WBC Light Heavyweight World Championship
January 13, 2024 / Quebec City, Quebec, Canada / Videotron Center
EYE OF THE TIGER & TOP RANK, in association with MATCHROOM BOXING, PRESENT:
ARTUR BETERBIEV (Canada/Russia)
· WBC light heavyweight world champion, 5th title defense
Age: 38 / Date of birth: January 21, 1985
Residence: Montréal, Québec, Canada / Birthplace: Khasavyurt, Dagestan, Russia
Record: 19-0, 19 KOs / Total rounds: 83 / World championship fights: 8-0, 8 KOs
Height: 5’11.5” – 182cm / Reach: 73” – 185cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Self-managed / Trainer: Marc Ramsay
CALLUM “Mundo” SMITH (United Kingdom)
· Ranked WBC No. 1 / Mandatory Challenger at Light Heavyweight
Age: 33 / Date of birth: April 23, 1990
Residence, birthplace: Liverpool, Merseyside, England, United Kingdom
Record: 29-1, 21 KOs / Total rounds: 152 / World championship fights: 3-1, 2 KOs
Height: 6’3” – 191cm / Reach: 78” – 198cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Self-managed / Trainer: Buddy McGirt
WBC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS:
- Harold Johnson (US) 1963
- Willie Pastrano (US) 1963 – 1965
- Jose Torres (P. Rico) 1965 – 1966
- Dick Tiger (Nigeria) 1966 – 1968
- Bob Foster (US) 1968 – 1974
- John Conteh (GB) 1974 – 1977
- Miguel Angel Cuello (Arg) 1977 – 1978
- Mate Parlov (Yugoslavia) 1978
- Marvin Johnson (US) 1978 – 1979
- Matthew Saad Muhammad (US) 1979 – 1981
- Dwight Muhammad Qawi (US) 1981 – 1983
- Michael Spinks (US) 1983 – 1985
- J.B. Williamson (US) 1985 – 1986
- Dennis Andries (GB) 1986 – 1987
- Thomas Hearns (US) 1987
- Don LaLonde (CAN) 1987 – 1988
- Ray Leonard (US) 1988
- Dennis Andries (GB) 1989 *
- Jeff Harding (Australia) 1989 – 1990
- Dennis Andries (GB) 1990 – 1991 *
- Jeff Harding (Australia) 1991 – 1994 *
- Mike McCallum (Jamaica) 1994 – 1995
- Fabrice Tiozzo (Fra) 1995 – 1996
- Roy Jones Jr. (US) 1996 – 1997
- Montell Griffin (US) 1997
- Graciano Rocchigiani (Ger) (Int.) 1998
- Roy Jones Jr. (US) 1997 – 2003 *
- Antonio Tarver (US) 2003
- Roy Jones Jr. (US) 2003 – 2004 *
- Antonio Tarver (US) 2004 *
- Tomasz Adamek (Poland) 2005 – 2007
- Chad Dawson (US) 2007 – 2008
- Adrian Diaconu (Rom/Can) 2008 – 2009
- Jean Pascal (Haiti/Canada) 2009 – 2011
- Chad Dawson (US) Interim 2009 – 2010 *
- Bernard Hopkins (US) 2011 – 2012
- Chad Dawson (US) 2012 – 2013*
- Adonis Stevenson (Haiti/Can) 2013 – 2018
- Oleksandr Gvozdyk (Ukraine) 2018 – 2019
- Artur Beterbiev (Russia) 2019 –
- Regained
WBC TOP 10 LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONS
- Roy Jones Jr. (US)
- Bernard Hopkins (US)
- Bob Foster (US)
- Michael Spinks (US)
- Adonis Stevenson (Haiti/Canada)
- Mike McCallum (Jamaica)
- Jose Torres (Puerto Rico)
- Dick Tiger (Nigeria)
- Matthew Saad Muhammad (US)
- Chad Dawson (US)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY:
32 light heavyweight world champions have been recognized by the WBC, of whom only five have regained the title: Dennis Andries (GB) two times, Jeff Harding (Australia), Roy Jones Jr. (US) two times, Antonio Tarver (US), and Chad Dawson (US) two times.
122 light heavyweight world championship fights have been held in WBC history.
Bob Foster (US) holds the record for light heavyweight world title defenses with 14.
MEMORABLE WBC LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:
Jan. 28, 2023 Artur Beterbiev TKO8 Anthony Yarde – London, England
June 18, 2022 Artur Beterbiev TKO2 Joe Smith Jr. – New York, New York
Dec. 17, 2021 Artur Beterbiev KO9 Marcus Browne – Montréal, Québec
Mar. 20, 2021 Artur Beterbiev TKO10 Adam Deines – Moscow, Russia
Oct. 18, 2019 Artur Beterbiev TKO10 Oleksandr Gvozdyk – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec. 1, 2018 Oleksandr Gvozdyk KO11 Adonis Stevenson – Québec City, Québec
May 19, 2018 Adonis Stevenson D12 Badou Jack – Toronto, Ontario
May 24, 2014 Adonis Stevenson W12 Andrzej Fonfara – Montréal, Québec
June 8, 2013 Adonis Stevenson KO1 Chad Dawson – Montréal, Québec
Apr. 28, 2012 Chad Dawson W12 Bernard Hopkins – Atlantic City, New Jersey
May 21, 2011 Bernard Hopkins W12 John Pascal – Montréal, Québec
Dec. 11, 2009 Jean Pascal W12 Adrian Diaconu – Montréal, Québec
Apr. 12, 2008 Chad Dawson W12 Glen Johnson – Tampa, Florida
May 21, 2005 Tomasz Adamek W12 Paul Briggs – Chicago, Illinois
May 15, 2004 Antonio Tarver TKO2 Roy Jones Jr. – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 22, 1996 Roy Jones Jr. W12 Mike McCallum – Tampa, Florida
July 23, 1994 Mike McCallum W12 Jeff Harding – Bismarck, North Dakota
Nov. 7, 1988 Sugar Ray Leonard TKO9 Donny Lalonde – Las Vegas, Nevada
May 29, 1988 Donny Lalonde TKO5 Leslie Stewart – Port of Spain, Trinidad
Mar. 7, 1987 Thomas Hearns TKO10 Dennis Andries – Detroit, Michigan
Sep. 10, 1986 Dennis Andries TKO9 Tony Sibson – London, England
Mar. 18, 1983 Michael Spinks W15 Dwight Muhammad Qawi – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Dec. 19, 1981 Dwight Muhammad Qawi TKO10 Matthew Saad Muhammad – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Apr. 22, 1979 Matthew Saad Muhammad TKO8 Marvin Johnson – Indianapolis, Indiana
Oct. 9, 1976 John Conteh W15 Yaqui Lopez – Copenhagen, Denmark
May 24, 1968 Bob Foster KO4 Dick Tiger – New York, New York
Dec. 16, 1966 Dick Tiger W15 José Torres – New York, New York
Aug. 15, 1966 José Torres W15 Eddie Cotton – Las Vegas, Nevada
June 1, 1963 Willie Pastrano W15 Harold Johnson – Las Vegas, Nevada
WBC Statistics by Luis Medina.
