Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.

Boxing

Professional

Male boxers who weigh over 200 lb are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation and the World Boxing Organization. In 2020, the World Boxing Council increased their heavyweight classification to 224 pounds (102 kg; 16 st) to allow for their creation of the bridgerweight division. The World Boxing Association (WBA) did the same in 2023. Female boxers who weigh over 175 lb are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major boxing organizations: the IBF and the WBC. The WBA and WBO do not have a female heavyweight world title.

Historical development

Because this division has no upper weight limit, it has historically been vaguely defined. In the 19th century, for example, many heavyweight champions weighed 170 lb or less (although others weighed 200 pounds). In 1920, the light heavyweight division was formed, with a maximum weight of 175 lb. Any fighter weighing more than 175 pounds was a heavyweight. The cruiserweight division (first for boxers in the 175–190 pound range) was established in 1979 and recognized by the various boxing organizations in the 1980s with a maximum weight of either 190 lb or 195 lb. Later these organizations increased the cruiserweight limit to 200 pounds. Since 1975, the Amateur Athletic Union of the United States and the Soviet Sports Committee established a new concept in international boxing, called "Heavy Duals," an all-heavyweight team contest between the United States and the Soviet Union. As of 2023, Wladimir Klitschko holds the record of most boxers beaten for the world heavyweight title, with 23. Klitschko holds the record for the longest cumulative heavyweight title reign of all time, with 4,382 days as world heavyweight champion. Joe Louis has won the most world heavyweight title bouts, with 27. Louis holds the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 26 defenses of the world title. This is also the record for most consecutive title defenses in boxing history. Four boxers have regained the heavyweight title in an immediate rematch: Floyd Patterson in 1960, Muhammad Ali in 1978, Lennox Lewis in 2001, and Anthony Joshua in 2019. George Foreman holds the record for being the oldest heavyweight to ever achieve championship status, becoming champion at the age of 45, while Mike Tyson possesses the record for youngest heavyweight champion at 20. Tyson also became the first heavyweight to own all three major belts – WBA, WBC, and IBF as well as The Ring and lineal heavyweight titles at the same time.

Current world champions

Current world rankings

The Ring

As of September 21, 2024. Keys:

BoxRec

As of January 25, 2025.

Longest-reigning world heavyweight champions

Keys:

Combined reign

The list does not include The Ring and lineal championship fights after 1921. As of 22 February 2020.

Individual reign

Below is a list of longest reigning heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. The list includes both The Ring and lineal championships. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

Amateur

The lower limit for heavyweight was established in 1948 at 81 kg. A weight class named "super heavyweight" was established in 1984, and with it a maximum 91 kg for the heavyweight division.

Kickboxing

Mixed martial arts

The heavyweight division in MMA generally groups fighters between 206 and 265 lb. Heavyweight is also the title of a documentary film that documented the fight camp of Fabrício Werdum when he became the UFC Heavyweight Champion.

Wrestling

The term "world heavyweight" in modern wrestling generally refers to a champion wrestler who is seen as a prominent competitor, rather than an adherent to a particular weight class. The World Heavyweight Championship in wrestling is usually considered the main title in a given promotion. Prior to the wrestling industry publicly acknowledging the predetermined nature of the sport, a Heavyweight title was generally competed for by larger wrestlers while smaller wrestlers competed as (among other names and classifications) "Junior Heavyweights", "Cruiserweights" and "Light-Heavyweights". The lucha libre promotion Consejo Mundial de Lucha Libre notably still has weight division for its champions. While most other promotions do not.

Analogous uses

The word "heavyweight" is sometimes used in other fields (e.g. politics) to denote a person who is especially powerful or influential. Other boxing analogies include "punching above his [their] weight" to denote a person or entity (e.g. a country) whose influence is arguably greater than his/its basic attributes would suggest.