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In boxing, the light heavyweight (above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]) division is the weight division between cruiserweight and super middleweight. The light heavyweight class has produced some of boxing's greatest champions: Muhammad Ali, Tommy Loughran, Billy Conn, Joey Maxim, Archie Moore, Bob Foster, Michael Spinks, Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. to name a few.

Many light heavyweight champions unsuccessfully challenged for the heavyweight crown until Michael Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight championship. Bob Fitzsimmons captured the light heavyweight championship after losing his heavyweight championship. Two all-time great heavyweight champions, Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson, started out as light heavyweights. Charles defeated Archie Moore and Joey Maxim several times in non-title bouts before becoming heavyweight champion and Patterson lost an eight-round decision to Joey Maxim before becoming heavyweight champion himself.

[edit] Olympic champions

• 1920 –  Eddie Eagan (USA)
• 1924 –  Harry Mitchell (GBR)
• 1928 –  Víctor Avendaño (ARG)
• 1932 –  David Carstens (RSA)
• 1936 –  Roger Michelot (FRA)
• 1948 –  George Hunter (RSA)
• 1952 –  Norvel Lee (USA)
• 1956 –  James Boyd (USA)
• 1960 –  Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali) (USA)
• 1964 –  Cosimo Pinto (ITA)
• 1968 –  Danas Pozniakas (URS)
• 1972 –  Mate Parlov (YUG)
• 1976 –  Leon Spinks (USA)
• 1980 –  Slobodan Kacar (YUG)
• 1984 –  Anton Josipovic (YUG)
• 1988 –  Andrew Maynard (USA)
• 1992 –  Torsten May (GER)
• 1996 –  Vassiliy Jirov (KAZ)
• 2000 –  Aleksandr Lebziak (RUS)
• 2004 –  Andre Ward (USA)
• 2008 –  Zhang Xiaoping (CHN)

[edit] Professional champions

• List of light heavyweight boxing champions

[edit] See also

• Boxing