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What does it mean to be the undisputed champion in boxing? How is undisputed different than unified?
Boxing is in a golden period, as fans finally get to witness the biggest fights against the best fighters. Due to Riyadh Season, the best bouts, for the most valued belts are happening more often than not.
No more ducking, no more breakdown in contract negaotions between broadcasters and promoters. The fights are just being done.
What this means is that there are a lot more top level fights that present the opportunity for a boxer to become either a unified or undisputed champion.
Oleksandr Usyk has written his name into history once again, becoming a two-time undisputed heavyweight champion in the four-belt era after defeating Daniel Dubois .
Putting all of those titles and terms together certainly can be a mouthful. What does unified and undisputed champion mean? What are the differences between the two?
What does it mean to be a unified champion?
A unified champion is one who holds two or more of the major sanctioning titles in a division:
- IBF
- WBA
- WBC
- WBO
What does it mean to be an undisputed champion?
An undisputed champion is a fighter who holds all four major championship belts (IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO) in a division.
Since the four-belt era began in 2004, there has only been one undisputed heavyweight champion. Oleksandr Usyk took that crown in May 2024, when be defeated Tyson Fury on points , and then again this year when he defeated Dubois.
Before that, the last undisputed champion in the heavyweight division was Lennox Lewis back in November 1999, when he defeated Evander Holyfield in their rematch. At the time, there were three major belts (WBC, WBA, IBF).
Here are the historic undisputed champions in men's boxing in the four-belt era:
- Artur Beterbiev (light heavyweight) - Oct. 2024-present
- Oleksandr Usyk (heavyweight) - May 2024-Jun. 2024; Jul. 2024-present
- Naoya Inoue (junior featherweight) - Dec. 2023-present
- Terence Crawford (welterweight) - Jul. 2023-Nov. 2023
- Naoya Inoue (bantamweight) - Dec. 2022-Jan. 2023
- Devin Haney (lightweight) - Jun. 2022-Nov. 2023
- Jermell Charlo (junior middleweight) - May 2022-Nov. 2023
- Canelo Alvarez (super middleweight) - Nov. 2021-Jul. 2024
- Josh Taylor (junior welterweight) - May 2021-Jun. 2023
- Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight) - Jul. 2018-Jun. 2019
- Terence Crawford (junior welterweight) - Aug. 2017-Sept. 2017
- Jermain Taylor (middleweight) - Jul. 2005-Sept. 2007
YUICHI YAMAZAKI/AFP via Getty Images
And here are the women's undisputed champions:
- Seniesa Estrada (strawweight) - Mar. 2024-Oct. 2024
- Katie Taylor (junior welterweight - Nov. 2023
- Savannah Marshall (super middleweight) - Jul. 2023-Dec. 2023
- Alycia Baumgardner (junior lightweight) - Feb. 2023
- Amanda Serrano (featherweight) - Feb. 2023-Dec. 2023
- Chantelle Cameron Junior (welterweight) - Nov. 2022-Nov. 2023
- Franchón Crews-Dezurn (super middleweight) - Apr. 2022-Jul. 2023
- Claressa Shields (junior middleweight) - May 2021
- Jessica McCaskill (welterweight) - Aug. 2020-Nov. 2022
- Katie Taylor (lightweight) - Jun. 2019-Jan. 2024
- Claressa Shields (middleweight) - Apr. 2019-2020
- Cecilia Brækhus (welterweight) - Sept. 2014-Aug. 2020
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