| Sonny Liston |
July 22, 1963 – February 25, 1964 |
|
| Muhammad Ali |
February 25, 1964 – March 11, 1969 (stripped) |
| Joe Frazier |
February 16, 1970 – January 22, 1973 |
| George Foreman |
January 22, 1973 – October 30, 1974 |
| Muhammad Ali |
October 30, 1974 – February 15, 1978 |
| Leon Spinks |
February 15, 1978 – March 18, 1978 (stripped) |
Ken Norton
(Status elevated as #1 contender) |
March 29, 1978 – June 9, 1978 |
| Larry Holmes |
June 9, 1978 – December 11, 1983 (vacated) |
| Tim Witherspoon |
March 9, 1984 – August 31, 1984 |
| Pinklon Thomas |
August 31, 1984 – March 22, 1986 |
| Trevor Berbick |
March 22, 1986 – November 22, 1986 |
| Mike Tyson |
November 22, 1986 – February 11, 1990 |
| James “Buster” Douglas |
February 11, 1990 – October 25, 1990 |
| Evander Holyfield |
October 25, 1990 – November 13, 1992 |
| Riddick Bowe |
November 13, 1992 – December 14, 1992 (stripped) |
Lennox Lewis
Status elevated when
Bowe refused to face Lewis |
December 14, 1992 – September 24, 1994 |
| Oliver McCall |
September 24, 1994 – September 2, 1995 |
| Frank Bruno |
September 2, 1995 – March 16, 1996 |
| Mike Tyson |
March 16, 1996 – September 24, 1996 (vacated) |
| Lennox Lewis |
February 7, 1997 – April 22, 2001 |
| Hasim Rahman |
April 22, 2001 – November 17, 2001 |
| Lennox Lewis |
November 17, 2001 – February 6, 2004 (retired) |
| Vitali Klitschko |
April 24, 2004 – November 9, 2005 (retired) |
Hasim Rahman
(Elevated from Interim status) |
November 9, 2005 – August 12, 2006 |
| Oleg Maskaev |
August 12, 2006 – March 8, 2008 |
| Samuel Peter |
March 8, 2008 – October 11, 2008 |
| Vitali Klitschko |
October 11, 2008 – December 15, 2013 (retired) |
| Bermane Stiverne |
May 10, 2014 – January 17, 2015 |
| Deontay Wilder |
January 17, 2015 – Present |
