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Home » Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Calzaghe or Nigel Benn – WBC TBE at 168?

Sugar Ray Leonard, Joe Calzaghe or Nigel Benn – WBC TBE at 168?

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The World Boxing Council has revealed their top super-middleweight champions of all-time as the likes of Sugar Ray Leonard and Joe Calzaghe top their thinking.

Each time a WBC title defense goes off at a certain weight, the WBC pull out their all-time list. The recent David Benavidez vs Alexis Angulo fight was no different.

WBC chiefs put out the information of who is the best ever at whatever poundage is happening. This time around it was a 168.

So who is The Best Ever super-middleweight for the WBC? – Well, it happens to be their first-ever champ at that weight in Leonard.

Calzaghe is at number two, with his compatriot Nigel Benn at three.

WBC SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS

1. Ray Leonard (US) 1988 – 1990
2. Mauro Galvano (Italy) 1990 – 1992
3. Nigel Benn (GB) 1992 – 1996
4. Thulane Malinga (S. Afr) 1996
5. Vincenzo Nardiello (Ita) 1996
6. Robin Reid (GB) 1996 – 1997
7. Thulane Malinga (S. Afr) * 1997 – 1998
8. Richie Woodhall (GB) 1998 – 1999
9. Markus Beyer (Germany) 1999 – 2000
10. Glenn Catley (GB) 2000
11. Dingaan Thobela (S. Afr) 2000
12. Dave Hilton (Can) 2000
13. Eric Lucas (Can) 2001 – 2003
14. Markus Beyer (Germany) * 2003 – 2004
15. Danny Green (Australia) Interim 2003 – 2005
16. Cristian Sanavia (Italy) 2004
17. Markus Beyer (Germany) * 2004 – 2006
18. Mikkel Kessler (Den) 2006 – 2007
19. Joe Calzaghe (GB) 2007
20. Carl Froch (GB) 2008 – 2010
21. Mikkel Kessler (Den) * (Emeritus) 2010

POST-2010

22. Carl Froch (GB) * 2010 – 2011
23. Andre Ward (US) 2011 – 2012
24. Sakio Bika (Cameroon) 2013
25. Anthony Dirrell (US) 2014 – 2015
26. Badou Jack (Sweden-US) 2015 – 2017
27. David Benavidez (US) 2017 – 2018
28. Anthony Dirrell (US) * 2019
29. David Benavidez (US)* 2019 –
* Regained

WBC TOP 10 SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT CHAMPIONS

1. Sugar Ray Leonard (US)
2. Joe Calzaghe (GB)
3. Nigel Benn (GB)
4. Andre Ward (US)
5. Markus Beyer (Germany)
6. Carl Froch (GB)
7. Mikkel Kessler (Denmark)
8. Robin Reid (GB)
9. Danny Green (Australia)
10. Eric Lucas (Canada)

GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY

23 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, five of whom have regained the title: Thulane Malinga (S. Africa), Markus Beyer two times (Germany), Carl Froch (GB), Anthony Dirrell (US), David Benavidez (US).

68 super middleweight world championships bouts have been sanctioned in the history of the WBC.
This will be the 26th super middleweight world title bout held in the United States in WBC history.

MEMORABLE FIGHTS

Sep. 28, 2019 David Benavidez KO9 Anthony Dirrell – Los Angeles, California
Feb. 23, 2019, Anthony Dirrell TW10 Avni Yildirim – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Feb. 17, 2018 David Benavidez W12 Ronald Gavril – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 8, 2017 David Benavidez W12 Ronald Gavril – Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan. 14, 2017 Badou Jack D12 James DeGale – Brooklyn, New York
Apr. 30, 2016 Badou Jack D12 Lucian Bute – Washington, D.C.
Sep. 9, 2015, Badou Jack W12 George Groves – Las Vegas, Nevada
Apr. 24, 2015 Badou Jack W12 Anthony Dirrell – Chicago, Illinois
Aug. 16, 2014, Anthony Dirrell W12 Sakio Bika – Carson, California
Sep. 8, 2012, Andre Ward TKO10 Chad Dawson – Oakland, California
Dec. 17, 2011, Andre Ward W12 Carl Froch – Atlantic City, New Jersey
Nov. 27, 2010 Carl Froch W12 Arthur Abraham – Helsinki, Finland

PRE-2010

Dec. 6, 2008 Carl Froch W12 Jean Pascal – Nottingham, England
Nov. 3, 2007, Joe Calzaghe w12 Mikkel Kessler – Cardiff, Wales
Oct. 14, 2006, Mikkel Kessler KO3 Markus Beyer – Copenhagen, Denmark
Mar. 12, 2005 Markus Beyer W12 Danny Green – Zwickau, Germany
Jul. 10, 2001 Eric Lucas KO7 Glenn Catley – Montreal, Quebec
Mar. 27, 198 Richie Woodhall W12 Thulani Malinga – Telford, England
May 3, 1997, Robin Reid W12 Henry Wharton – Manchester, England
Mar. 2, 1996 Thulani Malinga W12 Nigel Benn – Newcastle, England
Oct. 3, 1992, Nigel Benn TKO4 Mauro Galvano – Marino, Italy
Dec. 7, 1989, Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Roberto Duran – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 7, 1988, Sugar Ray Leonard W12 Donny Lalonde – Las Vegas, Nevada

WBC Statistics by Luis Medina.