World Boxing News charts the longest-reigning heavyweight champions in history since the inception of the top division crown.
In 1885, the glamor weight class enjoyed its first lineal heavyweight titleholder, John L. Sullivan. Boxing’s first superstar held the position for seven years.
Over 140 years later, only four boxers have surpassed that feat.
WBN lists them all below in the top ten.
10. Deontay Wilder [5 years, 1 month and 5 days]
Wilder held the WBC heavyweight championship from January 2015 to February 2020. ‘The Bronze Bomber’ made ten successful defenses during his reign until running into Tyson Fury at the MGM Grand Garden Arena days before the world shut down.
9. Vitali Klitschko [5 years, 2 months and 4 days]
During Klitschko’s second spell as champion, the Ukrainian made the most significant impression. Having retired in 2004 after capturing the WBC heavyweight title from Corries Sanders, Klitschko returned to reclaim the green and gold in 2008 against Samuel Peter.
Alongside his brother Wladimir, the brothers kept the division on lock until Vitali walked away after beating Mahmoud Charr in 2012.
The elder Klitschko sibling only lost twice in an exceptional 47-fight career.
8. James J. Jeffries [5 years, 11 months and 4 days]
‘Big Jeff or Jim’ or ‘The Great White Hope,’ as he was known, Jeffries won the lineal crown in 1899 against Bob Fitzsimmons. He made an astonishing 22 defenses in his almost six years at the summit of the sport, recording the fastest-ever knockout in a world heavyweight championship fight.
He beat a massively out-weighed Jack Finnegan in 45 or 55 seconds, depending on which report you believe from 1900. Jeffries’ reign only ended when he retired in 1904 at an undefeated 18-0-2.
Jeffries came out of retirement six years later to challenge Jack Johnson, but he was defeated in round fifteen of a scheduled 45. This was his only loss.
7. Muhammad Ali [5 years, 11 months and 9 days]
Beating Jeffries by a matter of days, Ali needs no introduction and would have reigned far longer if he’d not run into Joe Frazier. The Fight of the Century halted Ali’s remarkable first era as world ruler after he ‘shook up the world’ against Sonny Liston in 1964.
6. Jack Johnson [6 years, 3 months and 10 days]
Jack Johnson is one of the most memorable lineal world heavyweight champions, as the first of African origin. The boxer from Galveston, Texas, held the segregated crown from 1903 until he eventually fought for the full title in 1908.
Johnson beat Tommy Burns on points and made six defenses until losing to Jess Willard in 1915.
5. John L Sullivan [7 years and 9 days]
Sullivan spent the first three years of his reign as bareknuckle boxing champion unrecognized due to his unwillingness to face any black fighters. Eventually, Sullivan gained recognition of the lineal championship in 1885 and held onto it until 1892, when losing to James J. Corbett in New Orleans.
His victory over Dominick McCaffrey was earmarked as the beginning of a run that included only three defenses over seven years. By the time Sullivan faced Corbett, he’d been out of the ring for five years.
Sullivan had kept his lineage as the man to beat because he was undefeated in 37 bouts before the Corbett fight.
4. Jack Dempsey [7 years, 2 months, and 19 days]
Dempsey was light-heavyweight champion in 1916 before moving up to heavyweight and claiming the belt in 1919. ‘Manassa Mauler’ made five defenses before losing to Gene Tunney in 1926.
3. Larry Holmes [7 years, 3 months, and 12 days]
Holmes won the WBC crown from Ken Norton in 1978 and chased an aging Muhammad Ali for the lineal title. He finally caught up with ‘The Greatest’ in 1980 and beat him to a pulp over ten rounds. He made several defenses of the WBC belt until relinquishing it in 1983.
A wrangle over Holmes facing Greg Page led to the IBF agreeing to hand over its world heavyweight title to Holmes. Holmes defended it twice until losing to Michael Spinks in 1985. He also lost a rematch five months later.
Overall, Holmes made 18 title defenses of the WBC and IBF straps.
2. Wladimir Klitschko [9 years, 7 months, and 6 days]
The younger Klitschko, Wladimir, holds the record for the longest reign in heavyweight boxing featuring physical belts. Claiming the IBF crown from Chris Byrd in 2006, Klitschko seemed to be unbeatable until Tyson Fury came along in 2015.
In a slow era for the division, Klitschko still ruled with an iron fist, beating Alexander Povetkin, Kubrat Pulev, and David Haye.
1. Joe Louis [11 years, 8 months, and 8 days]
Louis was recognized as lineal heavyweight champion in 1937 by the New York State Athletic Commission and a year later worldwide. He made 25 consecutive defenses, including ten wins over world champions over almost a dozen years.
In a recent Worldboxingnews.com countdown, Louis was named the second-best boxer behind the great Sugar Ray Robinson in the sport’s history.
Special mentions go to Rocky Marciano, Lennox Lewis, reigning champion Oleksandr Usyk, George Foreman, Mike Tyson, Max Schmeling, Evander Holyfield, Floyd Patterson, Jersey Joe Walcott, Ezzard Charles, Leon Spinks and Riddick Bowe, all of who contributed to heavyweight boxing history during its finest eras.
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Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010.
