Heavyweight

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For other uses, see Heavyweight (disambiguation).
Heavyweight boxers Andrew Golota (on the left) vs. Kevin McBride at Madison Square Garden

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

Boxing

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Professional

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Male boxers who weigh over 200 pounds (91 kg; 14 st 4 lb) are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation[1] and the World Boxing Organization.[2] In 2020, the World Boxing Council[3] increased their heavyweight classification to 224 pounds (102 kg; 16 st) to allow for their creation of the bridgerweight division. The World Boxing Association (WBA) did the same in 2023.[4] Female boxers who weigh over 175 pounds (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb) are considered heavyweights by all four of the boxing federations.

Historical development

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Because this division has no upper weight limit, it has historically been vaguely defined. In the 19th century, for example, many heavyweight champions weighed 170 pounds (77 kg; 12 st 2 lb) or less (although others weighed 200 pounds).

In 1920, the light heavyweight division was formed, with a maximum weight of 175 pounds (79 kg; 12 st 7 lb). Any fighter weighing more than 175 pounds was a heavyweight. The cruiserweight division (first for boxers in the 175–190 pound range) was established in 1979 and recognized by the various boxing organizations in the 1980s with a maximum weight of either 190 pounds (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) or 195 pounds (88 kg; 13 st 13 lb). 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.[5]

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.[nb 1] Joe Louis has won the most world heavyweight title bouts, with 27,[8] and had the most consecutive title defenses, with 26.[nb 2] This is also the record for most consecutive title defenses in boxing history.[12]

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

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Main article: List of world heavyweight boxing champions
Sanctioning Body Reign Began Champion Record Defenses
WBA September 25, 2021 Oleksandr Usyk 24–0 (15 KO) 5
WBC May 18, 2024 Oleksandr Usyk 24–0 (15 KO) 2
IBF July 19, 2025 Oleksandr Usyk 24–0 (15 KO) 0
WBO November 17, 2025 Fabio Wardley 20–0–1 (19 KO) 0

Current world rankings

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The Ring
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As of November 17, 2025.[13]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion
Rank Name Record (W–L–D) Title(s)
C Oleksandr Usyk 24–0 (15 KO) WBA, WBC, IBF
1 Tyson Fury 34–2–1 (24 KO)
2 Fabio Wardley 20–0–1 (19 KO) WBO
3 Agit Kabayel 26–0 (18 KO)
4 Joseph Parker 36–4 (24 KO)
5 Daniel Dubois 22–3 (21 KO)
6 Filip Hrgović 19–1 (14 KO)
7 Zhilei Zhang 27–3–1 (22 KO)
8 Martin Bakole 21–2–1 (16 KO)
9 Moses Itauma 13–0 (11 KO)
10 Efe Ajagaba 20–1–1 (14 KO)
BoxRec
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As of 22 December 2024.[14]

Rank Name Record (W–L–D) Title(s)
1 Oleksandr Usyk 23–0–0 (14 KO) WBA, WBO, WBC
2 Daniel Dubois 22–2–0 (21 KO) IBF
3 Agit Kabayel 25–0–0 (17 KO)
4 Anthony Joshua 28–4–0 (25 KO)
5 Martin Bakole 21–1–0 (16 KO)
6 Tyson Fury 34–2–1 (24 KO)
7 Joseph Parker 35–3–0 (23 KO)
8 Lawrence Okolie 21–1–0 (16 KO)
9 Zhilei Zhang 27–2–1 (22 KO)
10 Michael Hunter 23–1–2 (16 KO)

Longest-reigning world heavyweight champions

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Main article: World heavyweight boxing championship records and statistics

Keys:

  Active title reign
  Reign has ended
Note 1: WBA (Regular) champions are not included
Note 2: WBO heavyweight title bouts before August 1997 are not included[15]
Note 3: The names in italics are champions that did not win The Ring championship/lineal championship (August 29, 1885–July 2, 1921)/undisputed championship (July 2, 1921–present)
Combined reign
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The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921.

As of 09 September 2025.

Pos. Name Combined reign Days as champion Number of reigns Title recognition Cumulative title wins Opponents beaten
1. Wladimir Klitschko 12 years, 0 months, 0 days 4 382 2 WBA, IBF, WBO 25 23
2. Joe Louis 11 years, 8 months, 8 days 4 270 1 NYSAC, NBA 27 22
3. Muhammad Ali 9 years, 5 months, 5 days 3 443 3 NYSAC, WBA, WBC 22 21
4. Lennox Lewis 8 years, 5 months, 13 days 3 086 3 WBA, WBC, IBF 15 15
5. Vitali Klitschko 7 years, 5 months, 28 days 2 735 3 WBC, WBO 15 15
6. Larry Holmes 7 years, 3 months, 12 days 2 661 1 WBC, IBF 20 20
7. Jack Dempsey 7 years, 2 months, 19 days 2 638 1 NYSAC, NBA 6 6
8. John L. Sullivan 7 years, 0 months, 10 days 2 566 1 Universal 5 5
9. Jack Johnson 6 years, 3 months, 11 days 2 292 1 Universal 6 6
10. Evander Holyfield 6 years, 1 month, 1 day 2 223 4 WBA, WBC, IBF 11 10
11. James J. Jeffries 5 years, 11 months, 4 days 2 156 1 Universal 8 6
12. Tyson Fury 5 years, 1 month, 12 days 1 866 2 WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO 5 4
13. Deontay Wilder 5 years, 1 month, 5 days 1 859 1 WBC 10 8
14. Anthony Joshua 4 years, 11 months, 17 days 1 806 2 WBA, IBF, WBO 9 9
15. Joe Frazier 4 years, 10 months, 18 days 1 785 1 NYSAC, WBA, WBC 10 10
Individual reign
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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 (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

As of 2 October 2025.

Pos. Name Title Reign Title recognition
1. Joe Louis 11 years, 8 months, 8 days Lineal
2. Wladimir Klitschko 9 years, 7 months and 6 days IBF (+WBA, WBO, The Ring/Lineal)
3. Larry Holmes 7 years, 3 months, 12 days WBC-to-IBF (+The Ring/Lineal)
4. Jack Dempsey 7 years, 2 months, 19 days Lineal
5. John L. Sullivan 7 years, 0 months, 9 days Lineal
6. Jack Johnson 6 years, 3 months, 10 days Lineal
7. Muhammad Ali 5 years, 11 months, 9 days The Ring/Lineal, (+WBA, WBC stripped)
8. James J. Jeffries 5 years, 11 months, 4 days Lineal
9. Vitali Klitschko 5 years, 2 months, 4 days WBC
10. Deontay Wilder 5 years, 1 month 5 days WBC
11. Joe Frazier 4 years, 10 months, 18 days NYSAC (+WBA, WBC)
12. James J. Corbett 4 years, 6 months, 10 days Lineal
13. Jess Willard 4 years, 2 months, 29 days Lineal
14. Tyson Fury 4 years, 2 months, 26 days WBC (+The Ring/Lineal)
15. Oleksandr Usyk 4 years, 9 months, 3 weeks and 4 days WBO, IBF (+WBA, WBC, The Ring /Lineal) [16]
16. Lennox Lewis 4 years, 2 months, 15 days WBC (+IBF, WBA stripped, The Ring/Lineal)

Amateur

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The lower limit for heavyweight was established in 1948 at 81 kg (178.6 lb). A weight class named "super heavyweight" was established in 1984, and with it a maximum 91 kg (200.6 lb) for the heavyweight division.

Kickboxing

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  • In kickboxing, a heavyweight fighter generally weighs between 88 and 100 kg (194 and 220 lb; 13 st 12 lb and 15 st 10 lb). The fighters over 100 kg (220 lb; 15 st 10 lb) are considered super heavyweights.
  • International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Heavyweight (Pro & Amateur) 215.1–235 lb or 97.6–106.6 kg.
  • In Glory promotion, a heavyweight division is over 95 kg (209 lb) and no upper weight limit.
  • In ONE Championship, the heavyweight division has an upper limit of 120.2 kg (265 lb).

Mixed martial arts

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Main article: Heavyweight (MMA)

The heavyweight division in MMA generally groups fighters between 206 and 265 lb (93 and 120 kg).

Heavyweight is also the title of a documentary film that documented the fight camp of Fabrício Werdum when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion.[17]

Wrestling

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Main articles: Wrestling weight classes and Professional wrestling weight classes

The term "world heavyweight" in modern wrestling generally refers to a champion wrestler who is seen as a prominent competitor, rather than an adherent to a particular weight class. The World Heavyweight Championship in wrestling is usually considered the main title in a given promotion. Prior to the wrestling industry publicly acknowledging the predetermined nature of the sport, a Heavyweight title was generally competed for by larger wrestlers while smaller wrestlers competed as (among other names and classifications) "Junior Heavyweights", "Cruiserweights" and "Light-Heavyweights". The lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre notably still has weight division for its champions. While most other promotions do not.

Analogous uses

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The word "heavyweight" is sometimes used in other fields (e.g. politics) to denote a person who is especially powerful or influential. Other boxing analogies include "punching above his [their] weight" to denote a person or entity (e.g. a country) whose influence is arguably greater than his/its basic attributes would suggest.

References

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  1. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  4. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  5. ^ 'Heavy' Date, AAU News, 1975, v. 45, p. 10.
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  12. ^ Longest reigning boxing world champion
  13. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  14. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
  15. ^ Several IBHOF inductees’ professional boxing records printed in the organization's official record books indicate that IBHOF did not recognize WBO as a major organization until at least August 23, 1997:
    • IBHOF official record book, 1997 edition
      • Sugar Ray Leonard's opponent Thomas Hearns, who was defending the WBO super middleweight title against him on 12 June 1989, is not marked as World Champion
    • IBHOF official record book, 1999 edition
      • Sugar Ray Leonard's opponent Thomas Hearns, who was defending the WBO super middleweight title against him on 12 June 1989, is not marked as World Champion
    • IBHOF official record book, 2002 edition
      • Sugar Ray Leonard's opponent Thomas Hearns, who was defending the WBO super middleweight title against him on 12 June 1989, is not marked as World Champion
    • IBHOF official record book, 2006 edition
      • Sugar Ray Leonard's opponent Thomas Hearns, who was defending the WBO super middleweight title against him on 12 June 1989, is not marked as World Champion
      • Michael Carbajal's opponent Josue Camacho, who was defending the WBO junior flyweight title against him on 15 July 1994, is not marked as World Champion
      • Michael Carbajal's opponent Jorge Arce, who was defending the WBO junior flyweight title against him on 31 July 1999, is marked as World Champion
    • IBHOF official record book, 2011 edition
      • Sugar Ray Leonard's opponent Thomas Hearns, who was defending the WBO super middleweight title against him on 12 June 1989, is not marked as World Champion
      • Michael Carbajal's opponent Josue Camacho, who was defending the WBO junior flyweight title against him on 15 July 1994, is not marked as World Champion
      • Ricardo Lopez's opponent Alex Sanchez, who was defending the WBO minimumweight title against him on 23 August 1997, is marked as World Champion
      • Michael Carbajal's opponent Jorge Arce, who was defending the WBO junior flyweight title against him on 31 July 1999, is marked as World Champion
  16. ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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  1. ^ Attributed to multiple sources:[6][7][8][9][10][11]
  2. ^ According to BoxRec and IBHOF, Louis' fight against Johnny Davis in 1944, viewed by many as an exhibition fight, was for the NYSAC heavyweight title, which would lift Louis' title defenses to 26
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