List of Australian heavyweight boxing champions

Bill Farnan was a foundry worker who fought Peter Jackson in the first Australian heavyweight contest using Marquis of Queensbury rules in Melbourne on 26 July 1884.[1] He hit Jackson hard "between wind and water" in the second round and continuing body hits drove Jackson down and out in the third round.[2]

This list of Australian heavyweight boxing champions is a table showing the boxers who have won the Australian professional heavyweight championship. The title has been administered by the Australian National Boxing Federation (previously the Australian Boxing Federation) since 1965, and prior to that by Stadiums Limited.[3]

A champion will often voluntarily relinquish the title in order to fight for a higher-ranked championship, such as the world. Where the date on which a champion relinquished the title is unclear, the date of his final defence is shown.

r – Champion relinquished title.
s – Champion stripped of title.
i – Interim Champion of title.

Name Duration of reign Defences
William Miller 28 May 1883 0
Bill Farnan 26 July 1884 – 20 May 1885[4] 2
Tom Lees[5] 20 May 1885 – 25 September 1886 3
Peter Jackson 25 September 1886r[6][7]
Frank Slavin[8] 8 December 1888r
Joe Goddard 24 June 1890r
Owen Sullivan 25 August 1890r
Joe Goddard 1 November 1890 – 20 July 1891r 2
Harry Laing 1 January 1894r
Mick Dooley 23 June 1894 – 10 July 1897 3
Peter Felix 10 July 1897 – 8 October 1898 1
Tut Ryan 8 October 1898r
Bill Doherty 25 February 1899 – 2 December 1899 4
Peter Felix 2 December 1899 – 16 July 1900 1
Bill Doherty 16 July 1900 – 19 June 1901 3
Tut Ryan 19 June 1901 – 19 June 1901 2
Bill Doherty 19 June 1901 – 13 October 1902 3
Bill Squires 13 October 1902 – 5 May 1903r 2
Peter Felix 22 September 1903 – 27 September 1904 2
Arthur Cripps 27 September 1904r
Bill Squires 5 June 1905 – 9 September 1905 1
Tim Draffin Murphy 9 September 1905 – 28 April 1906 1
Bill Squires 28 April 1906 – 22 December 1906r 3
Jim Griffin 15 April 1907r
Bill Lang 3 October 1907 – 11 April 1910 11
Tommy Burns 11 April 1910r
Bill Turner 15 August 1910r
Bill Lang 13 May 1911 – 9 September 1911 2
Jack Lester 9 September 1911 – 30 September 1911 1
Sam McVea 30 September 1911 – 8 April 1912 4
Sam Langford 8 April 1912 – 19 June 1913r 4
Dave Smith[9] 5 November 1913 – 1 August 1914[10][self-published source] 2
Jimmy Clabby 1 August 1914 – 12 August 1914[10] 1
Dave Smith 12 August 1914[10]–13 February 1915r 1
Harold Hardwick 6 March 1915 – 19 February 1916[11] 1
Les Darcy 19 February 1916[11]–16 August 1916r 3
Dave Smith 26 December 1916 – 26 May 1917 2
Jimmy Clabby[12] 26 May 1917 – 1 January 1918 4
Albert Kid Lloyd 1 January 1918 – 22 March 1918 2
Ern Waddy[13] 1918–15 February 1919r 2
Albert Kid Lloyd[14] 1 March 1919 – 21 February 1920 6
George Cook 21 February 1920r
Billy Shade 7 May 1921r
Ern Waddy 7 May 1921 – 8 September 1921 1
Albert Kid Lloyd 8 September 1921r
Colin Bell 17 March 1922[15]–24 February 1923[16] 2
Jim Roland Dwyer[17] 24 February 1923[16]–30 April 1923 2
Ern Waddy[18][19] 30 April 1923 – 8 September 1923 3
George "Blackie" Miller[20] 8 September 1923 – 26 April 1924 1
Ern Waddy 26 April 1924 – 12 July 1926 5
Ern Sheppeard 12 July 1926 – 22 October 1926 1
George Thompson[21] 22 October 1926 – 18 December 1926 1
Tiger Jack Payne[21] 18 December 1926 – 27 December 1926 1
George Cook 27 December 1926r
George Thompson 18 June 1927 – 2 July 1927 1
Tiger Jack Payne 2 July 1927 – 7 April 1928r 1
Dom McLeod 31 July 1929 – 9 November 1929 1
Fred Young 9 November 1929r
George Thompson 16 November 1929[22]–4 July 1930r 3
Jack O'Malley 7 March 1931 – 5 February 1932[23] 2
Ambrose Palmer[24] 5 February 1932r[23]
Ron Richards 19 August 1936 – 12 April 1938[25] 2
Ambrose Palmer 12 April 1938r[25]
Ron Richards 4 June 1938 – 12 September 1940r 2
Billy "Wokko" Britt 5 May 1941 – 23 October 1941 3
Ron Richards 23 October 1941r
Billy "Wokko" Britt 7 November 1942 – 3 April 1943 1
Herb Narvo 3 April 1943 – 24 November 1945 3
Jack Johnson 24 November 1945 – 2 March 1946r 1
Herb Narvo 2 March 1946 – 6 April 1946 1
Jack Johnson 6 April 1946 – 26 June 1948r 4
Dave Sands 4 September 1950 – 11 August 1952died[26] 1
Ken Brady 29 May 1953 – 26 May 1955[27] 3
Allen Williams 26 May 1955 – 30 November 1959 10
Steve Raduly 30 November 1959 – 24 June 1960r 3
Tony Vickers 18 August 1961 – 5 October 1964 3
Ron Fritzsche 5 October 1964 – 14 December 1964 1
Peter Leaney 14 December 1964 – 28 May 1965 2
Fred Casey 28 May 1965 – 17 September 1965r 1
Dave Cullen 15 April 1967r
Fred Casey 25 October 1968 – 29 September 1969 1
Bob Dunlop 29 September 1969r
Foster Bibron 22 May 1970 – 25 February 1972 1
Tony Mundine 25 February 1972r
Steve Aczel 26 June 1975 – 10 November 1976 2
Maile Haumona 10 November 1976 – 5 December 1977 2
Tony Mundine 5 December 1977 – 24 July 1981r 3
Steve Aczel 14 July 1984 – 15 February 1985 1
Dave Russell 15 February 1985 – 13 March 1986 1
Dean Waters 13 March 1986 – 2 December 1988r 1
Craig Petersen 14 November 1991 – 14 June 1992 1
Jimmy Thunder 14 June 1992 – 18 March 1994r 1
Vince Cervi 26 March 1995 – 22 September 1995 1
Joe Bugner 22 September 1995r 1
Colin Wilson 17 February 1997 – 31 January 1998 1
Joe Bugner 31 January 1998 – 20 April 1998r 1
Bob Mirovic 5 September 1998 – 25 June 1999 2
Kali Meehan 25 June 1999 – 7 July 2000r 2
Nathan Briggs 25 May 2001 – 8 July 2001 1
Bob Mirovic 8 July 2001 – 7 March 2003r 5
Colin Wilson 19 September 2003 – 2 November 2007 5
Bob Mirovic 2 November 2007 – 10 September 2008 1
John Hopoate 10 September 2008 – 3 October 2009 3
Colin Wilson 3 October 2009 – 20 August 2010[28] 1
Justin Whitehead 20 August 2010r[28]
Michael Kirby 7 October 2011r
Lucas Browne 17 February 2012r
Solomon Haumono[29] 7 September 2012r
Hunter Sam 13 December 2013s[30]
Ben Edwards 27 February 2015 – 11 July 2015 1
Peter Graham 11 July 2015r
Willie Nasio 27 February 2016 – 6 October 2017 2
Demsey McKean[a] 24 March 2017r 1
Faiga Opelu November 2019 - 22 October 2020 1
Justis Huni 22 October 2020 – present 3

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ McKean won the Interim title in March 2017, defeated Nasio to become the unified champion.

References

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  1. ^ Brian S. Ingram (2012), Australian Boxing World Champions, p. 15, ISBN 9781477107294
  2. ^ Adam J. Pollack (2006), John L. Sullivan: The Career of the First Gloved Heavyweight Champion, p. 159, ISBN 9780786425587
  3. ^ "ANBF's History Archived 19 October 2014 at the Wayback Machine", Australian National Boxing Federation. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  4. ^ Donald, Jim (6 December 1934). "The Glove Parade". The Referee. p. 18. Retrieved 11 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Tom Lees' Exhibition". Western Mail. 26 December 1891. p. 21. Retrieved 12 October 2014 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ Broome, Richard (1983) "Peter Jackson", in Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 9, MUP. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  7. ^ Petersen, Bob (2011) Peter Jackson: A Biography of the Australian Heavyweight Champion, 1860–1901, McFarland & Co. Inc., ISBN 978-0786458813
  8. ^ "Frank Slavin's Career", The Maitland Weekly Mercury, 26 October 1929, p. 15. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via National Library of Australia
  9. ^ "Heavyweight Title", Sydney Morning Herald, 7 November 1913, p. 12. Retrieved 11 October 2014 via National Library of Australia
  10. ^ a b c Ingram, Brian S. (2012) Australian Boxing World Champions, Xlibris Corporation, ISBN 978-1477107294, p. 77
  11. ^ a b Walsh, G. P. (1996) "Hardwick, Harold Hampton (1888-1959)", in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 14, MUP. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  12. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Championship", The Maitland Daily Mercury, 31 December 1917, p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  13. ^ "Heavyweight Title", The Mail, 20 March 1926, p. 9. Retrieved 11 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  14. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Championship Retained by Lloyd", The Register, 11 November 1919, p. 9. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  15. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Champion", The Border Watch, 24 March 1922, p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  16. ^ a b "Dwyer's Success", The Northern Herald, 7 March 1923, p. 3. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  17. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Championship", The Advertiser, 27 April 1923, p. 13. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  18. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Championship", The Brisbane Courier, 13 July 1923, p. 16. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  19. ^ "Heavyweight Championship: Waddy Retains Title", Queensland Times, 18 July 1923, p. 9. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  20. ^ "Blackie Miller, Former Australian Heavyweight Champion", The News, 17 October 1924, p. 8. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  21. ^ a b "When Tiger Payne Won Australian Heavyweight Crown", The Referee, 22 December 1926. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  22. ^ "Australian Heavyweight Title", The West Australian, 18 November 1929, p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  23. ^ a b "Australian Heavyweight Championship", The West Australian, 9 February 1932, p. 4. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  24. ^ Kent, Bill (2012) "Palmer, Ambrose Harold (1910-1990)", in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 18, MUP. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  25. ^ a b "Ambrose Palmer REgains Heavyweight Title By Knocking Out Richards in 13th Round", The Dubbo Liberal, 14 April 1938, p. 7. Retrieved 12 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  26. ^ Broome, Richard "David (Dave) Sands (1926-1952)" in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 16, MUP. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  27. ^ "Heavyweight Title", Maryborough Chronicle, 30 May 1953, p. 1. Retrieved 11 October 2014 via trove.nla.gov.au
  28. ^ a b Dole, Nathan (2010) "Bendigo's Justin Whitehead claims title", Bendigo Advertiser, 22 August 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2014
  29. ^ Pandaram, Jamie (2013) "Heavyweight boxer Solomon Haumono out to conquer the world for his mum", The Sunday Telegraph, 6 January 2013. Retrieved 12 October 2014
  30. ^ Richardson, Daniel (2014) "Boxing: Sam is Hunting for glory", New Zealand Herald, 1 June 2014. Retrieved 12 October 2014
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