| 1867–72 | Tom Chandler |
| 1872–81 | George Rooke |
| 1881–82 | Mike Donovan1 |
| 1884–91 | Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey |
| 1891–97 | Bob Fitzsimmons2 |
| 1908 | Stanley Ketchel,
Billy Papke |
| 1908–10 | Stanley Ketchel3 |
| 1913 | Frank Klaus |
| 1913–14 | George Chip |
| 1914–17 | Al McCoy |
| 1917–20 | Mike O'Dowd |
| 1920–23 | Johnny Wilson |
| 1923–26 | Harry Greb |
| 1926 | Tiger Flowers |
| 1926–31 | Mickey Walker2 |
| 1931–41 | Gorilla Jones, Ben Jeby, Marcel Thil, Lou Brouillard, Vince Dundee, Teddy Yarosz, Babe Risko, Freddy Steele, Al Hostak, Solly Kreiger, Fred Apostoli, Cerferino Garcia, Ken Overlin, Billy Soose, Tony Zale4 |
| 1941–47 | Tony Zale |
| 1947–48 | Rocky Graziano |
| 1948 | Tony Zale |
| 1948–49 | Marcel Cerdan |
| 1949–51 | Jake LaMotta |
| 1951–52 | Ray Robinson1 |
| 1952 | Ray Robinson,
Randy Turpin |
| 1953–55 | Carl Olson |
| 1955–57 | Ray Robinson5 |
| 1957 | Gene Fullmer,
Ray Robinson |
| 1957–58 | Carmen Basilio |
| 1958–60 | Ray Robinson6 |
| 1959–62 | Gene Fullmer (NBA) |
| 1960–61 | Paul Pender7 |
| 1961–62 | Terry Downes1 |
| 1962 | Paul Pender1 |
| 1962–63 | Dick Tiger |
| 1963–65 | Joey Giardello |
| 1965–66 | Dick Tiger |
| 1966 | Emile Griffith |
| 1967 | Nino Benvenuti,
Emile Griffith |
| 1968 | Emile Griffith,
Nino Benvenuti |
| 1969 | Nino Benvenuti |
| 1970 | Nino Benvenuti,
Carlos Monzon |
| 1971–73 | Carlos Monzon |
| 1974–75 | Carlos Monzon (WBA),
Rodrigo Valdez (WBC) |
| 1976 | Carlos Monzon (WBA, WBC),
Rodrigo Valdez (WBC) |
| 1977 | Carlos Monzon (WBA, WBC),1
Rodrigo Valdez (WBA, WBC) |
| 1978 | Rodrigo Valdez,
Hugo Corro |
| 1979 | Hugo Corro,
Vito Antuofermo |
| 1980 | Vito Antuofermo,
Alan Minter,
Marvin Hagler |
| 1981 | Marvin Hagler |
| 1982–86 | Marvin Hagler (undisputed) |
| 1987 | Marvin Hagler (undisputed),
Sugar Ray Leonard (undisputed) |
| 1988 | Sumbu Kalambay (WBA),
Thomas Hearns (WBC),
Iran Barkley (WBC),
Frank Tate (IBF),
Michael Nunn (IBF),
James Kinchen (NABF) |
| 1989 | Michael Nunn (IBF),
Mike McCallum (WBA),
Iran Barkley (WBC),
Roberto Duran (WBC) |
| 1990 | Michael McCallum (WBA),
Michael Nunn (IBF),
Iran Barkley (WBC) |
| 1991 | Michael Nunn (IBF),
James Toney (IBF),
Michael McCallum (WBA) |
| 1992 | James Toney (IBF),
Julian Jackson (WBC),
Reggie Johnson (WBA) |
| 1993 | Reggie Johnson (WBA),
Gerald McClellan (WBA),
Roy Jones (IBF) |
| 1994 | Julian Jackson (WBA),
Gerald McClellan (WBA),
Roy Jones (IBF) |
| 1995 | Jorge Castro (WBA),
Julian Jackson (WBC),
Bernard Hopkins (IBF) |
| 1996 | William Joppy (WBA),
Keith Holmes (WBC),
Bernard Hopkins (IBF) |
| 1997 | Shinji Takehara (WBA),
Quincy Taylor (WBC),
Bernard Hopkins (IBF) |
| 1998 | William Joppy (WBA),
Hassine Cherifi (WBC),
Bernard Hopkins (IBF) |
1999–
2000 | William Joppy (WBA),
Keith Holmes (WBC),
Bernard Hopkins (IBF) |
| 2001 | Felix Trinidad (WBA),
Bernard Hopkins (WBC, IBF) |
| 2002 | William Joppy (WBA),
Bernard Hopkins (WBC, IBF) |
| 2003–04 | Bernard Hopkins (WBA, WBC, IBF) |
| 2005 | Maselino Masoe (WBA), Jermain Taylor (WBC, IBF) |
1. Retired.
2. Abandoned title.
3. Died.
4. National Boxing Association and New York Commission disagreed on champions. Those listed were accepted by one or the other until Zale gained world-wide recognition.
5. Ended retirement in 1954.
6. NBA withdrew recognition.
7. Recognized by New York, Massachusetts, and Europe.
