The lineal HW Champions last fight:
- John L. Sullivan: James J. Corbett (8-0-2), L KO in 21/?, Olympic Club, New Orleans, 09/0/1892 [for HW title]
- James J. Corbett: James J. Jeffries (17-0-2), L TKO 10/20, Mechanic's Pavilion, San Francisco, 08/14/1903 [for HW title]
- Robert Fitzsimmons: Jersey Bellew (debut), ND 6/6, South Bethlehem, 02/20/1914
- James J. Jeffries: Jack Johnson (52-5-11), L KO 15/45, Reno 07/04/1910 [for HW title]
- Marvin Hart: Carl Morris (4-0-0), L RTD, Sapulpa 3/12, 12/20/1910 (#)
- Tommy Burns: Joe Beckett (17-7-0), L RTD 7/20, Royal Albert Hall, Kensington, 0/16/1920 (#)
- Jack Johnson: Brad Simmons (27-12-4), L PTS 10/10, Tulsa, 03/04/1931 (*)
- Jess Willard: Luis Angel Firpo (21-2-0), L KO 8/12, Boyle's Thirty Acres, Jersey City, 07/12/1923 [title eliminator]
- Jack Dempsey: Gene Tunney (77-1-4), L UD 10/10, Soldier Field, Chicago, 09/22/1927 [for HW title]
- Gene Tunney: Tom Heeney (32-8-5), W TKO 11/15, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, 07/26/1928 [for HW title]
- Max Schmeling: Richard Vogt (47-4-6), L PTS 10/10, Waldbuehne, Westend, 10/31/1948
- Jack Sharkey: Joe Louis (24-1-0), L KO 3/10, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, 08/18/1936 [title eliminator]
- Primo Carnera: Luigi Musina (33-6-4), L UD 8/8, Gorizia, 05/12/1946
- Max Baer: Lou Nova (24-2-4), L TKO 8/10, Madison Square Garden, 04/04/1941 [title eliminator]
- Jim Braddock: Tommy Farr (71-26-18), W SD 10/10, Madison Square Garden, 01/21/1938
- Joe Louis: Rocky Marciano (3-0-1), L KO 8/10, Madison Square Garden, 10/26/1951 [title eliminator]
- Ezzard Charles: Alvin Green (21-7-1), L UD 10/10, Municipal Auditorium, Oklahoma City, 09/01/1959
- Jersey Joe Walcott: Rocky Marciano (43-0-0), L KO 1/15, Chicago Stadium, Chicago, 05/15/1953 [for HW title]
- Rocky Marciano: Archie Moore (149-19-8), W KO 9/15, Yankee Stadium, Bronx, 09/21/1955 [for HW title]
- Floyd Paterson: Muhammad Ali (38-1-0), L RTD 7/12, Madison Square Garden, 09/20/192 [for HW title]
- Ingemar Johansson: Brian London (28-9-0), W PTS 12/12, Johanneshov Ice Stadium, Stockholm, 04/21/1962
- Sonny Liston: Chuck Wepner (21-5-2), W RTD 9/10, Armory, Jersey City, 06/29/1970
- Muhammad Ali: Trevor Berbick (19-2-1), L UD 10/10, Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre, Nassau, 12/11/1981
- Joe Frazier: Floyd Cummings (15-1-0), D MD 10/10, International Amphitheatre, Chicago, 12/03/1981
- George Foreman: Shannon Briggs (29-1-0), L MD 12/12, Taj Majal Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, 11/22/1997 [for HW title)
- Leon Spinks: Fred Houpe (13-3-0), L UD 8/8, A Little Bit of Texas, Saint Louis, 12/04/1995
- Larry Homes: Eric Esch (65-2-3), W UD 10/10, Scope Arena, Norfolk, 0/27/2002
- Michael Spinks: Mike Tyson (34-0-0), L KO 1/12, Convention Hall, Atlantic City, 06/2/1988 [for HW title]
- Mike Tyson: Kevin McBride (32-4-1), W RTD 6/10, MCI Center, Washington, 06/11/2005
- James “Buster” Douglas: Andre Crowder (8-49-4), W TKO 1/10, Memorial Auditorium, Burlington, 02/19/1999
- Evander Holyfield: Brian Nielsen (64-2-0), W TKO 10/12, Koncerthuset, Copenhagen, 05/0/2011
- Riddick Bowe: Gene Pukall (14-12-2), W UD 8/8, SAP-Arena, Mannheim, 02/12/2008
- Michael Moorer: Shelby Gross (16-3-0), W KO 1/10, Shaikh Rashid Hall, Dubai, 02/08/2008
- Shannon Briggs:Emilio Ezequiel Zarate (20-16-3), W KO 1/10, O2 Arena, Greenwich, 05/21/2016
- Lenox Lewis: Vitali Klitschko (32-1-0), W TKO 6/12, Staples Center, Los Angeles, 06/21/2003 [for a HW title]
- Oliver McCall: Larry Knight (3-16-1), W UD 6/6, HEB Tennis Centre, Corpus Christi, 11/30/2018 (#)
- Hasim Rahman: Anthony Nansen (3-2-0), L UD 3/3, The Trusts Arena, Auckland, 06/04/2014
- Vitali Klitschko: Manuel Carr (21-0-0), W TKO, 4/12, Olimpiyskiy, Moscow, 09/08/2012 (#) [for a HW title]
- Wladimir Klitschko, Anthony Joshua (18-0-0), L TKO 11/12, Wembley Stadium, Wembley, 04/29/2017 (#) [for a HW title]
# Inclusion based on a strong claim to the title
* The second Johnson-Simmons fight, from 04/28/1931 (KO 2/?), has been excluded because: "The Ring reported that Johnson made a couple of 'voodoo' passes over Brad, who then went down. Both men were barred from ever again appearing in a Kansas ring” [Boxrec]. As Jack Johnson’s last fight, I chose to go with their pervious fight from a month earlier,
Of the 39 Champions listed, 37 fought an opponent with a winning record; 34 fought an opponent with over ten wins; 15 won their last fight, 22 lost their last fight, with one fight ending in a draw. There was one ND; of the first 25 Champions only five (Tunney; Braddock, Marciano, Johansson, and Liston) won their final fight; among the last 14 Champions ten fighters won their final fight.
Their last fight was a title defense:
- John L. Sullivan (vs. James J. Corbett)
- Gene Tunney (vs. Tom Heeney)
- Rocky Marciano (vs. Archie Moore)
- Michael Spinks (vs. Mike Tyson)
- Lenox Lewis (vs. Vitali Klitschko)
Their last fight was a title bid:
- James J. Corbett (vs. James J. Jeffries)
- James J. Jeffries (vs. Jack Johnson) ^^
- Jack Dempsey (vs. Gene Tunney)
- Jersey Joe Walcott (vs. Rocky Marciano)
- Floyd Paterson (vs. Muhammad Ali)
- Wladimir Klitschko (vs. Anthony Joshua)
^^ James J. Jeffries (vs. Jack Johnson) can be assigned to both categories depended on opinion.
Their last fight was a title eliminator:
- Jess Willard (vs. Luis Angel Firpo)
- Jack Sharkey (vs. Joe Louis)
- Max Baer (vs. Lou Nova)
- Joe Louis (vs. Rocky Marciano)
(A final pay-day) Their last fight was a miss-match:
- Ruby Rob Fitzsimmons (61-8-0) taking on Jersey Bellew who was possibly making his debut.
- Marvin Hart (28-7-4) taking on a 4-0-0 Carl Morris.
- James “Buster” Douglas (37-6-1) taking on an 8-49-4 Andre Crowder
- Oliver McCall (58-14-0) taking on a 3-16-1 Larry Knight.
- Hasim Rahman (50-9-0) taking on a 3-2-0 Anthony Nansen.
(Nothing to gain but legacy) Their last fight was a serious challenge without it being a title defense, title bid, or title eliminator, e.g. Dempsey-Tunney II is not included:
- Max Schmeling vs. Richard Vogt (47-4-6)
- Jim Braddock vs. Tommy Farr (71-26-18)
- Ingemar Johansson vs. Brian London (28-9-0)
- Muhammad Ali vs. Trevor Berbick (19-2-1)
- Larry Homes vs. Eric Esch (65-2-3)
Of the 39 Champions posted 16 ended their careers either defending or contesting for the HW title:
- John L. Sullivan vs. James J. Corbett [title defense]
- James J. Corbett vs. James J. Jeffries [title bid]
- James J. Jeffries vs. Jack Johnson [for the HW title]
- Jess Willard vs. Luis Angel Firpo [title eliminator]
- Jack Dempsey vs. Gene Tunney [title bid]
- Gene Tunney vs. Tom Heeney [title defense]
- Jack Sharkey vs. Joe Louis [title eliminator]
- Max Baer vs. Lou Nova [title eliminator]
- Joe Louis vs. Rocky Marciano [title eliminator]
- Jersey Joe Walcott vs. Rocky Marciano [title bid]
- Rocky Marciano vs. Archie Moore [title defense]
- Floyd Paterson vs. Muhammad Ali [title bid]
- George Foreman vs. Shannon Briggs [title defense]
- Michael Spinks vs. Mike Tyson [title defense]
- Lenox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko [title defense]
- Wladimir Klitschko, Anthony Joshua [title bid]
Four Champions ended their careers at Madison Square Garden, New York.
- Max Baer (vs. Lou Nova)
- Jimmy Braddock (vs. Tommy Farr)
- Joe Louis (vs. Rocky Marciano)
- Floyd Patterson (vs. Muhammad Ali)
Three ended their careers at Yankee Stadium, The Bronx.
- Gene Tunney (vs. Tom Heeney)
- Jack Sharkey (vs. Joe Louis)
- Rocky Marciano (vs. Archie Moore)
Of the 39 Champions listed 26 fought their last fight inside the United States, 13 overseas.
From the he’s still around? group; longest period from losing the title to their last fight, in years:
- Oliver McCall 1997-2018 (21)
- Shannon Briggs 1998-2016 (18)
- Leon Spinks 1978-1995 (17)
- Jack Johnson 1915-1931 (16)
- Larry Holmes 1986-2002 (16)
- Hasim Rahman 2001-2014 (13)
- Robert Fitzsimmons 1902-1914 (12)
- Floyd Patterson 1963-1972 (9)
- Ezzard Charles 1951-1959 (8)
- Joe Frazier 1973-1981 (8)
