Scroll to the bottom for my expanded thoughts on boxing’s championship situation.
Boxing World Titlists
Heavyweight (Unlimited)
WBA – Anthony Joshua, England
WBC – Deontay Wilder, USA
IBF – Anthony Joshua, England
WBO – Anthony Joshua, England
Cruiserweight (200 lb, 90.7 kg)
WBA – Okleksandr Usyk, Ukraine
WBC – Okleksandr Usyk, Ukraine
IBF – Okleksandr Usyk, Ukraine
WBO – Okleksandr Usyk, Ukraine
Light Heavyweight (175 lb, 79.4 kg)
WBA – Dmitry Bivol, Russia
WBC – Oleksandr Gvozdyk, Ukraine
IBF – Artur Beterbiev, Russia
WBO – Eleider Alvarez, Canada
Super Middleweight (168 lb, 76.2 kg)
WBA – Callum Smith, England
WBC – Vacant
IBF – Caleb Plant, USA
WBO – Gilberto Ramirez, Mexico
Middleweight (160 lb, 72.6 kg)
WBA – Canelo Alvarez, Mexico
WBC – Canelo Alvarez, Mexico
IBF – Danny Jacobs, USA
WBO – Demetrius Andrade, USA
Junior Middleweight (154 lb, 69.9 kg)
WBA – Jarrett Hurd, USA
WBC – Jermell Charlo, USA
IBF – Jarrett Hurd, USA
WBO – Jaime Munguia, Mexico
Welterweight (147 lb, 66.7 kg)
WBA – Keith Thurman, USA
WBC – Shawn Porter, USA
IBF – Errol Spence Jr, USA
WBO – Terence Crawford, USA
Junior Welterweight (140 lb, 63.5 kg)
WBA – Kiryl Relikh, Belarus
WBC – Jose Ramirez, USA
IBF – Ivan Baranchyk, Belarus
WBO – Maurice Hooker, USA
Lightweight (135 lb, 61.2 kg)
WBA – Vasyl Lomachenko, Ukraine
WBC – Mikey Garcia, USA
IBF – Vacant
WBO – Vasyl Lomachenko, Ukraine
Junior Lightweight (130 lb, 59 kg)
WBA – Alberto Machado, Puerto Rico
WBC – Miguel Berchelt, Mexico
IBF – Tevin Farmer, USA
WBO – Masayuki Ito, Japan
Featherweight (126 lb, 57.2 kg)
WBA – Leo Santa Cruz, Mexico
WBC – Gary Russell Jr, USA
IBF – Josh Warrington, England
WBO – Oscar Valdez, Mexico
Super Bantamweight (122 lb, 55.3 kg)
WBA – Daniel Roman, USA
WBC – Rey Vargas, Mexico
IBF – TJ Doheny, Australia
WBO – Emanuel Navarrete, Mexico
Bantamweight (118 lb, 53.5 kg)
WBA – Ryan Burnett, Northern Ireland
WBC – Vacant
IBF – Manny Rodriguez, Puerto Rico
WBO – Zolani Tete, South Africa
Super Flyweight (115 lb, 52.2 kg)
WBA – Khalid Yafai, England
WBC – Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Thailand
IBF – Jerwin Ancajas, Philippines
WBO – Donnie Nietes, Philippines
Flyweight (112 lb, 50.8 kg)
WBA – Artem Dalakian, Ukraine
WBC – Charlie Edwards, England
IBF – Moruti Mthalane, South Africa
WBO – Kosei Tanaka, Japan
Light Flyweight (108 lb, 49 kg)
WBA – Hiroto Kyoguchi, Japan
WBC – Ken Shiro, Japan
IBF – Vacant
WBO – Angel Acosta, Puerto Rico
Minimumweight (105 lb, 47.6 kg)
WBA – Thammanoon Niyomtrong, Thailand
WBC – Chayaphon Moonsri, Thailand
IBF – Carlos Licona, USA
WBO – Vic Saludar, Philippines
Explanation and Thoughts
Boxing has a confusing championship system. The sport features four, maybe five major organizations that hand out belts over seventeen weight classes. Some of them hand out multiple belts in each weight class. Beyond that there are dozens of smaller, regional organizations handing out belts too, as well as the major organizations handing out tons of minor belts. There is rarely a clear champion of a division and this is a reality that we need to accept. For that reason I generally use the term titlist to describe the belt holder for each sanctioning body rather than champion.
This page is meant to clarify all the title confusion. I do not recognize the IBO, even with its merits. A fifth sanctioning body would only complicate things further. I will also only be listing the actual top level titlist in each organization. If a sanctioning body features multiple supposed world titles in a division, then only the titlist the sanctioning body appoints in its highest ranking will be the man listed.
