List of boxing champions

There were 4 major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing: World Boxing Association (WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), International Boxing Federation (IBF), and World Boxing Organization (WBO) who all recognize each other in their rankings and title unification rules. Each of these organizations sanction and regulate championship bouts and award world titles. American boxing magazine The Ring began awarding world titles in 1922. IBO, IBA, WBU also awarded 'world title' belts but these were considered 'minor'.

The Ring went bankrupt in 1989, causing the magazine to cease publication and drop their world title belts. On 11 June 2004, the WBC announced it would enter Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation (i.e. business closing and total asset sell-off) proceedings, effectively ending its existence. This was due to a lawsuit against the WBC by Graciano Rocchigiani in a U.S. federal court, claiming that the organization's actions were both contrary to their own rules and injurious to his earning potential (due to diminished professional stature), this was because of the fact that the WBC stripped Rocchigiani and reinstated Roy Jones Jr (who relinquishing his belt) despite Rocchigiani beating Michael Nunn to fill the vacancy. On 7 May 2003, the judge ruled in Rocchigiani's favor, awarding him $30 million (U.S.) in damages and reinstating him as a former WBC champion.

IBO, IBA, WBU all went bankrupt in 2016 and ceased awarded championship belts. This left only the WBO and WBA as major sanctioning bodies in professional boxing and organizations to award world championships. Continental (e.g. Europe) and country championships (e.g. Britain) still to be awarded.