Which heavyweight title lineage do you consider the most prestigious?

[N/A]

wba world heavyweight champions (1962-present)
floyd patterson
sonny liston
muhammad ali (stripped)
ernie terrell
muhammad ali (stripped)
jimmy ellis
joe frazier
george foreman
muhammad ali
leon spinks
muhammad ali (vacated)
john tate
mike weaver
michael dokes
gerrie coetzee
greg page
tony tubbs
tim witherspoon
bonecrusher smith
mike tyson
buster douglas
evander holyfield
rid**** bowe
evander holyfield
michael moorer
george foreman (stripped)
bruce seldon
mike tyson
evander holyfield
lennox lewis (stripped)
evander holyfield
john ruiz
roy jones jr. (vacated)
john ruiz
nikolai valuev
ruslan chagaev (stripped)
nikolai valuev
david haye (vacated)
alexander povetkin (vacated)
ruslan chagaev (stripped)
manuel charr


wbc world heavyweight champions (1963-present)
sonny liston
muhammad ali (stripped)
joe frazier
george foreman
muhammad ali
leon spinks (stripped)
ken norton
larry holmes (vacated)
tim witherspoon
pinklon thomas
trevor berbick
mike tyson
buster douglas
evander holyfield
rid**** bowe (stripped)
lennox lewis
oliver mccall
frank bruno
mike tyson (vacated)
lennox lewis
hasim rahman
lennox lewis (vacated)
vitali klitschko (vacated)
hasim rahman
oleg maskaev
samuel peter
vitali klitschko (vacated)
bermane stiverne
deontay wilder


ibf world heavyweight champions (1983-present)
larry holmes
michael spinks (stripped)
tony tucker
mike tyson
buster douglas
evander holyfield
rid**** bowe
evander holyfield
michael moorer
george foreman (vacated)
francois botha (stripped)
michael moorer
evander holyfield
lennos lewis
hasim rahman
lennox lewis (vacated)
chris byrd
wladimir klitschko
tyson fury (stripped)
charles martin
anthony joshua
andy ruiz jr.


wbo world heavyweight champions (1989-present)
francesco damiani
ray mercer (stripped)
michael moorer (vacated)
tommy morrison
michael bentt
herbie hide
rid**** bowe (vacated)
henry akinwande (vacated)
herbie hide
vitali klitschko
chris byrd
wladimir klitschko
corrie sanders (vacated)
lamon brewster
sergey liakhovich
shannon briggs
sultan ibragimov
wladimir klitschko
tyson fury (vacated)
joseph parker
anthony joshua
andy ruiz jr.


super wba world heavyweight champions (2011-present)
wladimir klitschko
tyson fury (vacated)
anthony joshua
andy ruiz jr.

[_Rexy_]

we only doing ABC titles? Not gonna throw down the Ring belt? Still means a lot to a lot of people.

[N/A]

we only doing ABC titles? Not gonna throw down the Ring belt? Still means a lot to a lot of people.

Ring Magazine is a magazine, not a boxing league. The mythical lineal title still means a lot to a lot of people, but Ring Magazine has confirmed many times that their title no longer has anything to do with the lineal title. Ring Magazine is now owned by a boxing promoter, who changed the rules to favor his interests, eliminating any association with the lineal title. Further, Ring Magazine didn't recognize a heavyweight champion between 1988 and 2002. They also haven't recognized a heavyweight champion the past two years. Hard to analyze historical lineage when a magazine so inconsistently decides whether to recognize champions or not.

[NORMNEALON]

Definately gonna be between wba and wbc due to longevity imo . Ibf has a good roster but misses a few eras. I dunno man this is a good post . I'll have to do some serious thinking to honestly answer this

[Articulateboxin]

I think the WBA for me, mostly because of very selfish reasons! I think Ali became infamous on his beatdown of Terrell for the WBA (and WBC) titles and it was also the HW title that Jones won I found that quite a remarkable feat, even if he wasn't beating the very best HW around.

As a side note, you have john ruiz on there twice and no klitchko / aj

[N/A]

I think the WBA for me, mostly because of very selfish reasons! I think Ali became infamous on his beatdown of Terrell for the WBA (and WBC) titles and it was also the HW title that Jones won I found that quite a remarkable feat, even if he wasn't beating the very best HW around.

Both examples you listed actually hurt the WBA's prestige in my opinion. The WBC lineage is Liston, Ali, Frazier. The WBA's is Liston, Ali, Terrell, Ali, Ellis, Frazier.

If the WBA wasn't so quick to strip Ali and wasn't so quick to crown undeserving champions, you wouldn't have all of those extra reigns.

As for Roy Jones, yes it's impressive that he won a heavyweight title, but it also shows what a joke the WBA had become by then. John Ruiz was terrible and is a two time WBA world heavyweight champion. Ridiculous.

As a side note, you have john ruiz on there twice and no klitchko / aj

Ruiz won the WBA title twice. As for Klitschko and AJ, they won the Super WBA title and are listed with the Super WBA champions underneath the WBO in my post.

[NORMNEALON]

I only had 15 min to review the lists and I think it's really close. Very close lists between the wb and wbc these two are way ahead imo . I roke it down into 4 eras so it was easier to analyze .I thought the first era ( liston to alis second reign ) the wba took it , they had a few more great fighters rep them as champ . The second era ( spinks thru tyson ) I have to go with the wbc . Less fighters but more quality ones . The third era ( tyson thru lewis second reign ) I have to give to the wba . Just more top names there. The fourth era ( post lewis gets a little more complicated .....if I include the super title in the wba rankings I give it to them , but just comparing the wba and wbc lineages listed i have to go with the wbc ).....so that's 2 a peice broken down into 4 "eras "going off your lists posted ( however I would have 3-1 wba if I included the super champs in the lineage and removed the bogus regular titles etc , which is how it should be imo ). . That being said I think the wba has the most impressive lineage going off the way I see things ( not recognizing regular champs unless under special circumstance ). However based off these lists I vote a tie between wba and wbc for number one , then ibf then wbo . .....this was a fairly basic breakdown I did not include details of the wins ( eg. Significance ,both opponents age , this could get alot more technical but that is another day lol), and I did it off the top of my head based off the original post . Fun times. Good post . Iam sure I'll be back .

[NORMNEALON]

My last post being said if I where to go off quality over quantity opposed to who has more worthy names on their list I would be picking the wbc ....so much criteria to consider really . Again .good post

[Articulateboxin]

Both examples you listed actually hurt the WBA's prestige in my opinion. The WBC lineage is Liston, Ali, Frazier. The WBA's is Liston, Ali, Terrell, Ali, Ellis, Frazier.

If the WBA wasn't so quick to strip Ali and wasn't so quick to crown undeserving champions, you wouldn't have all of those extra reigns.

Well I thought he was stripped because he refused to enlist in the war? He would have been stripped of every belt, that isn't a WBA thing is it? (please correct me if i'm wrong)

Ruiz won the WBA title twice. As for Klitschko and AJ, they won the Super WBA title and are listed with the Super WBA champions underneath the WBO in my post.

Ahhhh, I hope you edit this list if and when WBC make Wilder Franchise

[famicommander]

The lineal title is the only one that matters and it is presently vacant.