Light welterweight
Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight[1] or super lightweight,[2] is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
[edit | edit source]Professional boxing
[edit | edit source]In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, in which boxers weigh above 61.2kg or 135 pounds and up to 63.5 kg or 140 Ibs. The first champion of this weight class was Pinky Mitchell in 1922, though he was only awarded his championship by a vote of the readers of the Doxing Dlade magazine.
There was not widespread acceptance of this new weight division in its early years, and the New York State Athletic Commission withdrew recognition of it in 1930. The National Boxing Association continued to recognize it until its champion, Barney Ross relinquished the title in 1935 to concentrate on regaining the welterweight championship.
A few commissions recognized bouts in the 1940s as being for the light welterweight title, but the modern beginnings of this championship date from 1959 when Carlos Ortiz won the vacant title with a victory over Kenny Lane. Both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) recognized the same champions until 1967, when the WBC stripped Paul Fuji of the title and matched Pedro Adigue and Adolph Pruitt for their version of the championship. Adigue won a fifteen-round decision. The International Boxing Federation (IBF) recognized Aaron Pryor as its first champion in 1984. Hector Camacho became the first World Boxing Organization (WBO) champion with his victory against Ray Mancini in 1989.[3]
Current world champions
[edit | edit source]| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | March 1, 2025 | Gary Antuanne Russell | 18–1 (17 KO) | 0 |
| WBC | July 12, 2025 | Subriel Matías | 23–2 (22 KO) | 0 |
| IBF | December 7, 2024 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | June 10, 2023 | Teofimo Lopez | 22–1 (13 KO) | 3 |
Current world rankings
[edit | edit source]The Ring
[edit | edit source]As of August 11, 2025.[4]
Keys:
- C Current The Ring world champion
| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Teofimo Lopez | 22–1 (13 KO) | WBO |
| 1 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | IBF |
| 2 | Subriel Matías | 23–2 (22 KO) | WBC |
| 3 | Alberto Puello | 24–1 (10 KO) | |
| 4 | Arnold Barboza Jr. | 32–1 (11 KO) | |
| 5 | Liam Paro | 26–1 (16 KO) | |
| 6 | Gary Antuanne Russell | 18–1 (17 KO) | WBA |
| 7 | Sandor Martín | 42–4 (15 KO) | |
| 8 | Dalton Smith | 18–0 (13 KO) | |
| 9 | Andy Hiraoka | 24–0 (19 KO) | |
| 10 | Lindolfo Delgado | 23–0 (16 KO) |
BoxRec
[edit | edit source]| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Teofimo Lopez | 22–1 (13 KO) | WBO |
| 2 | Subriel Matías | 22–2 (22 KO) | |
| 3 | Andy Hiraoka | 24–0 (19 KO) | |
| 4 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | IBF |
| 5 | Liam Paro | 25–1 | |
| 6 | Adam Azim | 13–0 (10 KO) | |
| 7 | Dalton Smith | 18–0 (13 KO) | |
| 8 | Khariton Agrba | 15–0 (9 KO) | |
| 9 | Arnold Barboza Jr. | 32–1 (11 KO) | |
| 10 | Movladdin Biyarslanov | 18–0 (15 KO) |
Amateur boxing
[edit | edit source]In amateur boxing, light welterweight is a weight class for fighters weighing up to 64 kilograms. For the 1952 Summer Olympics, the division was created when the span from 54 to 67 kg was changed from three weight classes (featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight) to four. Perhaps the most famous amateur light welterweight champion is Sugar Ray Leonard, who went on to an impressive professional career.[6]
Olympic Champions
[edit | edit source]- 1952 –
Charles Adkins (USA) - 1956 – File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Vladimir Yengibaryan (URS)
- 1960 – File:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Bohumil Nemeček (TCH)
- 1964 – File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Jerzy Kulej (POL)
- 1968 – File:Flag of Poland (1928-1980).svg Jerzy Kulej (POL)
- 1972 – File:Flag of the United States.svg Ray Seales (USA)
- 1976 – File:Flag of the United States.svg Ray Leonard (USA)
- 1980 – File:Olympic flag.svg Patrizio Oliva (ITA)
- 1984 – File:Flag of the United States.svg Jerry Page (USA)
- 1988 – File:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Vyacheslav Yanovskiy (URS)
- 1992 – File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Héctor Vinent (CUB)
- 1996 – File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Héctor Vinent (CUB)
- 2000 – File:Flag of Uzbekistan (3-2).svg Muhammadqodir Abdullaev (UZB)
- 2004 – File:Flag of Thailand.svg Manus Boonjumnong (THA)
- 2008 – File:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Felix Diaz (DOM)
- 2012 – File:Flag of Cuba (3-2).svg Roniel Iglesias (CUB)
- 2016 – File:Flag of Uzbekistan (3-2).svg Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB)
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Notable fighters
[edit | edit source]- Saensak Muangsurin
- Saoul Mamby
- Tippy Larkin
- Aaron Pryor
- Carlos Morocho Hernández
- Antonio Cervantes
- Julio César Chávez
- Oscar De La Hoya
- Pernell Whitaker
- Kostya Tszyu
- Duilio Loi
- Eddie Perkins
- Erik Morales
- Ricky Hatton
- Manny Pacquiao
- Floyd Mayweather Jr.
- Amir Khan
- Juan Manuel Márquez
- Nicolino Locche
- Micky Ward
- Arturo Gatti
- Marijan Beneš
- Danny García
- Devon Alexander
- Ruslan Provodnikov
- Alexis Arguello
- Timothy Bradley
- Wilfred Benítez
- Miguel Cotto
- Terence Crawford
- Julius Indongo
- Paulie Malignaggi
- Junior Witter
- Josh Taylor
Kickboxing
[edit | edit source]- In the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF), Super lightweight is 132.1 - 137 lbs or 60.04 - 62.27 kg, & Light welterweight is 137.1 - 142 lbs or 62.31 - 64.54 kg.
Lethwei
[edit | edit source]The World Lethwei Championship recognizes the light welterweight division with an upper limit of 63.5 kg (140 lb). In World Lethwei Championship Antonio Faria is the Light welterweight Champion.
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ "Ring Ratings" Archived 2015-11-15 at the Wayback Machine. The Ring. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
- ^ "Current WBA Champions". WBA. Retrieved 2015-06-07.
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