Heavyweight


Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.

Boxing

Professional

Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization. In 2020, the World Boxing Council increased their heavyweight classification to 224 pounds to allow for their creation of the bridgerweight division. The World Boxing Association did the same in 2023. Female boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by all four of the boxing federations.

Historical development

Because this division has no upper weight limit, it has historically been vaguely defined. In the 19th century, for example, many heavyweight champions weighed or less.
In 1920, the light heavyweight division was formed, with a maximum weight of. Any fighter weighing more than 175 pounds was a heavyweight. The cruiserweight division was established in 1979 and recognized by the various boxing organizations in the 1980s with a maximum weight of either or. Later these organizations increased the cruiserweight limit to 200 pounds.
Since 1975, the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States and the Soviet Sports Committee established a new concept in international boxing, called "Heavy Duals," an all-heavyweight team contest between the United States and the Soviet Union.
As of 2025, Wladimir Klitschko holds records of beating the most boxers for the world heavyweight title, with 23, and the longest cumulative heavyweight title reign of all time, with 4,382 days as world heavyweight champion. Joe Louis has won the most world heavyweight title bouts, with 27, and had the most consecutive title defenses, with 26. This is also the record for most consecutive title defenses in boxing history.
Four boxers have regained the heavyweight title in an immediate rematch: Floyd Patterson in 1960, Muhammad Ali in 1978, Lennox Lewis in 2001, and Anthony Joshua in 2019. George Foreman holds the record for being the oldest heavyweight to ever achieve championship status, becoming champion at the age of 45, while Mike Tyson possesses the record for youngest heavyweight champion at 20. Tyson also became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF as well as The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles at the same time.

Current world champions

Sanctioning BodyReign BeganChampionRecordDefenses
WBASeptember 25, 2021Oleksandr Usyk24–0 5
WBCMay 18, 2024Oleksandr Usyk24–0 2
IBFJuly 19, 2025Oleksandr Usyk24–0 0
WBONovember 17, 2025Fabio Wardley20–0–1 0

Current world rankings

''The Ring''
As of January 2, 2026.
Keys:
RankNameRecord Title
COleksandr Usyk24–0 WBA, WBC, IBF
1Fabio Wardley20–0–1 WBO
2Agit Kabayel27–0 WBC
3Daniel Dubois22–3
4Filip Hrgovic19–1
5Zhilei Zhang27–3–1
6Martin Bakole21–2–1
7Moses Itauma13–0
8Efe Ajagba20–1–1
9Richard Torrez14–0
10Murat Gassiev32–2 WBA
BoxRec
As of 11 January 2026.
RankNameRecord Title
1Oleksandr Usyk24–0–0 WBA, WBC, IBF
2Agit Kabayel27–0 WBC
3Fabio Wardley20–0–1 WBO
4Daniel Dubois22–3–0
5Murat Gassiev32–2–0 WBA
6Lawrence Okolie22–1–0
7Anthony Joshua29–4–0
8Joseph Parker36–4–0
9Filip Hrgovic19–1–0
10Richard Riakporhe19–1–0

Longest-reigning world heavyweight champions

Keys:
Combined reign
The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921.
As of 09 September 2025.
Pos.NameCombined reignDays as championNumber of reignsTitle recognitionCumulative title winsOpponents beaten
1.Wladimir Klitschko12 years, 0 months, 0 days4 3822WBA, IBF, WBO2523
2.Joe Louis11 years, 8 months, 8 days4 2701NYSAC, NBA2722
3.Muhammad Ali9 years, 5 months, 5 days3 4433NYSAC, WBA, WBC2221
4.Lennox Lewis8 years, 5 months, 13 days3 0863WBA, WBC, IBF1515
5.Vitali Klitschko7 years, 5 months, 28 days2 7353WBC, WBO1515
6.Larry Holmes7 years, 3 months, 12 days2 6611WBC, IBF2020
7.Jack Dempsey7 years, 2 months, 19 days2 6381NYSAC, NBA66
8.John L. Sullivan7 years, 0 months, 10 days2 5661Universal55
9.Jack Johnson6 years, 3 months, 11 days2 2921Universal66
10.Evander Holyfield6 years, 1 month, 1 day2 2234WBA, WBC, IBF1110
11.James J. Jeffries5 years, 11 months, 4 days2 1561Universal86
12.Tyson Fury5 years, 1 month, 12 days1 8662WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO54
13.Deontay Wilder5 years, 1 month, 5 days1 8591WBC108
14.Anthony Joshua4 years, 11 months, 17 days1 8062WBA, IBF, WBO99
15.Joe Frazier4 years, 10 months, 18 days1 7851NYSAC, WBA, WBC1010
Individual reign
Below is a list of longest reigning heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. The list includes both The Ring and lineal championships. Career total time as champion does not apply.
As of 2 October 2025.
Pos.NameTitle ReignTitle recognition
1.Joe Louis11 years, 8 months, 8 daysLineal
2.Wladimir Klitschko9 years, 7 months and 6 daysIBF
3.Larry Holmes7 years, 3 months, 12 daysWBC-to-IBF
4.Jack Dempsey7 years, 2 months, 19 daysLineal
5.John L. Sullivan7 years, 0 months, 9 daysLineal
6.Jack Johnson6 years, 3 months, 10 daysLineal
7.Muhammad Ali5 years, 11 months, 9 daysThe Ring/Lineal,
8.James J. Jeffries5 years, 11 months, 4 daysLineal
9.Vitali Klitschko5 years, 2 months, 4 daysWBC
10.Deontay Wilder5 years, 1 month 5 daysWBC
11.Joe Frazier4 years, 10 months, 18 daysNYSAC
12.James J. Corbett4 years, 6 months, 10 daysLineal
13.Oleksandr UsykWBO, IBF
14.Jess Willard4 years, 2 months, 29 daysLineal
15.Tyson Fury4 years, 2 months, 26 daysWBC
16.Lennox Lewis4 years, 2 months, 15 daysWBC

Amateur

The lower limit for heavyweight was established in 1948 at. A weight class named "super heavyweight" was established in 1984, and with it a maximum for the heavyweight division.

Kickboxing