Who are boxing's three-time world heavyweight champions?

The list of three-time world heavyweight boxing champions is a select one – and Tyson Fury will not be joining them just yet after his latest loss to Oleksandr Usyk.

The pair met for a second time in Riyadh on December 21, with Fury bidding to regain the titles he had lost in their incredible first meeting back in May.

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Fury started well in his bid for revenge, but Usyk came on strong during the championship rounds to claim a close but clear verdict on all three scorecards (116-112 each time).

Three-time world heavyweight champions

So which fighters have already scaled this particular mountain? Here is the full list to date:

Muhammad Ali (1978)

‘The Greatest’ was boxing’s first ever three-time world heavyweight champion. Fitting that the most famous fighter ever to lace them up was also a trailblazer in boxing history. Muhammad claimed the title for a third time when he avenged a stunning upset loss to the unheralded Leon Spinks. Their rematch took place at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans on September 15, 1978. More than 70,000 fans packed the NFL stadium (home to the New Orleans Saints) to watch history being made, though the fight itself was a damp squib. Having taken Spinks lightly first time round, Ali was in no mood to mess around this time and he boxed his way to a comfortable points victory. It was his last victory as a professional fighter, and it once again wrote his name into boxing’s history books.

Evander Holyfield (1996)

‘The Real Deal’ was just that – an astonishing fighter who mixed skills with heart and bravery as he ruled at both cruiserweight and heavyweight in a fabulous Hall of Fame career. Holyfield claimed his first heavyweight title in 1990 by blasting out James ‘Buster’ Douglas, but his second championship win in November 1993 will always be the most famous. That came in the second of his trilogy of epic fights vs Riddick Bowe – and the bout of course was delayed for 21 minutes in Round 7 when a hang glider crashed into the ring (for real). Few gave Holyfield a chance of claiming the title for a third time – many believed he was shot before he met the mighty Mike Tyson in late 1996. But Holyfield overturned the odds in incredible style to stop Tyson and become champion for a third time. Evander would actually become a four-time world heavyweight king in 2000 when he outpointed John Ruiz to claim the vacant WBA title. What a career he had…

Lennox Lewis (2001)

Lennox Lewis, probably Britain’s greatest ever heavyweight (Joshua may well eventually change that discussion) was a brilliant professional as well as Olympic champion in the amateurs. He was devastating in the paid ranks, ascending the throne of heavyweight boxing on three occasions as well as becoming undisputed champion with a win over Evander Holyfield in 1999. The first title ‘win’ was somewhat controversial when he was handed the belt that Riddick Bowe famously threw into a trash can. But the second and third times were both conclusive – avenging earlier losses to both Oliver McCall and Hasim Rahman to claim the belts. The sensational KO of Rahman in November 2001 would complete his trilogy of titles, and the puch that did it was an absolute beauty. Never forget…

Vitali Klitschko (2008)

‘Dr Ironfist’ won and lost the title twice – first through a defeat by Chris Byrd, then through retirement – before he ascended to the throne for a third time in 2008. The brilliant Ukrainian – who mixed strength and power with strategic excellence and grit – completed the Trifecta by successfully challenging ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ Samuel Peter in Berlin to claim the WBC belt. Their bout – on October 11, 2008 – was a one-sided affair which Klitschko dominated. Eventually Peter’s corner would pull their man out after eight brutal rounds to confirm Vitali as the new WBC king. It was also the first time two brothers had held versions of the world heavyweight title at the same time. Wladimir was IBF and WBO king at the time.