List of NABF champions


The following lists title holders over the history of the North American Boxing Federation, in operation since 1969.

Cruiserweight

There have been 22 recognized Cruiserweight Champions with a combined total of 23 title reigns. Dale Brown is the only man to hold the title twice.
Bert Cooper and O'Neil Bell share the record for the most successful defenses, each with five.
No.NameDuration of reignDefensesNotes
1 Marvin Camel1979-06-06 — 1980-03-310Defeated Bill Sharkey. Camel vacated the title upon winning the WBC Cruiserweight belt on March 31, 1980 title.
2 S.T. Gordon1980-08-06 — 1982-06-271Defeated Ivy Brown. Gordon vacated the title in order to challenge for Carlos de León's. WBC title.
3 Leon Spinks1982-10-31 — 1983-03-060Defeated Jesse Burnett. Spinks later vacated the title.
4 Anthony Davis1984-05-16 — 1985-06-190Defeated Jesse Burnett.
5 Bash Ali1985-06-19 — 1986-04-220
6 Henry Tillman1986-04-22 — 1986-06-150
7 Bert Cooper1986-06-15 — 1989-02-155
8 Nate Miller1989-02-15 — 1990-12-173
9 James Warring1990-12-17 — 1991-08-070Warring vacated the title to fight for the vacant IBF title.
10 Orlin Norris1991-08-17 — 1993-11-063Defeated Jesse Shelby. Norris vacated the title upon winning the vacant WBA title.
11 Thomas Hearns1994-01-29 — 1994-02-201Defeated Dan Ward. Hearns vacated the title.
12 Adolpho Washington1994-02-24 — 1994-07-140Defeated Dale Jackson. Washington vacated the title to challenge for Anaclet Wamba's WBC title.
13 James Heath1995-01-27 — 1995-06-170Defeated John McClain. Heath vacated the title.
14 Brian LaSpada1995-06-17 — 1997-05-052Defeated Art Jimmerson.
15 Dale Brown1997-05-05 — 2000-02-124
16 Wayne Braithwaite2000-02-12 — 2001-01-050Braithwaite vacated the title.
17 O'Neil Bell2001-01-18 — 2004-06-015Defeated James Walton. Bell vacated the title in order to pursue the IBF title.
18 Dale Brown 2004-06-08 — 2005-02-040Defeated Robert Daniels. Brown vacated the title in order to challenge for O'Neil Bell's IBF title.
19 Ali Supreme2005-03-10 — 2005-06-160
20 Arthur Williams2005-06-16 — 2005-10-270
21 Felix Cora, Jr.2005-10-27 — 2006-05-181
22 Vadim Tokarev2006-05-18 — 2007-04-011Tokarev vacated the title in order to pursue the IBF title.
23 Matt Godfrey2007-04-06 — present3Defeated Felix Cora, Jr..

Heavyweight

There have been 30 recognized Heavyweight Champions with a combined total of 39 title reigns.
Muhammad Ali, George Foreman, Orlin Norris, Ken Norton, Samuel Peter, Tony Tucker and Tim Witherspoon are the only men to have held the title twice. Ali is the only one to hold it three times.
Orlin Norris has successfully defended the title more times than anyone else, retaining the title six times.
No.NameDuration of reignDefensesNotes
1 Leotis Martin1969-12-06 — 1970-02-020Defeated Sonny Liston. Martin relinquished the title and retired due to an eye injury he received in the bout with Liston.
2 Muhammad Ali--
3 George Foreman1971-05-10 — 1971-07-200Defeated Gregorio Peralta. Foreman relinquished the title in order to challenge for the World title, then held by Joe Frazier.
4 Muhammad Ali 1971-07-26 — 1973-03-315Defeated Jimmy Ellis.
5 Ken Norton1973-03-31 — 1973-09-100-
6 Muhammad Ali 1973-09-10 — 1974-10-301Ali relinquished the title in order to fight Foreman for the WBA and WBC titles.
7 Ken Norton 1975-03-24 — 1976-01-200Defeated Jerry Quarry. Norton relinquished the title in order to challenge for Ali's World title.
8 George Foreman 1976-01-24 — 1977-03-171Defeated Ron Lyle. Foreman relinquished the title upon retirement.
9 Leroy Jones1978-08-19 — 1979-10-200Defeated Mike Weaver. Jones relinquished the title to challenge Larry Holmes for the WBC title.
10 Michael Dokes1982-01-30 — 1982-12-101Defeated Lynn Ball. Dokes relinquished the title upon winning the WBA title from Weaver.
11 Tim Witherspoon1983-09-23 — 1984-03-090Defeated James Tillis. Witherspoon relinquished the title upon winning the vacant WBC title, defeating Greg Page.
12 James Broad1984-08-23 — 1985-04-290Defeated Eddie Gregg
13 Tim Witherspoon 1985-04-29 — 1986-01-171Witherspoon relinquished the title upon defeating Tony Tubbs for the WBA title.
14 Larry Alexander1987-04-10 — 1987-11-250Defeated Dorcey Gaymon.
15 Orlin Norris1987-11-25 — 1990-02-176-
16 Bert Cooper1990-02-17 — 1990-08-050-
17 Ray Mercer1990-08-05 — 1991-01-110Mercer relinquished the title upon defeating Francesco Damiani for the WBO title.
18 Orlin Norris 1991-04-30 — 1991-06-030Defeated Lionel Washington.
19 Tony Tucker1991-06-03 — 1992-12-011Tucker relinquished the title in order to challenge Lennox Lewis on 1993-05-08 for the WBC title.
20 Alex García1992-12-08 — 1994-03-013Defeated Jerry Jones.
21 Joe Hipp1994-03-01 — 1995-03-091Hipp was stripped of the title.
22 Alexander Zolkin1995-03-21 — 1996-05-012Defeated Rocky Pepeli. Zolkin was stripped of the title.
23 Tony Tucker 1996-06-29 — December 19960Defeated David Dixon. Tucker was stripped of the title.
24 John Ruiz1997-01-14 — 1999-01-153Defeated Jimmy Thunder. Ruiz also won the NABA title, defeating Jerry Ballard on 1998-09-19. He relinquished the NABF title in order to focus on the NABA title.
25 Michael Grant1999-01-30 — 2000-04-291Defeated Ahmad Abdin. Grant relinquished the title in order to fight Lennox Lewis for the WBC, IBF and IBO titles.
26 Robert Davis2000-04-29 — 2000-08-150Defeated Keith McKnight. Davis was later stripped of the title.
27 Clifford Etienne2000-09-09 — 2001-03-060Defeated Cliff Couser. Grant was later stripped of the title.
28 Obed Sullivan2001-05-20 — 2001-09-020Defeated Sherman Williams.
29 Fres Oquendo2001-09-02 — 2002-04-130-
30 David Tua2002-04-13 — 2003-03-290Tua was stripped of the title.
31 Joe Mesi2003-06-24 — 2003-09-190Defeated Robert Davis.
32 Eliecer Castillo2003-09-19 — 2004-04-171Castillo had won the interim title by defeating Lawrence Clay-Bey on 2003-06-06, and was promoted to full champion when Joe Mesi failed to defend.
33 DaVarryl Williamson2004-04-17 — 2004-10-021Williamson was stripped of the title.
34 Samuel Peter2004-12-04 — 2005-09-241Defeated Jeremy Williams.
35 Wladimir Klitschko2005-09-24 — 2006-04-220Klitschko relinquished the title in order to challenge Chris Byrd for the IBF and vacant IBO titles.
36 Samuel Peter 2006-04-28 — 2007-05-052Defeated Julius Long
37 Hasim Rahman2007-06-14 — 2008-06-021Defeated Taurus Sykes for interim title. Rahman relinquished the title to challenge James Toney for the NABO title.
38 Travis Walker2008-02-29 — 2008-11-290Defeated T.J. Wilson. Interim champion, later promoted to official champion.
39 Chris Arreola2008-11-29 — present1