List of middleweight boxing champions
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Contents
Championship recognition
1884–1910
Champions were recognized by public acclamation. A champion in that era was a fighter who had a notable win over another fighter and kept winning afterward. Retirements or disputed results could lead to a championship being split among several men for periods of time.
1910–1961
Championship awarding organizations
- The International Boxing Union (IBU), formed in Paris in 1910. Changed name to European Boxing Union in 1946. It organised world title fights from 1913 to 1963 after which it was incorporated into the World Boxing Council (WBC).
- The New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), formed in 1920. It organised world title bouts until the early 1970s when it became a member of World Boxing Council (WBC).
- The National Boxing Association (NBA) formed in the USA in 1921.
- Other bodies including the National Sporting Club in Great Britain and the California State Athletic Commission also awarded world titles.
An Australian version of the world title which existed briefly between 1914 and 1916 gained considerable credibility because its holder, Les Darcy, was widely believed to be best boxer in the world in this division.
1961–present
Championship awarding organizations
- The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA); it changed its name in 1961 and allowed membership from outside the USA.
- The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963.
- The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983.
- The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988.
Historical
| Reign Began | Reign Ended | Champion | Recognition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1884-07-30 | 1891-01-14 |  Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey |
World |
| 1891-01-14 | 1894-09-26 – vacated |  Bob Fitzsimmons |
World |
| 1896-12-26 | 1897-12-17 – vacated |  Kid McCoy |
World |
| 1898-10-24 | 1907-05-28 – vacated |  Tommy Ryan |
World |
| 1907-09-02 | 1908-09-07 | Stanley Ketchel |
World |
| 1908-09-07 | 1908-11-26 | Billy Papke |
World |
| 1908-11-26 | 1910-06-10 – vacated | Stanley Ketchel |
World |
| 1912-02-22 | 1913-10-11 | Frank Klaus |
World |
| 1913-10-11 | 1914-04-07 | George Chip |
World |
| 1914-04-07 | 1917-11-14 | Al McCoy |
World |
| 1917-11-14 | 1920-05-06 | Mike O'Dowd |
World |
| 1920-05-06 | 1923-08-31 | Johnny Wilson |
World |
| 1923-08-31 | 1926-02-26 | Harry Greb |
World |
| 1926-02-26 | 1926-12-03 | Tiger Flowers |
World |
| 1926-12-03 | 1929-10-29 – vacated | Mickey Walker |
World |
| 1932-01-25 | 1932-06-11 | Gorilla Jones |
NBA |
| 1932-06-11 | 1932-07-04 |  Marcel Thil |
NBA |
| 1933-10-30 | 1933-10-30 | Lou Brouillard |
World |
| 1933-10-30 | 1934-09-11 | Vince Dundee |
World |
| 1934-09-11 | 1935-09-19 | Teddy Yarosz |
World |
| 1935-09-19 | 1936-07-11 | Eddie Babe Risko |
World |
| 1936-07-11 | 1938-07-26 | Freddie Steele |
World |
| 1937? | 1939? | Fred Apostoli |
World |
| 1938-11-01 | 1939-06-27 | Solly Krieger |
World |
| 1939-06-27 | 1940-07-19 | Al Hostak |
World |
| 1939-10-02 | 1940-05-23 |  Ceferino Garcia |
World |
| 1940-05-23 | 1941-05-09 | Ken Overlin |
World |
| 1941-05-09 | 1941 | Billy Soose |
World |
| 1940-07-19 | 1947-07-16 | Tony Zale |
NBA |
| 1947-07-16 | 1948-06-10 | Rocky Graziano |
World |
| 1948-06-10 | 1948-09-21 | Tony Zale |
World |
| 1948-09-21 | 1949-06-16 | Marcel Cerdan |
World |
| 1949-06-16 | 1951-02-14 | Jake LaMotta |
World |
| 1951-02-14 | 1951-07-10 | Sugar Ray Robinson |
World |
| 1951-07-10 | 1951-09-12 | Randy Turpin |
World |
| 1951-09-12 | 1952-04-16 – vacated | Sugar Ray Robinson |
World |
| 1953-10-21 | 1955-12-09 | Bobo Olson |
World |
| 1955-12-09 | 1957-01-02 | Sugar Ray Robinson |
World |
| 1957-01-02 | 1957-05-01 | Gene Fullmer |
World |
| 1957-05-01 | 1957-09-23 | Sugar Ray Robinson |
World |
| 1957-09-23 | 1958-03-25 | Carmen Basilio |
World |
| 1958-03-25 | 1960-01-22 | Sugar Ray Robinson |
World |
| 1960-01-22 | 1961-07-11 | Paul Pender |
World |
| 1961-07-11 | 1962-04-07 | Terry Downes |
World |
| 1962-04-07 | 1962-04-07 – vacated | Paul Pender |
World |
| 1962-08-10 | 1963-12-07 |  Dick Tiger |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1963-12-07 | 1965-10-21 | Joey Giardello |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1965-10-21 | 1966-04-25 | Dick Tiger |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1966-04-25 | 1967-04-17 |  Emile Griffith |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1967-04-17 | 1967-09-29 |  Nino Benvenuti |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1967-09-29 | 1968-03-04 | Emile Griffith |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1968-03-04 | 1970-11-07 | Nino Benvenuti |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1970-11-07 | 1974-02-09 – title split |  Carlos Monzón |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1976-06-26 | 1977-08-29 – retired | Carlos Monzón |
Universal (WBA/WBC) |
| 1980-09-27 | 1987-04-06 – title split | Marvin Hagler |
Universal (WBA/WBC/IBF) |
| 2004-09-18 | 2005-07-16 – title lost | Bernard Hopkins |
Universal (WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO) |
| 2005-07-16 | 2005-10-11 – title split | Jermain Taylor |
Universal (WBA/WBC/IBF/WBO) |
WBC |
|||
| Title inaugurated | |||
| 1963-08-10 | 1963-12-07 | Dick Tiger |
WBC |
| 1963-12-07 | 1965-10-21 | Joey Giardello |
WBC |
| 1965-10-21 | 1966-04-25 | Dick Tiger |
WBC |
| 1966-04-25 | 1967-04-17 | Emile Griffith |
WBC |
| 1967-04-17 | 1967-09-29 | Nino Benvenuti |
WBC |
| 1967-09-29 | 1968-03-04 | Emile Griffith |
WBC |
| 1968-03-04 | 1970-11-07 | Nino Benvenuti |
WBC |
| 1970-11-07 | 1974-02-09-Stripped | Carlos Monzon |
WBC |
| 1974-05-25 | 1976-06-26 |  Rodrigo Valdez |
WBC |
| 1976-06-26 | 1977-08-29-Retired | Carlos Monzón |
WBC |
| 1977-11-05 | 1978-04-22 | Rodrigo Valdez |
WBC |
| 1978-04-22 | 1979-06-30 | Hugo Pastor Corro |
WBC |
| 1979-06-30 | 1980-03-16 | Vito Antuofermo |
WBC |
| 1980-03-16 | 1980-09-27 | Alan Minter |
WBC |
| 1980-09-27 | 1987-04-06 | Marvin Hagler |
WBC |
| 1987-04-06 | 1987-05-27-Vacated | Sugar Ray Leonard |
WBC |
| 1987-10-29 | 1988-06-06 | Thomas Hearns |
WBC |
| 1988-06-06 | 1989-02-24 | Iran Barkley |
WBC |
| 1989-02-24 | 1989-12-07-Vacated |  Roberto Durán |
WBC |
| 1990-11-24 | 1993-05-08 | Julian Jackson |
WBC |
| 1993-05-08 | 1994-05-07-Vacated | Gerald McClellan |
WBC |
| 1995-03-17 | 1995-08-19 | Julian Jackson |
WBC |
| 1995-08-19 | 1996-03-16 | Quincy Taylor |
WBC |
| 1996-03-16 | 1998-05-02 | Keith Holmes |
WBC |
| 1998-05-02 | 1999-04-24 | Hacine Cherifi |
WBC |
| 1999-04-24 | 2001-04-14 | Keith Holmes |
WBC |
| 2001-04-14 | 2005-07-16 | Bernard Hopkins |
WBC |
| 2005-07-16 | 2007-09-29 | Jermain Taylor |
WBC |
| 2007-09-29 | 2010-04-17 | Kelly Pavlik |
WBC |
| 2010-04-17 | 2011-01-17-Stripped | Sergio Martínez |
WBC |
| 2011-01-17 | 2011-06-04 |  Sebastian Zbik |
WBC |
| 2011-06-04 | 2012-09-15 |  Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. |
WBC |
| 2012-09-15 | 2014-06-07 | Sergio Martínez |
WBC |
| 2014-06-07 | Present |  Miguel Cotto |
WBC |
WBA |
|||
| Title inaugurated | |||
| 1962-10-23 | 1963-12-07 | Dick Tiger |
WBA |
| 1963-12-07 | 1965-10-21 | Joey Giardello |
WBA |
| 1965-10-21 | 1966-04-25 | Dick Tiger |
WBA |
| 1966-04-25 | 1967-04-17 | Emile Griffith |
WBA |
| 1967-04-17 | 1967-09-29 | Nino Benvenuti |
WBA |
| 1967-04-17 | 1968-03-04 | Emile Griffith |
WBA |
| 1968-03-04 | 1970-11-04 | Nino Benvenuti |
WBA |
| 1970-11-07 | 1977-08-29-Retired | Carlos Monzon |
WBA |
| 1977-11-05 | 1978-04-22 | Rodrigo Valdez |
WBA |
| 1978-04-22 | 1979-06-30 | Hugo Pastor Corro |
WBA |
| 1979-06-30 | 1980-03-16 | Vito Antuofermo |
WBA |
| 1980-03-16 | 1980-09-27 | Alan Minter |
WBA |
| 1980-09-27 | 1987-Stripped | Marvin Hagler |
WBA |
| 1987-10-23 | 1989-Stripped | Sumbu Kalambay |
WBA |
| 1989-05-10 | 1991-04-01-Vacated |  Mike McCallum |
WBA |
| 1992-04-22 | 1993-10-01 | Reggie Johnson |
WBA |
| 1993-10-01 | 1994-08-Vacated | John David Jackson |
WBA |
| 1994-08-12 | 1995-12-19 | Jorge Fernando Castro |
WBA |
| 1995-12-19 | 1996-06-24 |  Shinji Takehara |
WBA |
| 1996-06-24 | 1997-08-23 | William Joppy |
WBA |
| 1997-08-23 | 1998-01-31 |  Julio César Green |
WBA |
| 1998-01-31 | 2001-05-12 | William Joppy |
WBA |
| 2001-05-12 | 2001-09-29 | Félix Trinidad |
WBA |
| 2001-09-29 | 2005-07-16 | Bernard Hopkins |
WBA Super Champion |
| 2001-11-17 | 2003-12-13-Lost to Super Champion | William Joppy |
WBA Regular Champion |
| 2004-05-01 | 2006-03-11 |  Maselino Masoe |
WBA Regular Champion |
| 2005-07-16 | 2006-12-14-Stripped | Jermain Taylor |
WBA Super Champion |
| 2006-03-11 | 2006-07-15 | Felix Sturm |
WBA Regular Champion |
| 2006-07-15 | 2007-04-28 |  Javier Castillejo |
WBA Regular Champion |
| 2007-04-28 | 2012-09-01 | Felix Sturm |
WBA Super Champion |
| 2010-10-14 | Present |  Gennady Golovkin |
WBA Super Champion |
| 2012-09-01 | 2012-11-02-Stripped |  Daniel Geale |
WBA Super Champion |
| 2014-08-09 | Present | Daniel Jacobs |
WBA Regular Champion |
| 2015-02-28 | 2015-10-25-Stripped | Chris Eubank, Jr. |
WBA Interim Champion |
| 2015-10-10 | Present |  Alfonso Blanco |
WBA Interim Champion |
IBF |
|||
| Title inaugurated | |||
| 1983-05-27 | 1987-04-06-Stripped | Marvin Hagler |
IBF |
| 1987-10-10 | 1988-07-28 | Frank Tate |
IBF |
| 1988-07-28 | 1991-05-10 | Michael Nunn |
IBF |
| 1991-05-10 | 1993-02-13-Vacated | James Toney |
IBF |
| 1993-05-22 | 1994-11-18-Vacated | Roy Jones, Jr. |
IBF |
| 1995-04-29 | 2005-07-16 | Bernard Hopkins |
IBF |
| 2005-07-16 | 2005-10-11-Vacated | Jermain Taylor |
IBF |
| 2005-12-10 | 2009-07-12-Vacated | Arthur Abraham |
IBF |
| 2009-09-19 | 2011-05-07 | Sebastian Sylvester |
IBF |
| 2011-05-07 | 2013-08-17 | Daniel Geale |
IBF |
| 2013-08-17 | 2013-12-07 | Darren Barker |
IBF |
| 2013-12-07 | 2014-05-31 | Felix Sturm |
IBF |
| 2014-05-31 | 2014-10-08 | Sam Soliman |
IBF |
| 2014-10-08 | 2015-02-06-Stripped | Jermain Taylor |
IBF |
| 2015-06-20 | 2015-10-17 | David Lemieux |
IBF |
| 2015-10-17 | Present | Gennady Golovkin |
IBF |
WBO |
|||
| Title inaugurated | |||
| 1989-04-18 | 1990-04-29 | Doug DeWitt |
WBO |
| 1990-04-29 | 1990-11-18 | Nigel Benn |
WBO |
| 1990-11-18 | 1991-06-22-Vacated | Chris Eubank |
WBO |
| 1991-11-20 | 1992-Vacated | Gerald McClellan |
WBO |
| 1993-05-19 | 1994-05-11 | Chris Pyatt |
WBO |
| 1994-05-11 | 1995-03-Vacated | Steve Collins |
WBO |
| 1995-05-19 | 1997-06-28-Vacated | Lonnie Bradley |
WBO |
| 1997-12-13 | 1998-05-12-Vacated | Otis Grant |
WBO |
| 1999-01-30 | 1999-11-Stripped | Bert Schenk |
WBO |
| 1999-11 | 1999-11-27 | Jason Matthews |
WBO |
| 1999-11-27 | 2002-04-06 |  Armand Krajnc |
WBO |
| 2002-04-06 | 2003-Retired |  Harry Simon |
WBO |
| 2003-05-10 | 2003-09-13 | Hector Javier Velazco |
WBO |
| 2003-09-13 | 2004-06-05 | Felix Sturm |
WBO |
| 2004-06-05 | 2004-09-18 | Oscar De La Hoya |
WBO |
| 2004-09-18 | 2005-07-16 | Bernard Hopkins |
WBO |
| 2005-07-16 | 2007-09-29 | Jermain Taylor |
WBO |
| 2007-09-29 | 2010-04-17 | Kelly Pavlik |
WBO |
| 2010-04-17 | 2010-06-01-Stripped | Sergio Gabriel Martínez |
WBO |
| 2010-07-31 | 2012-08-25-Stripped |  Dmitry Pirog |
WBO |
| 2012-08-25 | 2012-10-20 | Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam |
WBO |
| 2012-10-20 | 2014-09-04-Vacated | Peter Quillin |
WBO |
| 2014-12-13 | Present | Andy Lee |
WBO |
