WBA Heavyweight Champion
From Boxrec Boxing Encyclopaedia
Heavyweight champion as recognized by the World Boxing Association.
- The maximum weight for this division is unlimited (200+ lbs, 90.9+ kg, 14 stone 4 lbs+).
- One of the traditional eight divisions.
- For National Boxing Association champions, see NBA World Heavyweight Champion.
RELATED LINK: WBA Heavyweight Title Fights
| Reign Began | Reign Ended | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sonny Liston | 1962 Sep 25 | 1964 Feb 25 | 1 |
| 2 | Cassius Clay | 1964 Feb 25 | 1964 Sep 14 S-1 | 0 |
| 3 | Ernie Terrell | 1965 Mar 5 | 1967 Feb 6 | 2 |
| 4 | Muhammad Ali (2) | 1967 Feb 6 | 1967 May 9 S-2 | 1 |
| 5 | Jimmy Ellis | 1968 Apr 27 | 1970 Feb 16 | 1 |
| 6 | Joe Frazier | 1970 Feb 16 | 1973 Jan 22 | 4 |
| 7 | George Foreman | 1973 Jan 22 | 1974 Oct 30 | 2 |
| 8 | Muhammad Ali (3) | 1974 Oct 30 | 1978 Feb 15 | 10 |
| 9 | Leon Spinks | 1978 Feb 15 | 1978 Sep 15 | 0 |
| 10 | Muhammad Ali (4) | 1978 Sep 15 | 1979 Sep 6 R | 0 |
| 11 | John Tate | 1979 Oct 20 | 1980 Mar 31 | 0 |
| 12 | Mike Weaver | 1980 Mar 31 | 1982 Dec 10 | 2 |
| 13 | Michael Dokes | 1982 Dec 10 | 1983 Sep 23 | 1 |
| 14 | Gerrie Coetzee | 1983 Sep 23 | 1984 Dec 1 | 0 |
| 15 | Greg Page | 1984 Dec 1 | 1985 Apr 29 | 0 |
| 16 | Tony Tubbs | 1985 Apr 29 | 1986 Jan 17 | 0 |
| 17 | Tim Witherspoon | 1986 Jan 17 | 1986 Dec 12 | 1 |
| 18 | James (Bonecrusher) Smith | 1986 Dec 12 | 1987 Mar 7 | 0 |
| 19 | Mike Tyson | 1987 Mar 7 | 1990 Feb 11 | 8 |
| 20 | James (Buster) Douglas | 1990 Feb 11 | 1990 Oct 25 | 0 |
| 21 | Evander Holyfield | 1990 Oct 25 | 1992 Nov 13 | 3 |
| 22 | Riddick Bowe | 1992 Nov 13 | 1993 Nov 6 | 2 |
| 23 | Evander Holyfield (2) | 1993 Nov 6 | 1994 Apr 22 | 0 |
| 24 | Michael Moorer | 1994 Apr 22 | 1994 Nov 5 | 0 |
| 25 | George Foreman (2) | 1994 Nov 5 | 1995 Mar 4 S-3 | 0 |
| 26 | Bruce Seldon | 1995 Apr 8 | 1996 Sep 7 | 1 |
| 27 | Mike Tyson (2) | 1996 Sep 7 | 1996 Nov 9 | 0 |
| 28 | Evander Holyfield (3) | 1996 Nov 9 | 1999 Nov 13 | 4 |
| 29 | Lennox Lewis | 1999 Nov 13 | 2000 Apr 29 S-4 | 0 |
| 30 | Evander Holyfield (4) | 2000 Aug 12 | 2001 Mar 3 | 0 |
| 31 | John Ruiz | 2001 Mar 3 | 2003 Mar 1 | 2 |
| 32 | Roy Jones Jr. | 2003 Mar 1 | 2004 Feb 20 V-5 | 0 |
| 33 | John Ruiz (2) | 2004 Feb 20 6 | 2005 Dec 17 | 3 |
| 34 | Nikolay Valuev | 2005 Dec 17 | 2007 Apr 14 | 3 |
| 35 | Ruslan Chagaev | 2007 Apr 14 | 2008 Jul 5 | 1 |
| 35 | Ruslan Chagaev | 2008 Jul 5 CIR-7/S | 2009 | 1 |
| 36 | Nikolay Valuev (2) | 2008 Aug 30 | 2009 Nov 7 | 1 |
| 37 | David Haye | 2009 Nov 7 | 2011 Jul 2 | 2 |
| 38 | Wladimir Klitschko | 2011 Jul 2 SC | Present | 1 |
| 39 | Alexander Povetkin | 2011 Aug 27 RC | Present | 2 |
R - Retired
S - Stripped
V - Vacated
CIR - Champion In Recess
RC - Regular Champion
SC - Super Champion
Footnotes
1 - Ali stripped for signing a return bout with Liston
2 - Ali stripped for refusing to be inducted into the US Army
3 - Foreman stripped for failing to defend against No. 1 contender, Tony Tucker
4 - Lewis stripped for failing to defend against No. 1 contender
5 - Jones vacates title to return to the light heavyweight division
6 - Ruiz elevated from interim champion (won on Dec 13, 2003 vs. Hasim Rahman) to full champion
7 - Chagaev declared "Champion in Recess" on July 5, 2008 after surgery to repair torn achilles tendon
