Several fighters throughout boxing history have built their legacies on longevity rather than short title runs. When measured by successful world title defenses, a small group stand well apart from the rest.
At heavyweight, Joe Louis remains the benchmark. The Detroit native has defended the world title 25 times, a record that has never been threatened in the division. Close behind is Wladimir Klitschko, who recorded 23 defenses during his long reign, followed by Larry Holmes with 20 and Muhammad Ali with 19.
Across all divisions, Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. sits. near the top with 29 successful defenses, spread over several weight classes. Argentina’s Omar Narvaez followed close behind with 27 defenses across the flyweight and super flyweight divisions.
Mexico’s Ricardo Lopez made 24 defenses during his time as a bantamweight and light flyweight champion. A group of fighters reached 23 defense points, including Dariusz Michalczewski, Floyd Mayweather Jr., and Gennadiy Golovkin.
Several champions finished just below this mark. Virgil Hill recorded 22 saves, while Sven Ottke, Joe Calzaghe, Bernard Hopkins and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam each finished with 21.
Among female fighters, the record belongs to Regina Halmich, who racked up an extraordinary 44 title defenses across various flyweight divisions. Former welterweight champion Cecilia Braekhus also had a historic run, finishing with 25 saves.
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Last updated on 16/01/2026
