Light welterweight

Light welterweight, also known as junior welterweight or super lightweight, is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing

Professional boxing

In professional boxing, light welterweight is contested between the lightweight and welterweight divisions, in which boxers weigh above 135 pounds and up to 63.5 kg or 140 pounds. The first champion of this weight class was Pinky Mitchell in 1946, though he was only awarded his championship by a vote of the readers of the Boxing Blade 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 WBA and 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 recognized Aaron Pryor as its first champion in 1984.

Julio César Chávez holds the division record for the most consecutive title defenses with 12. He also defended the title an additional 4 times after regaining it.

Professional champions

Main article: List of light-welterweight boxing champions

Current champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
IBF	May 18, 2019	Josh Taylor	16–0–0 (12 KO)	1
WBA	October 26, 2019			0
WBC	March 17, 2018	José Ramírez	25–0–0 (17 KO)	3
WBO	July 27, 2019			0

Current interim champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA	July 27, 2019	Alberto Puello	17–0 (9 KO)	0

Amateur boxing

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 54–67 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.

Olympic Champions

• 1952 –  Charles Adkins (USA)
• 1956 –  Vladimir Yengibaryan (URS)
• 1960 –  Bohumil Nemeček (TCH)
• 1964 –  Jerzy Kulej (POL)
• 1968 –  Jerzy Kulej (POL)
• 1972 –  Ray Seales (USA)
• 1976 –  Ray Leonard (USA)
• 1980 –  Patrizio Oliva (ITA)
• 1984 –  Jerry Page (USA)
• 1988 –  Vyacheslav Yanovskiy (URS)
• 1992 –  Héctor Vinent (CUB)
• 1996 –  Héctor Vinent (CUB)
• 2000 –  Muhammadqodir Abdullaev (UZB)
• 2004 –  Manus Boonjumnong (THA)
• 2008 –  Felix Diaz (DOM)
• 2012 –  Roniel Iglesias (CUB)
• 2016 –  Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB)

Notable Light welterweights

• 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
• Micky Ward
• Arturo Gatti
• Marijan Beneš
• Danny García
• Devon Alexander
• Ruslan Provodnikov
• Alexis Arguello
• Timothy Bradley
• Viktor Postol
• Wilfred Benítez
• Miguel Cotto
• Terence Crawford
• Julius Indongo
• Paulie Malignaggi
• Junior Witter
• Regis Prograis
• Josh Taylor

Kickboxing

• 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.