Records in boxing are a measure of greatness. They fondly capture historical moments that have lifted the sport to astonishing new heights. But by the same token, records are there to be broken and serve as inspiration to lift boxers to strive to be the best that has ever stepped into.

Everyone knows the names of the greats, from Muhammad Ali to Mike Tyson, Sugar Ray Robinson and Rocky Marciano. These legendary figures not only inspire millions of fans but have also influenced the creation of boxing-themed slots like the Rocky Slot and Mike Tyson Knockout Slot which can be found at the best online casinos in the UK and all over the world. Their larger-than-life legacies live on in the virtual ring, much like the incredible records they set in the real one. And when it comes to breaking records, it’s the heavyweight division that truly stands out, with some of the most unforgettable moments in boxing history.

Mike Tyson, the Youngest Heavyweight Champion

Forget the debacle of 58-year-old Mike Tyson’s exhibition bout against Jake Paul. 38 years before that, Mike Tyson became the world’s youngest heavyweight champion at just 20 years of age and it’s a record that stands to this day.

Tyson hopped into the ring in November 1986 against Trevor Berbick and knocked his opponent out in the second round to claim the WBC belt. “Iron Mike” was something unique, and just getting a title shot at 20 years and 4 months old sounds ridiculous. His exceptional power and ring maturity at that age stood him in a class above even the best of the best.

The Three-Peaters

Muhammad Ali was the first heavyweight boxer to win the title on three separate occasions, doing so in 1964, 1974 and 1978. He had the longevity to his career and while that record was eventually equalled by Evander Holyfield, Ali was the first to achieve this.

The question is, will anyone ever get to four? That’s a tall order, because either a fighter stays at the top of the division for years, and simply holds onto their belt through defences, or starts to fade when they do lose it.

Winning back a belt is hard enough, but Ali did his three-peat in the face of adversities outside the ring, and it was an faded Ali who won it for the third time in 1978 against Leon Spinks.

Oldest Heavyweight Champion

We’ve had the youngest, what about the oldest? That record falls on the impressive shoulders of George Foreman. The heavyweight lifted the title in 1994 with a knockout victory against Michael Moorer. Foreman’s age at the time? 45 years old, an astonishing age to be mixing it up at the top of the heavyweight division.

Most boxers enter their twilight in their mid-30s in a bruising sport that doesn’t typically support longevity. Incidentally, the oldest-ever boxing world champion was Bernard Hopkins, who set a new record when he won a light-heavyweight title at 46 years old in 2011. Remarkably, Hopkins extended that to 49 years old when he won the WBA light heavyweight title from Beibut Shumenov in 2014.

Longest Title Reign

The longest that one boxer has held a heavyweight title after winning it is an astonishing 12 years to the day. That was recorded by the great Wladimir Klitschko, who posted 4,382 days as WBA, IBF and WBO champion. That run ended in November 2015 against Tyson Fury, one of the minor heavyweight title fight upsets in modern boxing. The physical challenges of boxing make this an incredibly difficult record to break.

Most Consecutive Title Defences

Joe Louis finished his brilliant career with a 27-1 record in world title fights, with 23 knockout victories. Amidst all that, the American fighter produced a record that stands today of 26 consecutive heavyweight title defences.

That’s a massive volume of title fights safely navigated, and a lot of modern professional fighters average only 30 fights total during their careers, let alone getting to the top and staying there for as long as Louis did. For reference, Larry Holmes holds the next-highest consecutive title defence record at 19.

Most Opponents Beaten in Title Fights

It seems that modern boxing title fights all come from a very small circle of boxers, all rotating around each other and because of that, this next heavyweight boxing record is likely to stick for a long time.

The record for the most opponents beaten in title fights is held by Wladimir Klitschko, who saw off 23 different boxers. He is only one of four heavyweights to surpass 20, joined by Larry Holmes (20), Muhammad Ali (21) and Joe Louis (22).