Open Boxing

WBO super middleweight world title

Covers world title bouts since 1988. Vacant since 18th Sep 2026.

World title bouts
89
Champions
13
Longest reign (Joe Calzaghe, 1997–2008)
10 years, 11 months
Most successful defences in one reign (Joe Calzaghe, 1997–2008)
21

Current champion

VacantSince 18th Sep 2026

Upcoming world title bouts

  1. Jacob Bank v Zhanibek Alimkhanuly

    Super Middleweight · WBO

Reigns and world title bouts

Mar 2022 – Mar 2027

WBO
Canelo AlvarezSheeraz
AprJulOct2023AprJulOct2024AprJulOct2025AprJulOct2026AprJulOct2027
1990200020102020

World title boutScheduled

Reigns by length

  1. 1Joe CalzagheWBO1997–200810 years, 11 months · 21 successful defences
  2. 2Canelo AlvarezWBO2021–20254 years, 4 months · 7 successful defences
  3. 3Chris EubankWBO1991–19953 years, 5 months · 12 successful defences
  4. 4Gilberto RamirezWBO2016–20193 years, 1 month · 5 successful defences
  5. 5Robert StieglitzWBO2009–20123 years · 6 successful defences
  6. 6Steve CollinsWBO1995–19972 years, 3 months · 7 successful defences
  7. 7Arthur AbrahamWBO2014–20162 years, 1 month · 5 successful defences
  8. 8Billy Joe SaundersWBO2019–20211 year, 11 months · 2 successful defences
  9. 9Thomas HearnsWBO1988–19901 year, 5 months · 1 successful defence
  10. 10Robert StieglitzWBO2013–201411 months · 2 successful defences
  11. 11Karoly BalzsayWBO2009–20097 months · 1 successful defence
  12. 12Arthur AbrahamWBO2012–20136 months · 1 successful defence
  13. 13Hamzah SheerazWBO2026–20263 months · 1 successful defence
  14. 14Denis InkinWBO2008–20093 months · 0 successful defences
  15. 15Terence CrawfordWBO2025–20253 months · 0 successful defences

Timeline of world title events

  1. 1988

  2. Thomas Hearns beats James Kinchen via majority decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  3. 1989

  4. Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns draw via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBC and WBO

  1. 1990

  2. Thomas Hearns beats Michael Olajide via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  3. 1991

  4. Chris Eubank beats Michael Watson via knockout 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  5. 1992

  6. Chris Eubank beats Thulani Malinga via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  7. Chris Eubank beats John Jarvis via knockout 3/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  8. Chris Eubank beats Ron Essett via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  9. Chris Eubank beats Tony Thornton via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  10. Chris Eubank beats Juan Carlos Gimenez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  11. 1993

  12. Chris Eubank beats Lindell Holmes via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  13. Chris Eubank and Ray Close draw via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  14. Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn draw via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBC and WBO

  15. 1994

  16. Chris Eubank beats Graciano Rocchigiani via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  17. Chris Eubank beats Ray Close via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  18. Chris Eubank beats Mauricio Amaral via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  19. Chris Eubank beats Sam Storey via knockout 7/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  20. Chris Eubank beats Dan Schommer via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  21. Chris Eubank beats Henry Wharton via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  22. 1995

  23. Steve Collins beats Chris Eubank via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  24. Steve Collins beats Chris Eubank via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  25. Steve Collins beats Cornelius Carr via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  26. 1996

  27. Steve Collins beats Neville Brown via knockout 11/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  28. Steve Collins beats Nigel Benn via knockout 4/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  29. Steve Collins beats Nigel Benn via corner retirement 6/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  30. 1997

  31. Steve Collins beats Frederic Seillier via knockout 5/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  32. Steve Collins beats Craig Cummings via knockout 3/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  33. Joe Calzaghe beats Chris Eubank via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  34. 1998

  35. Joe Calzaghe beats Branko Sobot via knockout 3/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  36. Joe Calzaghe beats Juan Carlos Gimenez via corner retirement 9/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  37. 1999

  38. Joe Calzaghe beats Robin Reid via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  39. Joe Calzaghe beats Rick Thornberry via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  1. 2000

  2. Joe Calzaghe beats David Starie via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  3. Joe Calzaghe beats Omar Sheika via knockout 5/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  4. Joe Calzaghe beats Richie Woodhall via knockout 10/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  5. 2001

  6. Joe Calzaghe beats Mario Veit via knockout 1/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  7. Joe Calzaghe beats Will McIntyre via knockout 4/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  8. 2002

  9. Joe Calzaghe beats Charles Brewer via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  10. Joe Calzaghe beats Miguel Angel Jimenez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  11. Joe Calzaghe beats Tocker Pudwill via knockout 2/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  12. 2003

  13. Joe Calzaghe beats Byron Mitchell via knockout 2/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  14. 2004

  15. Joe Calzaghe beats Mger Mkrtchyan via knockout 7/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  16. Joe Calzaghe beats Kabary Salem via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  17. 2005

  18. Joe Calzaghe beats Mario Veit via knockout 6/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  19. Joe Calzaghe beats Evans Ashira via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  20. 2006

  21. Joe Calzaghe beats Jeff Lacy via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · IBF, WBO and The Ring

  22. Joe Calzaghe beats Sakio Bika via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · IBF, WBO and The Ring

  23. 2007

  24. Joe Calzaghe beats Peter Manfredo via knockout 3/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO and The Ring

  25. Joe Calzaghe beats Mikkel Kessler via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBA Super, WBC, WBO and The Ring

  26. 2008

  27. Joe Calzaghe’s reign as the WBO super middleweight world champion ends

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  28. Denis Inkin beats Fulgencio Zuniga via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  29. 2009

  30. Karoly Balzsay beats Denis Inkin via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  31. Karoly Balzsay beats Maselino Masoe via knockout 11/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  32. Robert Stieglitz beats Karoly Balzsay via corner retirement 10/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  1. 2010

  2. Robert Stieglitz beats Ruben Eduardo Acosta via knockout 5/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  3. Robert Stieglitz beats Eduard Gutknecht via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  4. Robert Stieglitz beats Enrique Ornelas via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  5. 2011

  6. Robert Stieglitz beats Khoren Gevor via disqualification 10/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  7. 2012

  8. Robert Stieglitz beats Henry Weber via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  9. Robert Stieglitz beats Nader Hamdan via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  10. Arthur Abraham beats Robert Stieglitz via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  11. Arthur Abraham beats Mehdi Bouadla via knockout 8/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  12. 2013

  13. Robert Stieglitz beats Arthur Abraham via corner retirement 3/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  14. Robert Stieglitz beats Yuzo Kiyota via knockout 10/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  15. Robert Stieglitz beats Isaac Ekpo via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  16. 2014

  17. Arthur Abraham beats Robert Stieglitz via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  18. Arthur Abraham beats Nikola Sjekloca via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  19. Arthur Abraham beats Paul Smith via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  20. 2015

  21. Arthur Abraham beats Paul Smith via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  22. Arthur Abraham beats Robert Stieglitz via knockout 6/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  23. Arthur Abraham beats Martin Murray via split decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  24. 2016

  25. Gilberto Ramirez beats Arthur Abraham via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  26. 2017

  27. Gilberto Ramirez beats Maksym Bursak via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  28. Gilberto Ramirez beats Jesse Hart via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  29. 2018

  30. Gilberto Ramirez beats Habib Ahmed via knockout 6/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  31. Gilberto Ramirez beats Roamer Alexis Angulo via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  32. Gilberto Ramirez beats Jesse Hart via majority decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  33. 2019

  34. Gilberto Ramirez’s reign as the WBO super middleweight world champion ends

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  35. Billy Joe Saunders beats Shefat Isufi via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

  36. Billy Joe Saunders beats Marcelo Esteban Coceres via knockout 11/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  1. 2020

  2. Billy Joe Saunders beats Martin Murray via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

  3. 2021

  4. Canelo Alvarez beats Billy Joe Saunders via corner retirement 8/12

    Super Middleweight · WBA Super, WBC, WBO and The RingNew WBO champion

  5. Canelo Alvarez beats Caleb Plant via technical knockout 11/12

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

  6. 2022

  7. Canelo Alvarez beats Gennadiy Golovkin via unanimous decision 12/12

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

  8. 2023

  9. Canelo Alvarez beats John Ryder via unanimous decision 12/12

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

  10. Canelo Alvarez beats Jermell Charlo via unanimous decision 12/12

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

  11. 2024

  12. Canelo Alvarez beats Jaime Munguia via unanimous decision 12/12

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

  13. Canelo Alvarez beats Edgar Berlanga via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBA Super, WBC, WBO and The Ring

  14. 2025

  15. Canelo Alvarez beats William Scull via unanimous decision 12/12

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

  16. Terence Crawford beats Canelo Alvarez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBA Super, WBC, IBF, WBO and The RingNew WBO champion

    Source: Terence 'Bud' Crawford makes history with victory over Canelo Alvarez(opens in a new tab), AP via WOWT,

  17. Terence Crawford’s reign as the WBO super middleweight world champion ends

    Super Middleweight · WBO

    Source: WBO Joins WBC: Super Middleweight Titles Vacant, Contenders in Play(opens in a new tab), World Boxing News, Phil Jay,

  18. 2026

  19. Hamzah Sheeraz beats Alem Begic via knockout 2/12

    Super Middleweight · WBONew champion

    Source: Britain's Sheeraz stops Begic in world title mismatch(opens in a new tab), BBC Sport, Kal Sajad,

  20. Hamzah Sheeraz beats Simon Zachenhuber via majority decision 12/12

    Super Middleweight · WBO

    Source: Hamzah Sheeraz escapes with narrow points win, while Josh Kelly overcomes horror gash to his nose in Saudi Arabia(opens in a new tab), Sky Sports,

  21. Hamzah Sheeraz’s reign as the WBO super middleweight world champion ends

    Super Middleweight · WBO

    Source: Hamzah Sheeraz no longer world champion after final decision on ‘corrupt’ mandatory fight(opens in a new tab), Boxing News, Kerr Ferguson,

  22. 2027