World Heavyweight Champs – Quick Reference Guide

Here is a quick reference guide to boxers who have been universally recognized as Heavyweight Champ of the Year by decade — sort of. Rather than repeat the name of a boxer whose reign was split between decades — well, you’ll see how it’s set up. It includes a nickname of the boxer. More than one in some cases.

This is not for boxing fans who already know — au contraire, it is for people who want to go on Jeopardy! or enter any trivia competition where this info may come up and don’t have a clue who Max Schmeling, Joe Louis or Ingemar Johansson are (for example), or what time frame they and others may have fought in.

1880-1905
John L. Sullivan, the Boston Strong Boy – 1885-92
James J. Corbett, Gentleman Jim – 1892-97
Bob Fitzsimmons, the Freckled Wonder – 1897-99
James J. Jeffries, the Boilermaker – 1899-1905

1905-20
Marvin Hart, the Louisville Plumber – 1905-06
Tommy Burns, the Little Giant of Hanover – 1906-08
Jack Johnson, the Galveston Giant – 1908-1915
Jess Willard, Pottawatomie Giant- 1915-1919

1920-28
Jack Dempsey, the Manassa Mauler – 1921-26
Gene Tunney, the Fighting Marine – 1926-28

1930-37
Max Schmeling, The Black Uhlan of the Rhine – 1930-32
Jack Sharkey, the Boston Gob – 1932-33
Primo Carnera, the Ambling Alp – 1933-34
Max Baer, Madcap Maxie – 1934-35
Jim Braddock, Cinderella Man – 1935-37

1937-1949
Joe Louis, the Brown Bomber – 1937-1949

1949-60
Ezzard Charles, Cincinnati Cobra – 1949-51
Jersey Joe Walcott – 1951-52
Rocky Marciano, the Rock from Brockton – 1952-56
Floyd Patterson, – 1956-59
Ingemar Johansson, – 1959-60

1960-70
Floyd Patterson, the Gentleman of Boxing – 1960-1962
Charles “Sonny” Liston, the Big Bear – 1962-64
Muhammad Ali (aka Cassius Clay), the Louisville Lip – 1964-70

1970-79
Joe Frazier, Smokin’ Joe – 1970-73 Jan 22
George Foreman, Big George – 1973-74
Muhammad Ali, the People’s Champion – 1974-78
Leon Spinks, Neon Leon – 1978
Muhammad Ali, the Greatest – 1978-79

1980-90
Larry Holmes, the Easton Assassin – 1980-85
Michael Spinks, Jinx – 1985-88
Mike Tyson, Iron Mike – 1988-90

1990-2001
James “Buster” Douglas – 1990
Evander Holyfield, the Real Deal – 1990-92
Riddick Bowe, Big Daddy – 1992-93
Evander Holyfield, the Warrior – 1993-94
Michael Moorer, Double M – 1994
George Foreman, Big George – 1994-97
Shannon Briggs, the Cannon – 1997-98
Lennox Lewis, the Lion – 1998-2001

2001-Present
Hasim Rahman, the Rock – 2001
Lennox Lewis, the Lion – 2001-2004
Wladimir Klitschko, Dr. Steelhammer – 2009 – Present

This info comes from BoxRec. Check out their World Heavyweight Title Lineages.