By Ken Hissner: Looking over a list that the International Boxing Organization puts out the following are the countries where the champions are from:
The United States leads the list with 12. Japan is next with 7.
Mexico has 6. The Philippines has 4. The United Kingdom has 3. Ukraine has 3. France has 2. Russia has 2. Thailand has 2. Argentina has 2. The Philippines has 2. Kazakhstan has 1. Spain has 1. has 1. Venezuela has 1. South Africa has 1. Nicaragua has 1. Latvia has 1. Australia has 1, Cuba living in the US has 1.
There are champions like Super Middleweight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico and Super Lightweight Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor of Scotland, UK, with four belts being the only two unified champions. Taylor will be moving up to welterweight and that will free up four belts.
There are champions born in one country living in another. There are champions from outside the US and Canada living there along with those who have homes in two countries. www.boxrec.com info for their residence.
Heavyweight: WBC Champion Tyson “The Gypsy King” Tyson, 30-0-1 (22), from Manchester, United Kingdom, and Henderson, Nevada. WBA, WBO, IBF, and IBO Champion Okesandr Usyk, 19-0 (13), from Shypyntsi, Ukraine, and Oxnard, California.
Cruiserweight: IBF Champion Mairis Briedis, 28-1 (20), from Riga, Latvia. WBA Champion Arsen “Feroz” Goulamirian, 26-0 (18), from Yerevan, Armenia, and Big Bear Lake, California. WBC Champion Ilunga Junior Makabu, 29-2 (25), from Kanaga, Democratic Republic Of The Congo, and Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa. WBO Champion Lawrence “The Sauce” Okolie, 18-0 (14), from Hackney, London, United Kingdom.
Light Heavyweight: WBC and IBF Champion Artur Beterbiev, 17-0 (17), of Kayhasavyurt, Russia, and Montreal, Canada. WBA Champion Dmitry Bivol, 19-0 (11), from Tokmak, Kyrgyzstan and St. Petersburg, Russia. WBO Champion Joe Smith, Jr., 28-3 (22), from Long Island, New York, US.
Super Middleweight: WBA, WBO, IBF and WBC Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 57-1-2 (39), from Guadalajara, Mexico.
Middleweight: WBC Champion Jermall “Hit Man” Charlo, 32-0 (22), from Houston, Texas. IBF and IBO Champion Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin, 41-1-1 (36), from Karaganda, Kazakhstan, and Los Angeles, California. WBA champion Ryota Murata, 16-2 (13), from Tokyo, Japan. WBO Champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, 31-0 (19), from Providence, Rhode Island, US.
Super Welterweight: WBA, WBC, and IBF Champion Jermell “Iron Man” Charlo, 34-1-1 (18), from Houston, Texas, US. WBO Champion Brian “El Boxi” Castano, 17-0-2 (12), from Isidro, Casanova, Bueno Aires, Argentina.
Welterweight: WBO Champion Terence “Bud” Crawford, 38-0 (29), from Omaha, Nebraska. WBC and IBF Champion Errol “The Truth” Spence, Jr., 27-0 (21), from Desoto, Texas, US. WBA Champion Yordenis “54 Milagros” Ugas, 27-4 (12), from Santiago de Cuba, Cuba and Miami, Florida, US.
Super Lightweight: Josh “The Tartan Tornado” Taylor, 19-0 (13), Haddington, Scotland, UK.
Lightweight: WBA, WBO, and IBF Champion George “Ferocious” Kambosos, Jr., 20-0 (10), from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. WBC Champion Devin “The Dream” Haney, 27-0 (15), from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Super Featherweight: WBC Champion Oscar Valdez, 30-0 (23), from Sonora, Mexico. WBO Champion Shakur “Fearless” Stevenson, 17-0 (9), from Alexandria, Virginia. IBF Kenichi Ogawa, 26-1-1 (18), from Tokyo, Japan, WBA Roger “The Kid” Gutierrez, 26-3-1 (20), from Maracaibo, Venezuela.
Featherweight: WBO Champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, 35-1 (29), from San Juan Zitlaltepic, Distrito Federal, Mexico. WBA Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz, 38-2-1 (19), from Huetamo, Michoacan, Mexico. IBF Champion Kiko “La Sensacion” Martinez, 43-10-2 (10), from Alicante Comuidad, Valenciana, Spain. WBC Champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo, 24-0 (16), from Rizal, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Super Bantamweight: WBC and WBO Champion Stephen “Cool Boy Steph” Fulton, 20-0 (8), from Philadelphia, PA, US. WBA and IBF Champion Murodjon “MJ” Akhmadaliev, 10-0 (7), from Chust, Uzbekistan, and Indio, California. IBO Champion Ludumo “9mm” Lamari, 18-0-1 (10), from Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Bantamweight: WBA and IBF Champion Naoya Inoue, 22-0 (19), from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. WBC Champion Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire, 42-6 (28), from Talibon, Bohol, Philippines and Las Vegas, Nevada, US. WBO Champion John “Quadro Alas” Riel Casimero, 31-4 (21), from Ormoc City, Leyte, Philippines.
Super Flyweight: WBA Champion Juan “El Gallo” Francisco Estrada, 42-3 (28), from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. IBF Champion Fernando “Pumita” Martinez, 14-0 (8), from Bueno Aires, Distrito Federal, Argentina. WBC Champion Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez Franco, 15-0 (10), from San Antonio, Texas, US. WBO Champion Kazuto Ioka, 28-2 (15), from Tokyo, Japan.
Flyweight: IBF Champion Sunny “Showtime” Edwards, 17-0 (4), from Croydon, London, UK. WBA Champion Artem Dalakian, 21-0 (15), from Baku, Azerbaijan, and Kyiv, Ukraine. WBC Champion Julio “El Rey” Cesar Martinez, 18-2 (14), from Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. WBO Champion Junto Nakatani, 22-0 (17), from Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan.
Light Flyweight: WBC Champion Masamichi Yabuki, 13-3 (12), from Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. IBF Champion Felix “El Gemelo” Alvarado, 37-2 (32), from Managua, Nicaragua. WBA Champion Hiroto Kyoguchi, 15-0 (10), from Tokyo, Japan. WBO Champion Jonathan “Bomba” Gonzalez, 25-3-1 (14), from Bronx, New York and Caguas, Puerto Rico.
Minimumweight: WBC Champion Panya “Petchmanee CP Freshmart” Pradabsri, 37-1 (23), from Bangkok, Thailand. IBF Champion Rene “Mighty Mouse” Mark Cuarto, 20-2-2 (11), from Jose Dalman (Ponot), Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines.
WBA Thammanoon “Knockout CP Freshmart” Niyomtrong, 23-0 (9), from Surin, Thailand. WBO Champion Masataka Taniguchi, 15-3 (10), from Tokyo, Japan. IBO Champion Ayanda Ndulani, 12-2-1 (4), from East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.