List of British heavyweight boxing champions
Encyclopedia
List of British heavyweight boxing champions is a table showing the boxers
who have won the British
heavyweight
championship, which has been sanctioned by the National Sporting Club
since 1891, and the British Boxing Board of Control
since 1929.
A champion will often voluntarily relinquish the title in order to fight for a higher-ranked championship, such as the world or European
. Where the date on which a champion relinquished the title is unclear, the date of his final defence is shown.
r – Champion relinquished title.
s – Champion stripped of title.
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
who have won the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
heavyweight
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Fighters who weigh over 200 pounds are considered heavyweights by the major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Association, the World Boxing Council, and the World Boxing...
championship, which has been sanctioned by the National Sporting Club
National Sporting Club
The National Sporting Club was a club founded in London in 1891, which did more to establish the sport of boxing in Great Britain than any other organisation.-Origins:...
since 1891, and the British Boxing Board of Control
British Boxing Board of Control
The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom. It was formed in 1929 from the old National Sporting Club and is headquartered in Cardiff.- Councils :...
since 1929.
A champion will often voluntarily relinquish the title in order to fight for a higher-ranked championship, such as the world or European
European Boxing Union
The European Boxing Union is an organization that oversees competition in that sport over the continent of Europe.-History:The EBU started life as the International Boxing Union in Paris in 1910...
. Where the date on which a champion relinquished the title is unclear, the date of his final defence is shown.
r – Champion relinquished title.
s – Champion stripped of title.
| Name | Duration of reign | Defences |
|---|---|---|
| Jack Palmer | 18 December 1905 — 29 October 1906 | 1 |
| Gunner Moir | 29 October 1906 — 19 April 1909 | 2 |
| William Hague | 19 April 1909 — 24 April 1911 | 3 |
| Bombadier Billy Wells William Thomas Wells William Thomas Wells, better known as Bombardier Billy Wells , was an English heavyweight boxer. Fighting under the name "Bombardier Billy Wells," he was British and British Empire Champion from 1911 until 1919, defending his title fourteen times... |
24 April 1911 — 27 February 1919 | 14 |
| Joe Beckett | 27 February 1919s | 0 |
| Frank Goddard Frank Goddard Percy Frank Goddard was a British boxer who became the heavyweight boxing champion in 1923. Frank's career begin in 1914 and it soon became apparent that he was one of the best boxers in the UK... |
26 May 1919 — 17 June 1919 | 1 |
| Joe Beckett | 17 June 1919 — 14 May 1923r | 4 |
| Frank Goddard Frank Goddard Percy Frank Goddard was a British boxer who became the heavyweight boxing champion in 1923. Frank's career begin in 1914 and it soon became apparent that he was one of the best boxers in the UK... |
21 November 1923 — 18 March 1926 | 2 |
| Phil Scott | 18 March 1926 — 30 April 1926r | 1 |
| Reggie Meen | 16 November 1931 — 12 July 1932 | 1 |
| Jack Petersen Jack Petersen Jack Petersen was a Welsh boxer, who held the British heavyweight boxing title on two separate occasions.-Early life and career:... |
12 July 1932 — 30 November 1933 | 3 |
| Len Harvey Len Harvey Len Harvey was a boxer born in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall. A great tactician and defensive boxer who boxed at every weight division of his day. He began boxing at the very young age of 12 and boxed to he was 36. He was British champion at three weights, middleweight, light-heavy and heavyweight... |
30 November 1933 — 4 June 1934 | 1 |
| Jack Petersen Jack Petersen Jack Petersen was a Welsh boxer, who held the British heavyweight boxing title on two separate occasions.-Early life and career:... |
4 June 1934 — 17 August 1936 | 4 |
| Ben Foord | 17 August 1936 — 15 March 1937 | 1 |
| Tommy Farr Tommy Farr Thomas George Farr was one of the most famous Welsh and British boxers of all time. Born in Clydach Vale, Wales and nicknamed "the Tonypandy Terror", he became British and Empire heavyweight champion on 15 March 1937. Prior to 1936, he had boxed in the light heavyweight division in which he was... |
15 March 1937r | 0 |
| Len Harvey Len Harvey Len Harvey was a boxer born in Stoke Climsland, Cornwall. A great tactician and defensive boxer who boxed at every weight division of his day. He began boxing at the very young age of 12 and boxed to he was 36. He was British champion at three weights, middleweight, light-heavy and heavyweight... |
1 December 1938r | 0 |
| Jack London Jack London (boxer) Jack London was an English heavyweight boxer. He was British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion from 1944 to 1945... |
15 September 1944 — 17 July 1945 | 1 |
| Bruce Woodcock Bruce Woodcock (boxer) Bruce Woodcock was an English boxer. He was the British and Empire heavyweight champion 1945-1950, and European heavyweight champion 1946-1949. He had a large fanbase, and his participation in a competition often resulted in sellout crowds... |
17 July 1945 — 14 November 1950 | 2 |
| Jack Gardner | 14 November 1950 — 11 March 1952 | 1 |
| Johnny Williams Johnny Williams (boxer) Johnny Williams was a British former professional boxer in the 1940s and 1950s and was at one time both the British and Empire heavyweight champion.... |
11 March 1952 — 12 May 1953 | 1 |
| Don Cockell Don Cockell Donald John Cockell was an English boxer. He fought for most of his career as a light-heavyweight and became the British and European champion at that weight. Later in his career he moved up to heavyweight and held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles... |
12 May 1953r | 0 |
| Joe Erskine | 27 August 1956 — 3 June 1958 | 2 |
| Brian London Brian London Brian London, born Brian Sidney Harper, 19 June 1934, in West Hartlepool, is a retired English heavyweight boxer. He was British and Commonwealth Heavyweight champion from 1958 to 1959, and had two world heavyweight title fights... |
3 June 1958 — 12 January 1959 | 1 |
| Henry Cooper Henry Cooper (boxer) Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was an English heavyweight boxer known for the effectiveness of his left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer", and his knockdown of the young Muhammad Ali... |
12 January 1959 — 7 November 1967r | 8 |
| Jack Bodell Jack Bodell Jack Bodell is a retired English professional boxer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s.... |
13 October 1969 — 24 March 1970 | 1 |
| Henry Cooper Henry Cooper (boxer) Sir Henry Cooper OBE KSG was an English heavyweight boxer known for the effectiveness of his left hook, "Enry's 'Ammer", and his knockdown of the young Muhammad Ali... |
24 March 1970 — 16 March 1971 | 1 |
| Joe Bugner Joe Bugner József Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former top heavyweight boxer. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom where he learned to box and spent his peak years.Born in Szőreg, a southeastern... |
16 March 1971 — 27 September 1971 | 1 |
| Jack Bodell Jack Bodell Jack Bodell is a retired English professional boxer who was active during the 1960s and 1970s.... |
27 September 1971 — 27 June 1972 | 1 |
| Danny McAlinden Danny McAlinden Danny McAlinden is a retired heavyweight boxer who was British and Commonwealth champion in 1971 when he defeated Jack Bodell in two rounds at the Aston Villa football ground.... |
27 June 1972 — 13 January 1975 | 1 |
| Bunny Johnson Bunny Johnson Bunny Johnson born 10 May 1947 in Jamaica is a retired boxer who was British heavyweight Champion in 1975 beating Danny McAlinden by a knockout, becoming in the process Britain's first Black Heavyweight Boxing Champion. He also enjoyed success in the light-heavyweight division and won a Lonsdale... |
13 January 1975 — 30 September 1975 | 1 |
| Richard Dunn | 30 September 1975 — 12 October 1976 | 2 |
| Joe Bugner Joe Bugner József Kreul "Joe" Bugner is a Hungarian-born British-Australian former top heavyweight boxer. He holds triple nationality, being a citizen of Hungary and a naturalized citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom where he learned to box and spent his peak years.Born in Szőreg, a southeastern... |
12 October 1976r | 0 |
| John Louis Gardner | 24 October 1978 — 26 June 1979r | 1 |
| Gordon Ferris | 30 March 1981 — 12 October 1981 | 1 |
| Neville Meade Neville Meade Neville Meade was a Jamaica-born boxer who emigrated to the United Kingdom settling in Swansea in south Wales. He rose to prominence when he won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in New Zealand... |
12 October 1981 — 22 September 1983 | 1 |
| David Pearce David Pearce (boxer) David 'Bomber' Pearce was a British heavyweight boxing champion.-Early years:He was born in Newport, Monmouthshire... |
22 September 1983r | 0 |
| Hughroy Currie | 18 September 1985 — 12 April 1986 | 1 |
| Horace Notice | 12 April 1986 — 9 March 1988r | 3 |
| Gary Mason | 18 January 1989 — 6 March 1991 | 2 |
| Lennox Lewis Lennox Lewis Lennox Claudius Lewis, CM, CBE is a retired boxer and the most recent British undisputed world heavyweight champion. He holds dual British and Canadian citizenship... |
6 March 1991 — 30 April 1992r | 2 |
| Herbie Hide Herbie Hide Herbie Hide is a British boxer of Nigerian heritage from Norwich currently fighting in the cruiserweight class... |
27 February 1993r | 0 |
| James Oyebola James Oyebola James Oyebola was an English heavyweight boxer who won a bronze medal at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in the super heavyweight division. Oyebola was the British heavyweight champion from 1994 to 1996.... |
19 November 1994 — 27 October 1995 | 1 |
| Scott Welch Scott Welch -Profile:As an amateur, Scott became one of the UK's ABA Heavyweight Champions. He travelled the world as a professional boxer, winning the Southern Area belt, the British, Commonwealth and WBO Intercontinental titles.... |
27 October 1995r | 0 |
| Julius Francis Julius Francis Julius Francis is a former British Heavyweight champion boxer - who participated in many noteworthy boxing matches in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2007 he also participated in a mixed martial arts bout.... |
27 September 1997 — 13 March 2000 | 4 |
| Michael Holden Michael Holden Major General Michael James Holden is a fictional character from the Lifetime television series Army Wives, portrayed by Brian McNamara.- Personal life :Michael has been married to Claudia Joy Holden for 20 years... |
13 March 2000r | 0 |
| Danny Williams Danny Williams (boxer) Daniel "Danny" Williams is an English professional heavyweight boxer.-Amateur:As an amateur boxing out of the famous Lynn AC boxing gym in SE London, Williams learned his trade quickly, often sparring with the likes of clubmates Henry Akinwande and Derek Angol... |
21 October 2000 — 24 January 2004 | 5 |
| Michael Sprott Michael Sprott Michael Sprott is a professional heavyweight boxer from Reading, Berkshire, England. Sprott briefly held the British and Commonwealth heavyweight titles, and was a European heavyweight title contender... |
24 January 2004 — 24 April 2004 | 1 |
| Matt Skelton Matt Skelton Matt Skelton is an English boxer who changed sports from kickboxing. He is a former English, British, Commonwealth and European Heavyweight champion. He has also held the lightly regarded WBU "World" Heavyweight title.... |
24 April 2004 — 10 December 2005r | 3 |
| Scott Gammer Scott Gammer Scott Gammer is a British boxer, based in Wales he is a former holder of the British heavyweight title.-Professional career:... |
16 June 2006 — 2 March 2007 | 2 |
| Danny Williams Danny Williams (boxer) Daniel "Danny" Williams is an English professional heavyweight boxer.-Amateur:As an amateur boxing out of the famous Lynn AC boxing gym in SE London, Williams learned his trade quickly, often sparring with the likes of clubmates Henry Akinwande and Derek Angol... |
2 March 2007 — 15 May 2010 | 3 |
| Derek Chisora Derek Chisora Dereck Chisora is a Zimbabwe-born English professional heavyweight boxer, and is a former British heavyweight champion having lost to Tyson Fury on 23 July 2011... |
15 May 2010 — 23 July 2011 | 1 |
| Tyson Fury Tyson Fury Luke Tyson Fury is an Irish professional boxer who fights in the heavyweight division. He has represented both Ireland and England at amateur level and won the ABA championship in 2008 before turning professional later that year... |
23 July 2011 — | 0 |