Fly = Benny Lynch 1.5-years & Pancho Villa 2-years BW = Ruben Olivares c.1-year x 2 & Terry McGovern 1-year FW = Armstrong 1-year, Young Corbett II 2-years, McGovern 2-years & Arguello 2-years LW = Whitaker 2-years & Armstrong 1-year WW = McLarnin 1-year & 8-months & Basillo 9-months & 1-year (both 2 x separate reigns) MW = LaMotta 20-months & Tiger Flowers 10-months (I've applied a 2-year cut off, but worth noting Greb's reign was only 2.5-years) LHW = Spinks 2-years (lineal, he was a Titleist longer) & Loughran 2-years HW = Liston 17-months, Tyson 20-months (again, lineal), Charles 2-years & Bowe 1-year (lineal)
More than two years with nine title defenses makes his reign look as long as Archie Moore’s career compared to Liston’s.
I will throw in Colin McMillan and Walter McGowan, to great stylists who won a title but didn't manage a successful defence.
