says IBF president opposed Jai Opetaia Presser
Conor Benn WANTS Eddie Hearn In His Corner!
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