Heavyweight


Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

Professional

Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing Organization.

Historical development

Because this division had no weight limit, it has been historically 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 2020, Wladimir Klitschko holds record of most boxers beaten for the world heavyweight title, with 23. Klitschko holds the record for 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. Louis holds the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 26 defenses of the world title. This is also the record for most consecutive title defenses in boxing history. Michael Moorer, Evander Holyfield, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko and Ruslan Chagaev have held various versions of the title belts on three occasions. 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. Mike Tyson holds the record for being the youngest heavyweight to ever have achieve championship status, becoming champion at the age of 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 BeganChampionRecordDefensesBeaten opponents
WBA December 7, 2019 Anthony Joshua23–100
WBCFebruary 22, 2020 Tyson Fury30–0–100
IBFDecember 7, 2019 Anthony Joshua23–100
WBODecember 7, 2019 Anthony Joshua23–100

Current ''The Ring'' world rankings

As of ,.
Keys:
RankNameRecord Title
C Tyson Fury30–0–1 WBC
1 Anthony Joshua23–1 IBF, WBA, WBO
2 Dillian Whyte27–1
3 Deontay Wilder42–1–1
4 Luis Ortiz31–2
5 Andy Ruiz Jr.33–2
6 Alexander Povetkin35–2–1
7 Joseph Parker27–2
8 Michael Hunter18–1–1
9 Oscar Rivas26–1
10 Kubrat Pulev28–1

Longest-reigning world heavyweight champions

Keys:
Combined reign
The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921.
As of 22 February 2020.
Pos.NameCombined reignDays as championNumber of reignsTitle recognitionTitle fight winsBeaten opponentsFights
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 5661lineal11
9. Jack Johnson6 years, 3 months, 11 days2 2921lineal66
10. Evander Holyfield6 years, 1 month, 1 day2 2234WBA, WBC, IBF109
11. James J. Jeffries5 years, 11 months, 4 days2 1561lineal86
12. Deontay Wilder5 years, 1 months, 5 days1 8591WBC108
13. Joe Frazier4 years, 10 months, 18 days1 7851NYSAC, WBA, WBC1010
14. Floyd Patterson4 years, 10 months, 0 days1 7652NYSAC, NBA87
15. James J. Corbett4 years, 6 months, 10 days1 6521lineal22
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.
Pos.NameTitle ReignTitle recognitionSuccessful defensesBeaten opponentsFights
1. Joe Louis11 years, 8 months, 8 dayslineal2621
2. Wladimir Klitschko9 years, 7 months and 6 daysIBF 1817
3. Larry Holmes7 years, 3 months, 12 daysWBC-to-IBF 1919
4. Jack Dempsey7 years, 2 months, 19 dayslineal55
5. John L. Sullivan7 years, 0 months, 9 dayslineal00
6. Jack Johnson6 years, 3 months, 10 dayslineal55
7. Muhammad Ali5 years, 11 months, 9 daysThe Ring/Lineal, 99
8. James J. Jeffries5 years, 11 months, 4 dayslineal76
9. Vitali Klitschko5 years, 2 months, 4 daysWBC99
10. Deontay Wilder5 years, 1 month 5 daysWBC109
11. Joe Frazier4 years, 10 months, 18 daysNYSAC 99
12. James J. Corbett4 years, 6 months, 10 dayslineal11
13. Jess Willard4 years, 2 months, 29 dayslineal11
14. Lennox Lewis4 years, 2 months, 15 daysWBC 98
15. Rocky Marciano3 years, 11 months, 29 dayslineal65

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

The heavyweight division in MMA generally groups fighters between.
Heavyweight is also the title of a documentary film that documented the fight camp of Fabricio Werdum when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Professional wrestling

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 "Junior Heavyweights" and "Light-Heavyweights".

Analogous uses

The word "heavyweight" is sometimes used in other fields to denote a person who is especially powerful or influential. In this context, "big beast" has a similar meaning. Other boxing analogies include "punching above his weight" to denote a person or entity whose influence is arguably greater than his/its basic attributes would suggest.