IBF Light Heavyweight boxing rankings- May 2008

IBF Light Heavyweight rankings archive for May 2008. This page is the IBF-only list. View all IBF rankings, or compare the Light Heavyweight boxing rankings across all organizations, or open the latest IBF Light Heavyweight rankings.

Browse the Light Heavyweight archive

Note: IBF archival data from this period duplicates the champion as Rank #1. Rankings shown here reflect the original contender order.

Rank	IBFMay 2008
	Antonio TarverNEW World Champion
1	Vacant
2	Vacant
3	Roy Jones Jr+4
4	Clinton Woods-4
5	Tavoris Cloud+1
6	Glen JohnsonNEW
7	Yuri Barashian+1
8	Reggie Johnson+1
9	Vacant
10	Julio Gonzalez+1
11	Aleksy Kuziemski+1
12	Silvio Branco+1
13	Vacant
14	Rachid Kanfouah+1

Source

May 2008 archive

Box-Rank presents each published list in a consistent format. Browse this division and its archive, read the methodology, or see how Box-Rank differs from BoxRec.

Month-over-month changes since April 2008

There is a new Champion: Antonio Tarver(previously Clinton Woods)

Became champion: 12 April 2008

Won the title by defeating Clinton Woods.

First shown in May 2008 rankingsView source

Entered the top 10

Glen JohnsonNow ranked #6

Dropped out of the top 10

Bernard HopkinsOut of the top 10 after being #3

Biggest risers

Roy Jones JrImproved from #6 to #3
+3

IBF Light Heavyweight Title History

Champions who have held each belt, from oldest to most recent. Title history only goes back as far as our earliest IBF monthly rankings (February 1984).

IBF Light Heavyweight - World Champion

Dmitry Bivol

22 February 2025Current

1 year 9 months

Became champion: 22 February 2025

Won the title by defeating Artur Beterbiev by majority decision in their rematch.

First shown in February 2025 rankingsView source

Artur Beterbiev

11 November 201722 February 2025

7 years 4 months

Became champion: 11 November 2017

Won the vacant title by defeating Enrico Kolling.

First shown in November 2017 rankingsView source

Andre Ward

19 November 201621 September 2017

11 months

Became champion: 19 November 2016

Won the title by defeating Sergey Kovalev.

First shown in November 2016 rankingsView source

Sergey Kovalev

8 November 201419 November 2016

2 years 1 month

Became champion: 8 November 2014

Won the title by defeating Bernard Hopkins.

First shown in December 2014 rankingsView source

Bernard Hopkins

9 March 20138 November 2014

1 year 9 months

Became champion: 9 March 2013

Won the title by defeating Tavoris Cloud.

First shown in March 2013 rankingsView source

Tavoris Cloud

28 August 20099 March 2013

3 years 8 months

Became champion: 28 August 2009

Won the vacant title by defeating Clinton Woods.

First shown in September 2009 rankingsView source

Chad Dawson

11 October 200827 May 2009

8 months

Became champion: 11 October 2008

Won the title by defeating Antonio Tarver.

First shown in November 2008 rankingsView source

Antonio Tarver

12 April 200811 October 2008

7 months

Became champion: 12 April 2008

Won the title by defeating Clinton Woods.

First shown in May 2008 rankingsView source

Clinton Woods

4 March 200512 April 2008

3 years 2 months

Became champion: 4 March 2005

Won the vacant title by defeating Rico Hoye.

First shown in December 2005 rankingsView source

Glen Johnson

6 February 2004November 2004

10 months

Became champion: 6 February 2004

Won the vacant title by defeating Clinton Woods.

First shown in rankingsView source

Antonio Tarver

26 April 2003October 2003

7 months

Became champion: 26 April 2003

Won the vacant title by defeating Montell Griffin.

First shown in rankingsView source

Roy Jones Jr

5 June 1999November 2002

3 years 6 months

Became champion: 5 June 1999

Won the title by defeating Reggie Johnson.

First shown in rankingsView source

Reggie Johnson

6 February 1998June 1999

1 year 5 months

Became champion: 6 February 1998

Won the title by defeating William Guthrie.

First shown in rankingsView source

William Guthrie

19 July 1997February 1998

8 months

Became champion: 19 July 1997

Won the vacant title by defeating Darrin Allen.

First shown in rankingsView source

Dariusz Michalczewski

13 June 1997June 1997

1 month

Became champion: 13 June 1997

Won the title by defeating Virgil Hill.

First shown in rankingsView source

Virgil Hill

23 November 1996June 1997

8 months

Became champion: 23 November 1996

Won the title by defeating Henry Maske.

First shown in rankingsView source

Henry Maske

20 March 1993November 1996

3 years 9 months

Became champion: 20 March 1993

Won the title by defeating Charles Williams.

First shown in rankingsView source

Charles Williams

29 October 1987March 1993

5 years 6 months

Became champion: 29 October 1987

Won the title by defeating Bobby Czyz.

First shown in rankingsView source

Bobby Czyz

6 September 1986October 1987

1 year 2 months

Became champion: 6 September 1986

Won the title by defeating Slobodan Kačar.

First shown in rankingsView source

Slobodan Kacar

21 December 1985September 1986

10 months

Became champion: 21 December 1985

Won the vacant title by defeating Eddie Mustafa Muhammad.

First shown in rankingsView source

Michael Spinks

25 February 1984November 1985

1 year 10 months

Became champion: 25 February 1984

Won the title by defeating Eddie Davis.

First shown in rankingsView source

IBF Light Heavyweight Title History

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