Most Wins in World Heavyweight Title Fights

Listing of World Heavyweight Champions by number of title fight wins in the Heavyweight division under the Marquess of Queensberry Rules. The maximum weight for this division is unlimited (200+ lbs, 90.9+ kg, 14 stone 4 lbs+).

RELATED LINKS:

• World Heavyweight Championship Records and Statistics
• Most Opponents Beaten for World Heavyweight Title
• Most Opponents Beaten During One World Heavyweight Title Reign
• Most Consecutive World Heavyweight Title Defenses
• Longest Combined World Heavyweight Title Reigns
• Longest Individual World Heavyweight Title Reigns
• Fastest Stoppages in World Heavyweight Title Fights
• Most World Heavyweight Title Bout Wins & Beaten Opponents By Stoppage
• Highest Knockout-To-Win & Knockout-To-Beat-Opponent Percentage in World Heavyweight Title Fights
• Oldest World Heavyweight Champions
• Youngest World Heavyweight Champions
• Fastest World Heavyweight Title Wins

All Championship Reigns

The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921.

Pos.	Name	Reign Began-Ended	Recognition	Title Fight Wins
1.	Joe Louis	June 22, 1937 — March 1, 1949	NYSAC, NBA	27
2.	Wladimir Klitschko	1. October 14, 2000 — March 8, 2003 2. April 22, 2006 — November 28, 2015	1. WBO 2. WBA, IBF, WBO	25
3.	Muhammad Ali	1. February 25, 1964 – March 11, 1969 2. October 30, 1974 — February 15, 1978 3. September 15, 1978 — October 18, 1979	1. WBA, WBC 2. WBA, WBC 3. WBA	22
4.	Larry Holmes	June 9, 1978 — September 21, 1985	WBC, IBF	20
5.	Lennox Lewis	1. December 14, 1992 — September 24, 1994 2. February 7, 1997 — April 22, 2001 3. November 17, 2001 — February 6, 2004	1. WBC 2. WBA, WBC, IBF 3. WBC, IBF	15
5.	Vitali Klitschko	1. June 26, 1999 — April 1, 2000 2. April 24, 2004 — November 9, 2005 3. October 11, 2008 — December 15, 2013	1. WBO 2. WBC 3. WBC	15
7.	Tommy Burns	February 23, 1906 — December 26, 1908	lineal	13
8.	Mike Tyson	1. November 22, 1986 — February 11, 1990 2. March 16, 1996 — November 9, 1996	1. WBA, WBC, WBA 2. WBA, WBC	12
9.	Joe Frazier	March 4, 1968 — January 22, 1973	NYSAC, WBA, WBC	10
9.	Deontay Wilder	January 17, 2015 — February 22, 2020	WBC	10
9.	Evander Holyfield	1. October 25, 1990 — November 13, 1992 2. November 6, 1993 — April 22, 1994 3. November 9, 1996 — November 13, 1999 4. August 12, 2000 — March 3, 2001	1. WBA, WBC, IBF 2. WBA, IBF 3. WBA, IBF 4. WBA	10
12.	Ezzard Charles	September 27, 1950 — July 18, 1951	NBA, NYSAC	9
12.	Anthony Joshua	1. April 9, 2016 – June 1, 2019 2. December 7, 2019 – present	WBA, IBF, WBO	9
14.	Floyd Patterson	1. November 30, 1956 — June 26, 1959 2. June 20, 1960 — September 25, 1962	NYSAC, NBA	8
14.	James J. Jeffries	June 9, 1899 — May 13, 1905	lineal	8

All Championship Reigns of Undisputed Champions/Lineal Champions/The Ring Champions

The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921, although it only includes heavyweight champions that captured

• Undisputed Championship (02.07.1921–present)
• Lineal Championship (1885–02.07.1921)
• The Ring Championship.

Pos.	Name	Reign Began-Ended	Recognition	Title Fight Wins
1.	Joe Louis	June 22, 1937 — March 1, 1949	NYSAC, NBA	27
2.	Wladimir Klitschko	1. October 14, 2000 — March 8, 2003 2. April 22, 2006 — November 28, 2015	1. WBO 2. WBA, IBF, WBO	25
3.	Muhammad Ali	1. February 25, 1964 – March 11, 1969 2. October 30, 1974 — February 15, 1978 3. September 15, 1978 — October 18, 1979	1. WBA, WBC 2. WBA, WBC 3. WBA	22
4.	Larry Holmes	June 9, 1978 — September 21, 1985	WBC, IBF	20
5.	Lennox Lewis	1. December 14, 1992 — September 24, 1994 2. February 7, 1997 — April 22, 2001 3. November 17, 2001 — February 6, 2004	1. WBC 2. WBA, WBC, IBF 3. WBC, IBF	15
5.	Vitali Klitschko	1. June 26, 1999 — April 1, 2000 2. April 24, 2004 — November 9, 2005 3. October 11, 2008 — December 15, 2013	1. WBO 2. WBC 3. WBC	15
7.	Tommy Burns	February 23, 1906 — December 26, 1908	lineal	13
8.	Mike Tyson	1. November 22, 1986 — February 11, 1990 2. March 16, 1996 — November 9, 1996	1. WBA, WBC, IBF 2. WBC, WBA	12
9.	Joe Frazier	March 4, 1968 — January 22, 1973	NYSAC, WBA, WBC	10
9.	Evander Holyfield	1. October 25, 1990 — November 13, 1992 2. November 6, 1993 — April 22, 1994 3. November 9, 1996 — November 13, 1999 4. August 12, 2000 — March 3, 2001	1. WBA, WBC, IBF 2. WBA, IBF 3. WBA, IBF 4. WBA	10
11.	Ezzard Charles	September 27, 1950 — July 18, 1951	NBA, NYSAC	9
12.	Floyd Patterson	1. November 30, 1956 — June 26, 1959 2. June 20, 1960 — September 25, 1962	NYSAC, NBA	8
12.	James J. Jeffries	June 9, 1899 — May 13, 1905	lineal	8
14.	Rocky Marciano	September 23, 1952 — April 27, 1956	NYSAC, NBA	7
15.	Jack Dempsey	July 4, 1919 — September 23, 1926	NYSAC, NBA	6
15.	Jack Johnson	December 26, 1908 — April 5, 1915	lineal	6

Championship Reigns of Undisputed/Lineal/The Ring Champions with Undisputed/Lineal/The Ring/Unified Championships, Victories Over Champions

The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921, although it only includes heavyweight champions that captured

• Undisputed Championship (02.07.1921–present)
• Lineal Championship (1885–02.07.1921)
• The Ring Championship.

The list only includes title reigns during which the champion:

• has won Undisputed Championship (02.07.1921–present)
• has won Lineal Championship (1885–02.07.1921)
• has won The Ring Championship
• unified two of the four major championship belts (WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO)
• defeated a fighter that either had to drop his own world title prior to the fight due to organization's championship policy or would become world heavyweight champion while the winner's reign was still active

Pos.	Name	Reign Began-Ended	Recognition	Lineal Claim	Beaten Champions	Title Fight Wins
1.	Joe Louis	June 22, 1937 — March 1, 1949	undisputed	The Ring		27
2.	Wladimir Klitschko	1. October 14, 2000 — March 8, 2003 2. April 22, 2006 — November 28, 2015	1. WBO 2. unified	2. The Ring	1. Chris Byrd (IBF)	25
3.	Muhammad Ali	1. February 25, 1964 – March 11, 1969 2. October 30, 1974 — February 15, 1978 3. September 15, 1978 — October 18, 1979	1. undisputed 2. undisputed 3. WBA	1. The Ring 2. The Ring 3. The Ring		22
4.	Larry Holmes	June 9, 1978 — September 21, 1985	WBC-to-IBF	The Ring	Mike Weaver (WBA), Tim Witherspoon (WBC)	20
5.	Tommy Burns	February 23, 1906 — December 26, 1908	lineal	lineal		13
6.	Lennox Lewis	1. February 7, 1997 — April 22, 2001 2. November 17, 2001 — February 6, 2004	1. undisputed 2. unified	2. The Ring	1. Evander Holyfield (WBA)	12
6.	Mike Tyson	1. November 22, 1986 — February 11, 1990 2. March 16, 1996 — November 9, 1996	1. undisputed 2. unified	1. The Ring		12
8.	Joe Frazier	March 4, 1968 — January 22, 1973	unified	The Ring		10
9.	Evander Holyfield	1. October 25, 1990 — November 13, 1992 2. November 6, 1993 — April 22, 1994 3. November 9, 1996 — November 13, 1999	1. undisputed 2. unified 3. unified			9
9.	Ezzard Charles	September 27, 1950 — July 18, 1951	undisputed	The Ring		9
11.	Floyd Patterson	1. November 30, 1956 — June 26, 1959 2. June 20, 1960 — September 25, 1962	undisputed	The Ring		8
11.	James J. Jeffries	June 9, 1899 — May 13, 1905	lineal	lineal		8
13.	Rocky Marciano	September 23, 1952 — April 27, 1956	undisputed	The Ring		7
14.	Jack Dempsey	July 4, 1919 — September 23, 1926	undisputed	The Ring		6
14.	Jack Johnson	December 26, 1908 — April 5, 1915	lineal	lineal		6
16.	George Foreman	1. January 22, 1973 — October 30, 1974 2. November 4, 1994 — June 29, 1995	1. undisputed 2. unified	1. The Ring		5
16.	Tyson Fury	1. November 28, 2015 — October 12, 2016 2. February 22, 2020 — present	1. unified 2. WBC	1. The Ring 2. The Ring		5
18.	Primo Carnera	June 29, 1933 – June 14, 1934	undisputed	The Ring		3
18.	Riddick Bowe	November 13, 1992 — November 6, 1993	undisputed			3
18.	Gene Tunney	September 23, 1926 – July 31, 1928	undisputed	The Ring		3
18.	Michael Spinks	September 21, 1985 — February 19, 1987	IBF	The Ring		3
22.	James J. Corbett	September 7, 1892 – March 17, 1897	lineal	lineal		2
22.	Jess Willard	April 5, 1915 — July 4, 1919	lineal	lineal		2
22.	Max Schmeling	June 12, 1930 – January 7, 1931	undisputed	The Ring		2
22.	Vitali Klitschko	April 24, 2004 — November 9, 2005	WBC	The Ring	Corrie Sanders (WBO)	2
22.	Jersey Joe Walcott	July 18, 1951 — September 23, 1952	undisputed	The Ring		2
22.	Sonny Liston	September 25, 1962 — February 25, 1964	undisputed	The Ring		2
22.	Oleksandr Usyk	September 25, 2021 — Present	unified	The Ring		2
29.	John L. Sullivan	August 29, 1885 — September 7, 1892	lineal	lineal		1
29.	Bob Fitzsimmons	March 17, 1897 — June 9, 1899	lineal	lineal		1
29.	Marvin Hart	July 3, 1905 — February 23, 1906	lineal	lineal		1
29.	Max Baer	June 14, 1934 — June 13, 1935	undisputed	The Ring		1
29.	James J. Braddock	June 13, 1935 — June 22, 1937	undisputed	The Ring		1
29.	Ingemar Johansson	June 26, 1959 — June 20, 1960	undisputed	The Ring		1
29.	Leon Spinks	February 15, 1978 — September 15, 1978	undisputed	The Ring		1
29.	James (Buster) Douglas	February 11, 1990 — October 25, 1990	undisputed			1