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Inoue, Lomachenko, Tanaka - The quickest three-division champions
Last week saw the retirement of Kosei Tanaka and Vasyl Lomachenko, two boxers that burst onto the scene when they began their professional careers.
Both fighters took just 12 fights to become world champions at three different weights, with Tanaka going on to claim a title in a fourth division after just 21 fights.
There are 56 fighters in men’s boxing that hold the distinction of being a champion in at least three separate weight classes – but five managed to fly though the ranks in record time to achieve the feat.
Jeff Fenech – 20 fights
Australian fighter Fenech became the fastest man to become a three-division world champion in 1988 when he defeated Victor Callejas for the vacant WBC featherweight title.
The Sydney native took just seven fights to earn his first world title, the IBF strap at bantamweight, before taking the WBC’s belt at super bantamweight in his 16th bout.
He would finish his career with a record of 29-3-1 (21), having unsuccessfully challenged for world titles at super featherweight and lightweight.
The Aussie would retrospectively become a four-weight champion in 2022, with the WBC re-counting his 1991 draw with Azumah Nelson to award Fenech the super featherweight title over three decades later.
Kazuto Ioka – 18 fights
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A repeated producer of talented and diminutive fighters, Japan has been the birth place of six three-weight world champions, with three included on this list.
Current fighter Junto Nakatani was not far off Fenech’s record, taking 27 bouts to reach three-division champ status, but the first man to beat the Australian’s record for was his compatriot, Kazuto Ioka.
Like Fenech, Ioka would earn his first world title in his seventh fight, beating the experienced WBC strawweight champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai via a fifth-round stoppage.
In his 10th fight he would unify his title with the WBA strap, beating countryman Akira Yaegashi, who himself would go on to become a three-weight world champion.
After unifying, Ioka would step up to light flyweight in his subsequent fight, instantly challenging José Alfredo Rodríguez for the vacant WBA belt. Victorious, Ioka would defend his title three times before attempting another step-up.
He could have been a three-division champ in 15 fights, but was defeated by IBF flyweight champion Amnat Ruenroeng in a tight split decision. Ioka would work his way back into title contention, defeating Juan Carlos Reveco by majority decision to take the WBA’s flyweight belt in his 18th bout.
Discontent being a three-division title holder, Ioka would attempt to add a belt at a fourth weight to his collection after five defences at flyweight.
Again knocked back by split decision when he challenged WBO super flyweight champion Donnie Nietes in 2018, Ioka would get another chance after his opponent vacated the belt.
He stopped Filpino Aston Palicte the following year to confirm his status as a four-division world champion. Ioka is still active, having lost back-to-back bouts against Fernando Martínez in an attempt to unify the WBA and IBF titles at super featherweight.
Nayoa Inoue – 16
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Another Japanese fighter on this list, Nayoa Inoue might end up as the Japan’s finest pugilist.
Currently 30-0 (27), ‘The Monster’ has terrorised four separate weight classes.
Since winning the WBC light flyweight title against Adrián Hernández in his sixth bout, all of Inoue’s fights have been for world titles.
Inoue jumped two weight classes to win the WBO super flyweight crown in his eighth fight, remaining at 115lbs for seven more fights.
Jamie McDonnell was the WBA super bantamweight champion and Inoue’s 16th opponent, but the Brit stood no chance as he was knocked down twice in the opening two minutes, the bout quickly waved off.
After unifying all four belts at 118lbs in 2022 by defeating Nonito Donaire, Inoue would become undisputed at a second weight in December 2023, his dominance of the super bantamweight division continuing to this day.
Inoue has floated the idea of moving up to featherweight – meaning he could join a select list of five-division world champions.
Kosei Tanaka – 12
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While Tanaka, 20-2 (11), continues a trend of Japanese fighters, he also serves as a further example of how the lower weight divisions in boxing lend themselves to upwards movement.
Tanaka combined his natural talent with the natural growth of the human body, turning pro at 18 before picking up more muscle as he aged. He managed to break compatriot Inoue’s domestic record of six fights to become a world champion; Tanaka managing it in five by beating Julian Yedras to take the WBO minimumweight title as a 19-year-old.
By fight eight, he was a two-weight champion, taking the WBO’s light-flyweight crown, before taking another step up to flyweight in his 12th bout.
Tanaka would have been the first man to become a three-weight world champion if not for the fact that Vasyl Lomachenko had achieved the same feat four months earlier, the Ukrainian picking up his third title in May 2018, the Japanese victorious at flyweight in September 2018.
But Tanaka would make history of his own, breaking Oscar De La Hoya’s record of 24 bouts to become a four-weight world champion in 21 fights.
It would have taken Tanaka just 16 fights if he had defeated compatriot Kazuto Ioka in 2020, but the reigning WBO super flyweight champion defended his strap.
Four years later, Tanaka would claim the same title, making him Japan’s third four-weight champion after Ioka and Inoue.
Last week Tanaka announced his retirement, following various injuries to eyes sustained during his boxing career.
Vasyl Lomachenko – 12
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Whilst Tanaka was a teenage prodigy in the pro ranks Lomachenko was a seasoned fighter when he started in the paid code, thanks to an amateur career that spanned over 300 fights, with one loss and two Olympic gold medals.
25-years-old on his debut, Lomachenko would be 26 when he became a world champion in just his third fight – equalling Saensak Muangsurin’s record.
He could have been a champion in just his second, only losing Orlando Salido in a split decision.
After taking the WBO featherweight crown, Lomachenko would defend his title three times before stepping up to super featherweight for his seventh fight. Chucked straight into a title fight by the WBO, the Ukrainian defeated Román Martínez with a fifth-round stoppage.
Four defences later, Lomachenko would move up once again, to his final weight of 135lbs.
He defeated Jorge Linares, himself a three-weight world champion, with a technical knockout in the 10th round. Having found a home at lightweight, Lomachenko would add the WBC and WBO belts to his collection before attempting to unify against Teofimo Lopez for the IBF strap.
Lomachenko would suffer his second career loss, before fighting back to return to title contention. He would be given the chance to become undisputed against Devin Haney, only to lose for a third time.
In what proved to be his final fight in May 2024, Lomachenko defated George Kambosos Jr to pick up the IBO and IBF world titles at lightweight – completing his collection at 135 pounds.
Last week, the Ukrainian confirmed his retirement, ending his pro career with a record of 18-3, 12 of his wins via knockout.
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