The History Of Heavyweight Boxing Titles

Baseball, boxing and horse racing were the top three sports in the United States through the first half of the 20th century. While all have been eclipsed by football, boxing remains a viable sport and its championships are valued at both the Olympic and professional level. The heavyweight championship of boxing is still one of the most prestigious titles in professional sports.

First Champion

The rules of boxing were first established in the late 1800s in Great Britain by the Marquess of Queensberry. These rules established boxing as a harsh but fair sport in which combatants tried to get the best of each other by throwing punches with their fists. Wrestling, kicking, throwing of elbows or head butts were not allowed. The sport was seen as a test of skill, strength, punching power and bravery. The first champion was John L. Sullivan of Great Britain, who held the title from 1882 until 1892.

Jack Johnson

The first superstar at the heavyweight division was Jack Johnson, who held the heavyweight title from 1908 through 1915. Johnson was clearly the best fighter of his era and many of the sport's top analysts rank him with the best heavyweight fighters ever. Johnson was also controversial. He was the division's first African-American champion and many refused to recognize his title because of his race. However, when Johnson was in his prime, no fighter could compete with him because he was a devastating knockout puncher. He was well past his prime when Jess Willard took the title from him in 1915.

Jack Dempsey

Jack Dempsey became one of the most devastating punchers in the history of the heavyweight division. He took the title from Willard in one of the most brutal bouts in boxing history. Willard was a 6-foot-6, 245-pound competitor, while Dempsey was a small man by comparison. He went into the ring at 6-foot-1 and 187 pounds and many of Dempsey's supporters feared for his life against the bigger man. They should have worried about Willard. Dempsey let loose with a barrage of punches and took the title in less than three rounds. Dempsey smashed his opponent's nose, cracked his cheekbone, broke his jaw in several places, knocked out four teeth and broke several ribs. Dempsey held the title for seven years until he was beaten by Gene Tunney in a decision.

Superstars

The heavyweight championship has been won by some of the great superstars of American sport. These athletes became some of the nation's top celebrities. They included Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman, Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis. Louis galvanized the American public with a knockout victory over Max Schmeling. He is considered by many to be the greatest fighter of all time. Marciano was a knockout specialist who retired undefeated. Ali was a dynamic athlete who was as graceful in the ring as he was powerful. He also was a controversial figure because of his stance against the Vietnam War that was viewed as courageous by some and criminal by others. Frazier was a devastating puncher who had a trio of excruciating bouts with Ali. Foreman was a powerful puncher who dramatically changed his image from executioner to friendly father over the course of his time in the ring. Tyson appeared unstoppable in the early part of his career with his explosive punching before losing his focus in the ring. Lewis was a classic combination of boxer and puncher.