Who was beaten the most world champions?

[clubberlang]

Although the term world champion has been very much diluted in this day and age I found myself wondering who’d beaten the most titleholders (the big 4 – WBO, WBA, IBF & WBC).

Some contenders I can think of

Thomas Hearns – 13
Terry Norris - 16
Oscar Del A Hoya – 19
Felix Trinidad – 12
Floyd Mayweather - 13
Roy Jones JR – 18
Bernard Hopkins – 12
Julio Cesar Chavez - 15 (I think)
Pernell Whitaker – 11 (I counted Hurtado though, I think he was an interim champion)
Marco Antonio Barrera – 17

& The legends

Muhammad Ali – 10
Joe Louis – 8
Sugar Ray Robinson – 11
Hank Armstrong – 16 (bloody hell)

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

Although the term world champion has been very much diluted in this day and age I found myself wondering who’d beaten the most titleholders (the big 4 – WBO, WBA, IBF & WBC).

You can add Tyson with 10 to your group.

Guy like Sam Langford probably holds the oldtimer record if you recognize the white and black heavy titlists he beat to go along with geniune champions he beat.

[The Great John L]

Although the term world champion has been very much diluted in this day and age I found myself wondering who’d beaten the most titleholders (the big 4 – WBO, WBA, IBF & WBC).

You can add Tyson with 10 to your group.

Guy like Sam Langford probably holds the oldtimer record if you recognize the white and black heavy titlists he beat to go along with geniune champions he beat.

You're probably right, and certainly the "white" and "colored" titles of that era were certainly as legitimate as the four families we now have.

[Goodnight, Irene]

There'll never be a, "Big Four" encompassing the lightweight WBO title, in my books.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

There'll never be a, "Big Four" encompassing the lightweight WBO title, in my books.

- Should include the IBO as the Big Five as well as the Ring Champ for the Big Six. Both of those belts have featured fighters better than the "Big Four."

The People have their champion and vote with their tickets and PPVs. Tyson and Oscar the biggest peoples champs of modern times.

Then we get into the rarest of the rare, the "Lineal Belt," the KING anchor of all the belts, but there being several sub-sects of the complex formulae utilized to calculate the Lineal Champ, the "Big Number" may ultimately be found in your Pie in the Skye that everyone will be able to pull down someday....... 8)

[enrique]

At the time champions were less than a dozen in the world and the crown of the king was coveted and not manufactured by some alphabet soup.

A MAN NAMED HARRY GREB FOUGHT 17 REAL LINEAL CHAMPIONS IN 37 BOUTS AND MOST OF THEM OUTWEIGHED HIM AND HE ONLY LOST FIVE OR SIX.

AND WE SHALL NEVER GAZE UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN...

[Goodnight, Irene]

At the time champions were less than a dozen in the world and the crown of the king was coveted and not manufactured by some alphabet soup.

A MAN NAMED HARRY GREB FOUGHT 17 REAL LINEAL CHAMPIONS IN 37 BOUTS AND MOST OF THEM OUTWEIGHED HIM AND HE ONLY LOST FIVE OR SIX.

AND WE SHALL NEVER GAZE UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN...

Extraordinary.

[jaclem2]

..once again..forget these silly titles and belts and check out lloyd marshall and jimmy bivins...

[clubberlang]

At the time champions were less than a dozen in the world and the crown of the king was coveted and not manufactured by some alphabet soup.

A MAN NAMED HARRY GREB FOUGHT 17 REAL LINEAL CHAMPIONS IN 37 BOUTS AND MOST OF THEM OUTWEIGHED HIM AND HE ONLY LOST FIVE OR SIX.

AND WE SHALL NEVER GAZE UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN...

[scartissue]

Although the term world champion has been very much diluted in this day and age I found myself wondering who’d beaten the most titleholders (the big 4 – WBO, WBA, IBF & WBC).

Some contenders I can think of

Thomas Hearns – 13
Terry Norris - 16
Oscar Del A Hoya – 19
Felix Trinidad – 12
Floyd Mayweather - 13
Roy Jones JR – 18
Bernard Hopkins – 12
Julio Cesar Chavez - 15 (I think)
Pernell Whitaker – 11 (I counted Hurtado though, I think he was an interim champion)
Marco Antonio Barrera – 17

& The legends

Muhammad Ali – 10
Joe Louis – 8
Sugar Ray Robinson – 11
Hank Armstrong – 16 (bloody hell)

I counted 15 for Tony Canzoneri

Scartissue

[Controversial]

At the time champions were less than a dozen in the world and the crown of the king was coveted and not manufactured by some alphabet soup.

A MAN NAMED HARRY GREB FOUGHT 17 REAL LINEAL CHAMPIONS IN 37 BOUTS AND MOST OF THEM OUTWEIGHED HIM AND HE ONLY LOST FIVE OR SIX.

AND WE SHALL NEVER GAZE UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN...

The 5 middleweight champions that Greb defeated were Mike O’Dowd, George Chip, Al McCoy, Mickey Walker, Tiger Flowers and Johnny Wilson from whom he won the title.

He also defeated 4 middleweight title claimants Eddie McGoorty, Frank Mantell, Jeff Smith and Bryan Downey.

Greb defeated 7 light heavyweight world champions, Mike McTigue, Jack Dillon, Battling Levinsky, Tommy Loughran, Jimmy Slattery and Maxie Rosenbloom and one future world heavyweight champion, Gene Tunney whom he fought five times.

[Jan]

If the question would be how many Champs did they beat than Tyson would have beaten 9 HW-Champs , if we would ask how often than 10, because he beat bruno twice. And if we include all weightclasses than we have to add Alfons Ratliff, who was Cruiser Champ.

[Goodnight, Irene]

If the question would be how many Champs did they beat than Tyson would have beaten 9 HW-Champs , if we would ask how often than 10, because he beat bruno twice. And if we include all weightclasses than we have to add Alfons Ratliff, who was Cruiser Champ.

Worth pointing out, though, he beat only three legit World Champs --- Ratliff, Holmes, & Spinks. The rest, I do not care to hear about. They're pretend.

His only other fights against real champions (as opposed to garbage, "titleists" like Bruno) were losses to Holyfield & Lewis.

[BroughtonRulesRefuge]

His only other fights against real champions (as opposed to garbage, "titleists" like Bruno) were losses to Holyfield & Lewis.

- My o my, it must really cut to the quick not to acknowledge that Buster got Mike first and near his best when it really mattered.

That puts Buster a grade above the likes of Mr. Evan H. Field and Lewis who cleaned up on a Tyson minus all his marbles and minus all his money, just being propped up for a payday.

[Seamus]

Jimmy McLarnin beat 14 in just 68 fights.

[Trainer Monkey]

In 25 fights Ann Wolfe beat
Valerie Mahfood twice
Vonda Ward
Marsha Valley 3 times
Gina Nichols
Vienna Williams
She holds the record for holding the title at 3 different weight classes at the same time

[Rick Farris]

At the time champions were less than a dozen in the world and the crown of the king was coveted and not manufactured by some alphabet soup.

A MAN NAMED HARRY GREB FOUGHT 17 REAL LINEAL CHAMPIONS IN 37 BOUTS AND MOST OF THEM OUTWEIGHED HIM AND HE ONLY LOST FIVE OR SIX.

AND WE SHALL NEVER GAZE UPON HIS LIKE AGAIN...

Amen!


-Rick Farris

[Rick Farris]

Jimmy McLarnin beat 14 in just 68 fights.

[pringle]

Although the term world champion has been very much diluted in this day and age I found myself wondering who’d beaten the most titleholders (the big 4 – WBO, WBA, IBF & WBC).

Some contenders I can think of

Thomas Hearns – 13
Terry Norris - 16
Oscar Del A Hoya – 19
Felix Trinidad – 12
Floyd Mayweather - 13
Roy Jones JR – 18
Bernard Hopkins – 12
Julio Cesar Chavez - 15 (I think)
Pernell Whitaker – 11 (I counted Hurtado though, I think he was an interim champion)
Marco Antonio Barrera – 17

& The legends

Muhammad Ali – 10
Joe Louis – 8
Sugar Ray Robinson – 11
Hank Armstrong – 16 (bloody hell)

These days there are 4 to 8 times the champions than in the days of Robinson, Louis and Armstrong. Four (IBF, WBO, WBA, WBC ect.) in each division and the addition of the Super and Junior weights makes it where it is difficult to compare apples to apples in this question.
Heck, it was such a big deal when Ali won the title a historic 3rd time vs Leon Spinks, yet Lennox Lewis, Michael Moorer and Evander Holyfield have either tied or surpassed that feat and none hardly get a mention because of the proliferation of champs.

[Goodnight, Irene]

Of the three you mention though, Pringle, none have won the linear, legit title three times, nor has anyone else in Heavyweight history.

[pringle]

Vatali Klitscho and John Ruiz, two more three-time world heavyweight champs

[pringle]

Of the three you mention though, Pringle, none have won the linear, legit title three times, nor has anyone else in Heavyweight history.

Repeating my point in different words. Thanks

[bollox]

Somehow Michael Spinks as Lineal HW champion still doesn't sit right

[Goodnight, Irene]

Of the three you mention though, Pringle, none have won the linear, legit title three times, nor has anyone else in Heavyweight history.

Repeating my point in different words. Thanks

Not really. You mentioned proliferation of champs. It's a case of proliferation of title belts which makes those guys multiple champs (except in Lewis & Holyfield's case, & then, only twice, not three or six times or whatever they're sometimes counted as).

[oliverfennell]

Under the criteria of the original post, Holyfield has beaten 17.