World Middleweight Champions Cumulative
Nat. Date Champion Defeated Result W Days Years Notes W Days Years Rank
ENG 1/14/1891 Bob Fitzsimmons N. Jack Dempsey KO-13 2 2254 6.18 3
3/17/1897 Vacant 275 0.75
USA 12/17/1897 Kid McCoy Dan Creedon W-15 1 70 0.19
USA 2/25/1898 Tommy Ryan George Green KO-18 7 2161 5.92 4
USA 1/27/1904 Phil. Jack O'Brien Tommy Ryan W-6 16 454 1.24 (1)
ITA 4/25/1905 Hugo Kelly Phil. Jack O'Brien W-10 7 1056 2.89 15
USA 3/16/1908 Billy Papke Hugo Kelly W-10 1 80 0.22
USA 6/4/1908 Stanley Ketchel  Billy Papke W-10 3 95 0.26
USA 9/7/1908 Billy Papke Stanley Ketchel KO-12 1 80 0.22 2 160 0.44
USA 11/26/1908 Stanley Ketchel  Billy Papke KO-11 6 688 1.88 9 783 2.15
10/15/1910 Vacant 872 2.39
USA 3/5/1913 Frank Klaus Billy Papke W-15 1 220 0.60
USA 10/11/1913 George Chip Frank Klaus KO-6 2 177 0.48
USA 4/6/1914 Al McCoy George Chip KO-1 2 1318 3.61 12
USA 11/14/1917 Mike O'Dowd Al McCoy KO-6 5 904 2.48
USA 5/6/1920 Johnny Wilson Mike O'Dowd W-12 3 1212 3.32 13
USA 8/31/1923 Harry Greb Johnny Wilson W-15 7 910 2.49
USA 2/26/1926 Tiger Flowers Harry Greb W-15 2 280 0.77
USA 12/3/1926 Mickey Walker Tiger Flowers W-10 5 1490 4.08 10
1/1/1931 Vacant 389 1.07
USA 1/25/1932 Gorilla Jones Oddone Piazza W-10 3 138 0.38
FRA 6/11/1932 Marcel Thil Gorilla Jones DQ-11 11 1930 5.29 6
USA 9/23/1937 Fred Apostoli Marcel Thil KO-10 3 739 2.02
PHI 10/2/1939 Ceferino Garcia Fred Apostoli KO-7 3 234 0.64
USA 5/23/1940 Ken Overlin Ceferino Garcia W-15 3 351 0.96
USA 5/9/1941 Billy Soose Ken Overlin W-15 1 82 0.22
USA 7/30/1941 Georgie Abrams Billy Soose W-10 2 121 0.33
USA 11/28/1941 Tony Zale Georgie Abrams W-15 2 2056 5.63
USA 7/16/1947 Rocky Graziano Tony Zale KO-6 1 330 0.90
USA 6/10/1948 Tony Zale Rocky Graziano KO-3 1 103 0.28 3 2159 5.92 5
FRA 9/21/1948 Marcel Cerdan Tony Zale KO-12 1 268 0.73
USA 6/16/1949 Jake La Motta Marcel Cerdan KO-10 3 608 1.67
USA 2/14/1951 Sugar Ray Robinson Jake La Motta KO-13 1 146 0.40
ENG 7/10/1951 Randolph Turpin Sugar Ray Robinson W-15 1 64 0.18
USA 9/12/1951 Sugar Ray Robinson Randolph Turpin KO-3 3 460 1.26
12/15/1952 Vacant 176 0.48
ENG 6/9/1953 Randolph Turpin Charles Humez W-15 1 134 0.37 2 198 0.54
USA 10/21/1953 Carl 'Bobo' Olson Randolph Turpin W-15 4 779 2.13
USA 12/9/1955 Sugar Ray Robinson Carl 'Bobo' Olson KO-2 2 390 1.07
USA 1/2/1957 Gene Fullmer Sugar Ray Robinson W-15 1 119 0.33
USA 5/1/1957 Sugar Ray Robinson Gene Fullmer KO-5 1 145 0.40
USA 9/23/1957 Carmen Basilio Sugar Ray Robinson W-15 1 183 0.50
USA 3/25/1958 Sugar Ray Robinson Carmen Basilio W-15 1 668 1.83 8 1809 4.96 8
USA 1/22/1960 Paul Pender Sugar Ray Robinson W-15 4 536 1.47
ENG 7/11/1961 Terry Downes Paul Pender KO-9 1 270 0.74
USA 4/7/1962 Paul Pender Terry Downes W-15 1 199 0.55 5 735 2.01
NGA 10/23/1962 Dick Tiger Gene Fullmer W-15 3 410 1.12
USA 12/7/1963 Joey Giardello Dick Tiger W-15 2 684 1.87
NGA 10/21/1965 Dick Tiger Joey Giardello W-15 1 186 0.51 4 596 1.63
VIR 4/25/1966 Emile Griffith Dick Tiger W-15 3 357 0.98
ITA 4/17/1967 Nino Benvenuti Emile Griffith W-15 1 165 0.45
VIR 9/29/1967 Emile Griffith Nino Benvenuti W-15 1 157 0.43 4 514 1.41
ITA 3/4/1968 Nino Benvenuti Emile Griffith W-15 5 978 2.68 6 1143 3.13 14
ARG 11/7/1970 Carlos Monzon Nino Benvenuti KO-12 15 2489 6.82 1
8/31/1977 Vacant 66 0.18
COL 11/5/1977 Rodrigo Valdez Bennie Briscoe W-15 1 168 0.46
ARG 4/22/1978 Hugo Corro Rodrigo Valdez W-15 3 434 1.19
ITA 6/30/1979 Vito Antuofermo Hugo Corro W-15 2 260 0.71
ENG 3/16/1980 Alan Minter Vito Antuofermo W-15 2 195 0.53
USA 9/27/1980 Marvin Hagler Alan Minter KO-3 13 2382 6.53 2
USA 4/6/1987 Sugar Ray Leonard Marvin Hagler W-12 1 206 0.56
USA 10/29/1987 Thomas Hearns Juan D. Roldan KO-4 1 221 0.61
USA 6/6/1988 Iran Barkley Thomas Hearns KO-3 1 263 0.72
PAN 2/24/1989 Roberto Duran Iran Barkley W-12 1 29 0.08
USA 3/25/1989 Michael Nunn Sumbu Kalambay KO-1 4 776 2.13
USA 5/10/1991 James Toney Michael Nunn KO-11 4 274 0.75
USA 2/8/1992 Dave Tiberi James Toney W-12 1 63 0.17 (2)
USA 4/11/1992 James Toney Glenn Wolfe W-12 2 308 0.84 6 582 1.59
2/13/1993 Vacant 98 0.27
USA 5/22/1993 Roy Jones Jr. Bernard Hopkins W-12 2 447 1.22
ARG 8/12/1994 Jorge F. Castro Reggie Johnson W-12 5 494 1.35
JPN 12/19/1995 Shinji Takehara Jorge F. Castro W-12 1 188 0.52
USA 6/24/1996 William Joppy Shinji Takehara KO-9 3 425 1.16
DOM 8/23/1997 Julio Cesar Green William Joppy W-12 1 161 0.44
USA 1/31/1998 William Joppy Julio Cesar Green W-12 2 365 1.00 5 790 2.16
1/31/1999 Vacant 972 2.66 (3)
USA 9/29/2001 Bernard Hopkins Felix Trinidad KO-12 7 1386 3.80 11
USA 7/16/2005 Jermain Taylor Bernard Hopkins W-12 5 805 2.21
USA 9/29/2007 Kelly Pavlik Jermain Taylor KO-7 4 931 2.55
ARG 4/17/2010 Sergio Gabriel Martinez Kelly Pavlik W-12 7 1512 4.14 9
PRI 6/7/2014 Miguel Angel Cotto Sergio Gabriel Martinez KO-10 2 532 1.46
MEX 11/21/2015 Canelo Alvarez Miguel Angel Cotto W-12 7 1855 5.08 7
12/19/2020 Vacant 1246 3.41
5/18/2024
Notes
(1) Tommy Ryan continued to claim the title after this bout, though he never fought another serious challenger.
(2) Toney was awarded a patently bogus decision over Tiberi, and a Senate investigation revealed that two of the judges were unlicensed. Tiberi retired after the fight in disgust.
(3) William Joppy was forced to abandon the title due to a serious accident, leaving the title picture ambiguous until Hopkins won a unification tournament.