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History of the World Bantamweight Championship

During the history of the division's lineal championship, there have been occasions when the reigning champ has moved up in weight or retired, thus ending that particular strand of the lineage. In such instances a new lineage must be established, which is basically filling a vacancy. For background information on this, please click here.

1890
Jun 27 - George Dixon KO 18 Nunc Wallace (London, England)

Oct 23 - George Dixon KO 40 Johnny Murphy (Providence, Rhode Island, USA)

1891
* Although Dixon did not officially vacate the world championship it became
universally accepted as being vacant (Dixon began campaigning at featherweight)

1892
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1893
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Barry was from Chicago and remained unbeaten throughout his entire career

May 30 - Jimmy Barry D 20 Casper Leon (New York City, New York, USA)

1899
Sep - Barry vacates the world championship and retires

Sep 12 - Terry McGovern KO 1 Pedlar Palmer (Tuckahoe, New York, USA)

Dec 22 - Terry McGovern KO 2 Harry Forbes (New York City, New York, USA)

Dec - McGovern vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

1900
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1901

Harris was nicknamed “Human Scissors” and was from Chicago

Mar 18 - Harry Harris PTS 15 Pedlar Palmer (London, England)

Mar - Harris vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

1902
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1903
Feb 27 - Harry Forbes PTS 10 Andrew Tokell (Detroit, Michigan, USA)

Aug 13 - Frankie Neil KO 2 Harry Forbes (San Francisco, California, USA)

Sep 4 - Frankie Neil KO 15 Billy DeCoursey (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Neil was born in San Francisco

Oct 16 - Frankie Neil D 20 Johnny Reagan (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1904
Jun 17 - Frankie Neil KO 3 Harry Forbes (Chicago, Illinois, USA)

Oct 17 - Joe Bowker PTS 20 Frankie Neil (London, England)

1905
May 29 - Joe Bowker PTS 20 Pinky Evans (London, England)

* Although Bowker did not officially vacate the world championship it became
universally accepted as being vacant (Bowker began campaigning at featherweight)

Oct 20 - Jimmy Walsh PTS 15 Digger Stanley (Chelsea, Massachusetts, USA)

1906
Dec - Walsh vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

1907
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1908
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1909
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1910
Mar 18 - Johnny Coulon KO 19 Jim Kendrick (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

Dec 19 - Johnny Coulon NC 3 Earl Denning (Memphis, Tennessee, USA)

1911

A portrait of Coulon

Feb 26 - Johnny Coulon PTS 20 Frankie Conley (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1912
Feb 3 - Johnny Coulon PTS 20 Frankie Conley (Vernon, California, USA)

Feb 18 - Johnny Coulon PTS 20 Frankie Burns (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1913
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1914
Jun 3 - Kid Williams KO 3 Johnny Coulon (Vernon, California, USA)

1915
Dec 6 - Kid Williams D 20 Frankie Burns (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1916
Feb 7 - Kid Williams D 20 Pete Herman (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1917
Jan 9 - Pete Herman PTS 20 Kid Williams (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

A signed photograph of Herman

Nov 5 - Pete Herman PTS 20 Frankie Burns (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1918
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1919
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1920
Dec 22 - Joe Lynch PTS 15 Pete Herman (New York City, New York, USA)

1921
Jul 25 - Pete Herman PTS 15 Joe Lynch (New York City, New York, USA)

Sep 23 - Johnny Buff PTS 15 Pete Herman (New York City, New York, USA)

Buff was from Perth Amboy in New Jersey

Nov 10 - Johnny Buff PTS 15 Jackie Sharkey (New York City, New York, USA)

1922
Jul 10 - Joe Lynch KO 14 Johnny Buff (New York City, New York, USA)

Dec 22 - Joe Lynch PTS 15 Midget Smith (New York City, New York, USA)

1923
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1924
Mar 21 - Abe Goldstein PTS 15 Joe Lynch (New York City, New York, USA)

Jul 16 - Abe Goldstein PTS 15 Charles LeDoux (New York City, New York, USA)

Sep 8 - Abe Goldstein PTS 15 Tommy Ryan (New York City, New York, USA)

“Cannonball” Martin’s real name was Eduardo Vittorio Martino

Dec 19 - Eddie “Cannonball” Martin PTS 15 Abe Goldstein (New York City, New York, USA)

1925
Mar 20 - Charlie Rosenberg PTS 15 Eddie “Cannonball” Martin (New York City, New York, USA)

Jul 23 - Charlie Rosenberg KO 4 Eddie Shea (New York City, New York, USA)

1926
Mar 2 - Charlie Rosenberg PTS 10 George Butch (St Louis, Missouri, USA)

1927
Feb - Rosenberg forfeits the world championship when he fails to make the weight limit for a
defence against Bushy Graham (Graham made the weight limit and the bout went
ahead with Rosenberg winning on points)

1928
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1929
Jun 18 - Al Brown PTS 15 Vidal Gregario (New York City, New York, USA)

Brown had a long reign as champion

Aug 28 - Al Brown PTS 15 Knud Larson (Copenhagen, Denmark)

1930
Feb 8 - Al Brown DIS 4 Johnny Erickson (New York City, New York, USA)

Oct 4 - Al Brown PTS 15 Eugene Huat (Paris, France)

1931
Feb 11 - Al Brown PTS 10 Nick Bensa (Paris, France)

Aug 25 - Al Brown PTS 15 Pete Sanstol (Montreal, Canada)

Oct 27 - Al Brown PTS 15 Eugene Huat (Montreal, Canada)

1932
Jul 10 - Al Brown PTS 15 Kid Francis (Marseille, France)

Sep 19 - Al Brown KO 1 Spider Pladner (Toronto, Canada)

1933

Brown poses with Bernasconi before their bout

Mar 19 - Al Brown PTS 12 Domenico Bernasconi (Milan, Italy)

Jul 3 - Al Brown PTS 15 Johnny King (London, England)

1934
Feb 19 - Al Brown PTS 15 Young Perez (Paris, France)

Nov 1 - Al Brown KO 10 Young Perez (Tunis, Tunisia)

1935
Jun 1 - Baltazar Sangchilli PTS 15 Al Brown (Valencia, Spain)

1936

Marino was from Duquesne in Pennsylvania

Jun 29 - Tony Marino KO 14 Baltazar Sangchilli (New York City, New York, USA)

Aug 31 - Sixto Escobar KO 13 Tony Marino (New York City, New York, USA)

Oct 13 - Sixto Escobar KO 1 Indian Quintana (New York City, New York, USA)

1937
Feb 21 - Sixto Escobar PTS 15 Lou Salica (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Sep 23 - Harry Jeffra PTS 15 Sixto Escobar (New York City, New York, USA)

1938

Escobar in training

Apr 2 - Sixto Escobar PTS 15 “KO” Morgan (San Juan, Puerto Rico)

Oct - Escobar vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

1940
Mar 4 - Lou Salica D 15 George Pace (Toronto, Canada)

Sep 24 - Lou Salica PTS 15 George Pace (New York City, New York, USA)

1941
Jan 13 - Lou Salica PTS 15 Tommy Forte (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Apr 25 - Lou Salica PTS 15 Lou Transparenti (Baltimore, Maryland, USA)

Jun 16 - Lou Salica PTS 15 Tommy Forte (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

1942
Aug 7 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 12 Lou Salica (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1943
Jan 1 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 10 Kenny Lindsay (Portland, Oregon, USA)

Jan 27 - Manuel Ortiz KO 10 George Freitas (Oakland, California, USA)

Mar 10 - Manuel Ortiz KO 11 Lou Salica (Oakland, California, USA)

Ortiz holds the record for most successful consecutive defences

Apr 28 - Manuel Ortiz KO 6 Lupe Cardoza (Fort Worth, Texas, USA)

May 26 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Jose Robleto (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Jul 11 - Manuel Ortiz KO 7 Jose Robleto (Seattle, Washington, USA)

Oct 1 - Manuel Ortiz KO 4 Leonardo Lopez (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Nov 23 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Benny Goldberg (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1944
Mar 14 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Ernesto Aguilar (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Apr 4 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Tony Olivera (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Sep 12 - Manuel Ortiz KO 4 Luis Castillo (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Nov 14 - Manuel Ortiz KO 9 Luis Castillo (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1945
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1946
Feb 25 - Manuel Ortiz KO 13 Luis Castillo (San Francisco, California, USA)

May 25 - Manuel Ortiz KO 5 Kenny Lindsay (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Jun 10 - Manuel Ortiz KO 11 Jackie Jurich (San Francisco, California, USA)

1947
Jan 6 - Harold Dade PTS 15 Manuel Ortiz (San Francisco, California, USA)

Dade interrupted Ortiz’s long run as champion

Mar 11 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Harold Dade (Los Angeles, California, USA)

May 30- Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 David Kiu Kong Young (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)

Dec 20 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Tirso Del Rosario (Manila, Philippines)

1948
Jul 4 - Manuel Ortiz KO 8 Memo Valero (Mexicali, Mexico)

1949
Mar 1 - Manuel Ortiz PTS 15 Dado Marino (Honolulu, Hawaii, USA)

1950
May 31 - Vic Toweel PTS 15 Manuel Ortiz (Johanessburg, South Africa)

Toweel was the first champion from South Africa

Dec 2 - Vic Toweel KO 10 Danny O’Sullivan (Johanessburg, South Africa)

1951
Jun 16 - Vic Toweel KO 2 Fanie Van Graan (Johanessburg, South Africa)

Nov 17 - Vic Toweel PTS 15 Luis Romero (Johanessburg, South Africa)

1952
Jan 26 - Vic Toweel PTS 15 Peter Keenan (Johanessburg, South Africa)

Mar 24 - Vic Toweel KO 8 Tony Lombard (Cape Town, South Africa)

Nov 15 - Jimmy Carruthers KO 1 Vic Toweel (Johanessburg, South Africa)

1953
Mar 21 - Jimmy Carruthers KO 10 Vic Toweel (Johanessburg, South Africa)

Carruthers was the first champion from Australia

Nov 13 - Jimmy Carruthers PTS 15 Pappy Gault (Sydney, Australia)

1954
May 2 - Jimmy Carruthers PTS 12 Chamren Songkitrat (Bangkok, Thailand)

May - Carruthers vacates the world championship and retires

Sep 19 - Robert Cohen PTS 15 Chamren Songkitrat (Bangkok, Thailand)

1955
Sep 3 - Robert Cohen D 15 Willie Toweel (Johanessburg, South Africa)

1956
Jun 29 - Mario D’Agata KO 7 Robert Cohen (Rome, Italy)

1957
Apr 1 - Alphonse Halimi PTS 15 Mario D’Agata (Paris, France)

Halimi (left) in action against Macias

Nov 6 - Alphonse Halimi PTS 15 Raul Macias (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1958
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1959
Jul 8 - Joe Becerra KO 8 Alphonse Halimi (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1960
Feb 4 - Joe Becerra KO 9 Alphonse Halimi (Los Angeles, California, USA)

May 23 - Joe Becerra PTS 15 Kenji Yonekura (Tokyo, Japan)

Aug - Becerra vacates the world championship and retires

1961
Mar 25 - Eder Jofre KO 9 Piero Rollo (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil)

Jofre (seen here on the left against Arias) was an outstanding champion

Aug 19 - Eder Jofre KO 7 Ramon Arias (Caracas, Venezuela)

1962
Jan 18 - Eder Jofre KO 10 Johnny Caldwell (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

May 4 - Eder Jofre KO 10 Herman Marques (San Francisco, California, USA)

Sep 11 - Eder Jofre KO 6 Jose Medel (Sao Paulo, Brazil)

1963

Jofre (standing) travelled to Japan to face Aoki

Apr 4 - Eder Jofre KO 3 Katsutoshi Aoki (Tokyo, Japan)

May 18 - Eder Jofre KO 12 Johnny Jamito (Quezon City, Philippines)

1964
Nov 27 - Eder Jofre KO 7 Bernardo Caraballo (Bogota, Colombia)

1965
May 17 - Fighting Harada PTS 15 Eder Jofre (Nagoya, Japan)

Nov 30 - Fighting Harada PTS 15 Alan Rudkin (Tokyo, Japan)

1966
May 31 - Fighting Harada PTS 15 Eder Jofre (Tokyo, Japan)

1967
Jan 3 - Fighting Harada PTS 15 Jose Medel (Nagoya, Japan)

Jul 4 - Fighting Harada PTS 15 Bernardo Caraballo (Tokyo, Japan)

1968

Rose (right) ended Harada’s reign

Feb 26 - Lionel Rose PTS 15 Fighting Harada (Tokyo, Japan)

Jul 2 - Lionel Rose PTS 15 Takao Sakurai (Tokyo, Japan)

Dec 6 - Lionel Rose PTS 15 Chucho Castillo (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1969
Mar 8 - Lionel Rose PTS 15 Alan Rudkin (Melbourne, Australia)

Aug 22 - Ruben Olivares KO 5 Lionel Rose (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Dec 12 - Ruben Olivares KO 2 Alan Rudkin (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1970
Apr 18 - Ruben Olivares PTS 15 Chucho Castillo (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Oct 16 - Chucho Castillo KO 14 Ruben Olivares (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1971
Apr 2 - Ruben Olivares PTS 15 Chucho Castillo (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Olivares was a spectacular puncher and perhaps the most exciting of all bantamweight champions

Oct 15 - Ruben Olivares KO 14 Kazuyoshi Kanazawa (Nagoya, Japan)

Dec 14 - Ruben Olivares KO 11 Jesus Pimental (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1972
Mar 19 - Rafael Herrera KO 8 Ruben Olivares (Mexico City, Mexico)

Jul 29 - Enrique Pinder PTS 15 Rafael Herrera (Panama City, Panama)

1973
Jan 20 - Romeo Anaya KO 3 Enrique Pinder (Mexico City, Mexico)

A poster for Anaya’s defence against Lara

Apr 28 - Romeo Anaya PTS 15 Rogelio Lara (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Aug 18 - Romeo Anaya KO 3 Enrique Pinder (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Nov 3 - Arnold Taylor KO 14 Romeo Anaya (Johannesburg, South Africa)

1974
Jul 3 - Soo-Hwan Hong PTS 15 Arnold Taylor (Durban, South Africa)

Dec 28 - Soo-Hwan Hong PTS 15 Fernando Cabanella (Seoul, South Korea)

1975
Mar 14 - Alfonso Zamora KO 4 Soo-Hwan Hong (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Aug 30 - Alfonso Zamora KO 4 Thanomchit Sukhothai (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Dec 6 - Alfonso Zamora KO 2 Socrates Batoto (Mexico City, Mexico)

1976
Apr 3 - Alfonso Zamora KO 2 Eusebio Pedroza (Mexicali, Mexico)

Jul 10 - Alfonso Zamora KO 3 Gilberto Illueca (Ciudad Juarez, Mexico)

Zamora was a big puncher who won all his defences inside the distance

Oct 16 - Alfonso Zamora KO 12 Soo-Hwan Hong (Inchon, South Korea)

1977
Nov 19 - Jorge Lujan KO 10 Alfonso Zamora (Los Angeles, California, USA)

1978
Mar 18 - Jorge Lujan KO 11 Roberto Rubaldino (San Antonio, Texas, USA)

Sep 15 - Jorge Lujan PTS 15 Alberto Davila (New Orleans, Louisiana, USA)

1979
Apr 8 - Jorge Lujan KO 15 Cleo Garcia (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)

Oct 6 - Jorge Lujan KO 15 Roberto Rubaldino (McAllen, Texas, USA)

1980
Apr 2 - Jorge Lujan KO 9 Suichi Isogami (Tokyo, Japan)

Aug 29 - Julian Solis PTS 15 Jorge Lujan (Miami, Florida, USA)

Chandler became a popular champion

Nov 14 - Jeff Chandler KO 14 Julian Solis (Miami, Florida, USA)

1981
Jan 31 - Jeff Chandler PTS 15 Jorge Lujan (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Apr 4 - Jeff Chandler D 15 Eijiro Murata (Tokyo, Japan)

A poster for Chandler’s rematch with Solis

Jul 25 - Jeff Chandler KO 7 Julian Solis (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

Dec 10 - Jeff Chandler KO 13 Eijiro Murata (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

1982
Mar 27 - Jeff Chandler KO 6 Johnny Carter (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA)

Oct 27 - Jeff Chandler KO 9 Miguel Iriate (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

1983
Mar 13 - Jeff Chandler PTS 15 Gaby Canizales (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

Sep 10 - Jeff Chandler KO 10 Eijiro Murata (Tokyo, Japan)

The programme for Chandler-Muniz

Dec 17 - Jeff Chandler KO 6 Oscar Muniz (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

1984
Apr 7 - Richard Sandoval KO 15 Jeff Chandler (Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA)

Sep 22 - Richard Sandoval PTS 15 Edgar Roman (Monte Carlo, Monaco)

Dec 15 - Richard Sandoval KO 8 Cardenio Ulloa (Miami, Florida, USA)

1985
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1986

Canizales would have a short reign

Mar 10 - Gaby Canizales KO 7 Richard Sandoval (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)

Jun 4 - Bernardo Pinango PTS 15 Gaby Canizales (East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA)

Oct 4 - Bernardo Pinango KO 10 Ciro De Leva (Turin, Italy)

Nov 22 - Bernardo Pinango KO 15 Simon Skosana (Johannesburg, South Africa)

1987

A promotional poster for what would be Pinango’s last defence

Feb 3 - Bernardo Pinango PTS 15 Frankie Duarte (Los Angeles, California, USA)

Mar - Pinango vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

1988
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1989
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1997
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1998
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1999
Aug 29 - Veerapol Sahaprom KO 7 Joichiro Tatsuyoshi (Osaka, Japan)

2000
Mar 11 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Adan Vargas (Aranyaprateit, Thailand)

Jun 25 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Toshiaki Nishioka (Hyogo, Japan)

Dec 16 - Veerapol Sahaprom KO 5 Oscar Arciniega (Bangkok, Thailand)

2001
May 14 - Veerapol Sahaprom KO 3 Ricardo Barajas (Paris, France)

Sep 1 - Veerapol Sahaprom D 12 Toshiaki Nishioka (Kanagawa, Japan)

2002

Sahaprom hard at work in the gym

Jan 11 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Sergio Perez (Thanyaburi, Thailand)

May 1 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Julio Coronel (Nonthaburi, Thailand)

2003
May 1 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Hugo Dianzo (Bangkok, Thailand)

Oct 4 - Veerapol Sahaprom D 12 Toshiaki Nishioka (Tokyo, Japan)

2004
Mar 6 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Toshiaki Nishioka (Saitama, Japan)

Sahaprom was a dominant champion who made 12 successful defences

May 1 - Veerapol Sahaprom KO 12 Julio Cesar Avila (Nong Khai, Thailand)

Sep 11 - Veerapol Sahaprom PTS 12 Cecilio Santos (Chainart, Thailand)

2005
Apr 16 - Hozumi Hasegawa PTS 12 Veerapol Sahaprom (Tokyo, Japan)

Sep 25 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 7 Gerardo Martinez (Kanagawa, Japan)

2006
Mar 25 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 9 Veerapol Sahaprom (Hyogo, Japan)

Hasegawa (right) in action against Garcia

Nov 13 - Hozumi Hasegawa PTS 12 Genaro Garcia (Tokio, Japan)

2007
May 3 - Hozumi Hasegawa PTS 12 Simpiwe Vetyeka (Tokyo, Japan)

2008
Jan 10 - Hozumi Hasegawa PTS 12 Simone Maludrottu (Osaka, Japan)

Jun 12 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 2 Cristian Faccio (Tokyo, Japan)

Oct 16 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 2 Alejandro Valdez (Tokyo, Japan)

2009
Mar 12 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 1 Vusi Malinga (Hyogo, Japan)

Jul 14 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 1 Nestor Rocha (Hyogo, Japan)

Dec 18 - Hozumi Hasegawa KO 4 Alvaro Perez (Hyogo, Japan)

2010

Montiel enjoying the benefits of being the new champion

Apr 30 - Fernando Montiel KO 4 Hozumi Hasegawa (Tokyo, Japan)

Jul 17 - Fernando Montiel KO 3 Rafael Concepcion (Tuxtla Gutierrez, Mexico)

2011
Feb 19 - Nonito Donaire KO 2 Fernando Montiel (Las Vegas, Nevada, USA)

Oct 22 - Nonito Donaire PTS 12 Omar Narvaez (New York City, New York, USA)

Nov - Donaire vacates the world championship to campaign at featherweight

2012
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2013