Open Boxing

WBO heavyweight world title

Covers world title bouts since 1989. Current champion: Daniel Dubois, since 9th May 2026.

World title bouts
68
Champions
23
Longest reign (Wladimir Klitschko, 2008–2015)
7 years, 9 months
Most successful defences in one reign (Wladimir Klitschko, 2008–2015)
14

Current champion

Daniel DuboisSince 9th May 2026 · 6 months · 1 successful defence

Reigns and world title bouts

Jan 2022 – Jan 2027

WBO
Oleksandr UsykFabio WardleyDaniel Dubois
AprJulOct2023AprJulOct2024AprJulOct2025AprJulOct2026AprJulOct2027
1990200020102020

World title bout

Reigns by length

  1. 1Wladimir KlitschkoWBO2008–20157 years, 9 months · 14 successful defences
  2. 2Oleksandr UsykWBO2021–20254 years, 1 month · 5 successful defences
  3. 3Wladimir KlitschkoWBO2000–20032 years, 4 months · 5 successful defences
  4. 4Herbie HideWBO1997–19991 year, 11 months · 2 successful defences
  5. 5Lamon BrewsterWBO2004–20061 year, 11 months · 3 successful defences
  6. 6Anthony JoshuaWBO2019–20211 year, 9 months · 1 successful defence
  7. 7Francesco DamianiWBO1989–19911 year, 8 months · 1 successful defence
  8. 8Joseph ParkerWBO2016–20181 year, 3 months · 2 successful defences
  9. 9Anthony JoshuaWBO2018–20191 year, 2 months · 1 successful defence
  10. 10Herbie HideWBO1994–199511 months · 0 successful defences
  11. 11Ray MercerWBO1991–199111 months · 1 successful defence
  12. 12Corrie SandersWBO2003–200410 months · 0 successful defences
  13. 13Tyson FuryWBO2015–201610 months · 0 successful defences
  14. 14Riddick BoweWBO1995–199610 months · 1 successful defence
  15. 15Vitali KlitschkoWBO1999–20009 months · 2 successful defences
  16. 16Sultan IbragimovWBO2007–20088 months · 1 successful defence
  17. 17Michael MoorerWBO1992–19938 months · 0 successful defences
  18. 18Henry AkinwandeWBO1996–19977 months · 2 successful defences
  19. 19Siarhei LiakhovichWBO2006–20067 months · 0 successful defences
  20. 20Shannon BriggsWBO2006–20076 months · 0 successful defences
  21. 21Chris ByrdWBO2000–20006 months · 0 successful defences
  22. 22Daniel DuboisWBO2026–present6 months · 1 successful defence
  23. 23Andy Ruiz JrWBO2019–20196 months · 0 successful defences
  24. 24Fabio WardleyWBO2025–20265 months · 0 successful defences
  25. 25Tommy MorrisonWBO1993–19934 months · 1 successful defence
  26. 26Michael BenttWBO1993–19944 months · 0 successful defences

Timeline of world title events

  1. 1989

  2. Francesco Damiani beats Johnny Du Plooy via knockout 3/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  3. Francesco Damiani beats Daniel Eduardo Neto via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  1. 1991

  2. Ray Mercer beats Francesco Damiani via knockout 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  3. Ray Mercer beats Tommy Morrison via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  4. Ray Mercer’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  5. 1992

  6. Michael Moorer beats Bert Cooper via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  7. 1993

  8. Michael Moorer’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  9. Tommy Morrison beats George Foreman via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  10. Tommy Morrison beats Tim Tomashek via corner retirement 4/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  11. Michael Bentt beats Tommy Morrison via knockout 1/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  12. 1994

  13. Herbie Hide beats Michael Bentt via knockout 7/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  14. 1995

  15. Riddick Bowe beats Herbie Hide via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  16. Riddick Bowe beats Jorge Luis Gonzalez via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  17. 1996

  18. Riddick Bowe’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  19. Henry Akinwande beats Jeremy Williams via knockout 3/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  20. Henry Akinwande beats Alexander Zolkin via knockout 10/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  21. 1997

  22. Henry Akinwande beats Scott Welch via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  23. Henry Akinwande’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  24. Herbie Hide beats Tony Tucker via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  25. 1998

  26. Herbie Hide beats Damon Reed via knockout 1/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  27. Herbie Hide beats Willi Fischer via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  28. 1999

  29. Vitali Klitschko beats Herbie Hide via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  30. Vitali Klitschko beats Ed Mahone via knockout 3/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  31. Vitali Klitschko beats Obed Sullivan via corner retirement 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  1. 2000

  2. Chris Byrd beats Vitali Klitschko via corner retirement 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  3. Wladimir Klitschko beats Chris Byrd via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  4. 2001

  5. Wladimir Klitschko beats Derrick Jefferson via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  6. Wladimir Klitschko beats Charles Shufford via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  7. 2002

  8. Wladimir Klitschko beats Frans Botha via knockout 8/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  9. Wladimir Klitschko beats Ray Mercer via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  10. Wladimir Klitschko beats Jameel McCline via corner retirement 10/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  11. 2003

  12. Corrie Sanders beats Wladimir Klitschko via knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  13. 2004

  14. Corrie Sanders’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  15. Lamon Brewster beats Wladimir Klitschko via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  16. Lamon Brewster beats Kali Meehan via split decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  17. 2005

  18. Lamon Brewster beats Andrew Golota via knockout 1/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  19. Lamon Brewster beats Luan Krasniqi via knockout 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  20. 2006

  21. Siarhei Liakhovich beats Lamon Brewster via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  22. Shannon Briggs beats Siarhei Liakhovich via knockout 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  23. 2007

  24. Sultan Ibragimov beats Shannon Briggs via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  25. Sultan Ibragimov beats Evander Holyfield via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  26. 2008

  27. Wladimir Klitschko beats Sultan Ibragimov via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · IBF and WBONew WBO champion

  28. Wladimir Klitschko beats Tony Thompson via knockout 11/12

    Heavyweight · IBF and WBO

  29. Wladimir Klitschko beats Hasim Rahman via knockout 7/12

    Heavyweight · IBF and WBO

  30. 2009

  31. Wladimir Klitschko beats Ruslan Chagaev via corner retirement 9/12

    Heavyweight · IBF, WBO and The Ring

  1. 2010

  2. Wladimir Klitschko beats Eddie Chambers via knockout 12/12

    Heavyweight · IBF, WBO and The Ring

  3. Wladimir Klitschko beats Samuel Peter via knockout 10/12

    Heavyweight · IBF, WBO and The Ring

  4. 2011

  5. Wladimir Klitschko beats David Haye via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  6. 2012

  7. Wladimir Klitschko beats Jean Marc Mormeck via knockout 4/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  8. Wladimir Klitschko beats Tony Thompson via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  9. Wladimir Klitschko beats Mariusz Wach via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  10. 2013

  11. Wladimir Klitschko beats Francesco Pianeta via knockout 6/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  12. Wladimir Klitschko beats Alexander Povetkin via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  13. 2014

  14. Wladimir Klitschko beats Alex Leapai via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  15. Wladimir Klitschko beats Kubrat Pulev via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  16. 2015

  17. Wladimir Klitschko beats Bryant Jennings via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  18. Tyson Fury beats Wladimir Klitschko via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The RingNew WBO champion

    Source: Tyson Fury beats Wladimir Klitschko to become world champion(opens in a new tab), BBC Sport, Ben Dirs,

    1 more reference

  19. 2016

  20. Tyson Fury’s reign as the WBO heavyweight world champion ends

    Heavyweight · WBO

  21. Joseph Parker beats Andy Ruiz Jr via majority decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

  22. 2017

  23. Joseph Parker beats Razvan Cojanu via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  24. Joseph Parker beats Hughie Fury via majority decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

  25. 2018

  26. Anthony Joshua beats Joseph Parker via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBONew WBO champion

  27. Anthony Joshua beats Alexander Povetkin via knockout 7/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBO

  28. 2019

  29. Andy Ruiz Jr beats Anthony Joshua via knockout 7/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBONew WBO champion

  30. Anthony Joshua beats Andy Ruiz Jr via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBONew WBO champion

  1. 2020

  2. Anthony Joshua beats Kubrat Pulev via knockout 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBO

  3. 2021

  4. Oleksandr Usyk beats Anthony Joshua via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF and WBONew WBO champion

  5. 2022

  6. Oleksandr Usyk beats Anthony Joshua via split decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  7. 2023

  8. Oleksandr Usyk beats Daniel Dubois via knockout 9/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  9. 2024

  10. Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury via split decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring

  11. Oleksandr Usyk beats Tyson Fury via unanimous decision 12/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, WBC, WBO and The Ring

  12. 2025

  13. Oleksandr Usyk beats Daniel Dubois via knockout 5/12

    Heavyweight · WBA Super, WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring

    Source: Usyk knocks out Dubois to become undisputed heavyweight champion(opens in a new tab), ESPN, Nick Parkinson,

  14. Oleksandr Usyk vacates the WBO heavyweight world title

    Heavyweight · WBO

    Source: Heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk vacates WBO world title as Fabio Wardley elevated(opens in a new tab), ESPN, James Regan,

    Fabio Wardley becomes the WBO heavyweight world champion

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

    Source: Wardley becomes WBO heavyweight champion after Usyk vacates belt(opens in a new tab), The Guardian, PA Media,

  15. 2026

  16. Daniel Dubois beats Fabio Wardley via technical knockout 11/12

    Heavyweight · WBONew champion

    Source: Daniel Dubois stops Fabio Wardley in bloody epic to win WBO heavyweight title(opens in a new tab), The Guardian, Donald McRae,

  17. Daniel Dubois beats Fabio Wardley via technical knockout 2/12

    Heavyweight · WBO

    Source: Dubois retains WBO heavyweight title with brutal second-round stoppage of Wardley(opens in a new tab), Fox Sports, Associated Press,