12/11/1983 - Larry Holmes (relinquished his WBC title)

On December 11, 1985, world heavyweight champion Larry Holmes relinquished his WBC title after refusing to fight the #1 contender, Greg Page. The fight would have paid Holmes $2.55 million, half of Holmes’ asking price. Holmes instead chose a bigger payday by agreeing to fight Marvis Frazier, son of the legendary Joe Frazier. The WBC refused to sanction the fight against the unranked Frazier. A month after Holmes handily defeated Frazier with a first round knockout, the newly-formed IBF (International Boxing Federation) recognized Holmes as its’ first world heavyweight champion.