Chronological lightweight boxing champions
Appearance
This is a chronological list of world lightweight boxing champions, as recognized by the following organizations:
- The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA),
- The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963,
- The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983,
- The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988
Prior to the rise of sanctioning bodies, champions were acknowledged by the public at large.
Click here for a List of lightweight boxing champions by organization.
Reign Began | Reign Ended | Champion | Recognition |
---|---|---|---|
29 October 1886 | 9 June 18932 | Jack McAuliffe | Universal |
| |||
1 June 1896 | 3 July 1899 | George "Kid" Lavigne | Universal |
3 July 1899 | 12 May 1902 | Frank Erne | Universal |
12 May 1902 | 9 June 19082 | Joe Gans | Universal |
9 June 1908 | 22 May 1910 | Oscar "Battling" Nelson | Universal |
22 February 1910 | 28 November 1912 | Adolph "Ad" Wolgast | Universal |
28 November 1912 | 7 July 1914 | Willie Ritchie | Universal |
7 July 1914 | 28 May 1917 | Freddie Welsh | Universal |
28 May 1917 | 15 January 19252 | Benny Leonard | Universal |
13 July 1925 | 7 December 1925 | Jimmy Goodrich | Universal |
7 December 1925 | 3 July 1926 | Rocky Kansas | Universal |
3 July 1926 | 17 July 1930 | Sammy Mandel | NBA |
17 July 1930 | 14 November 1930 | Al Singer | Universal |
14 November 1930 | 23 June 1933 | Tony Canzoneri | Universal |
23 June 1933 | ?? Apr 19351 | Barney Ross | Universal |
10 May 1935 | 3 September 1936 | Tony Canzoneri | Universal |
3 September 1936 | 17 July? 1938 | Lou Ambers | Universal |
17 August? 1938 | 22 August 1939 | Henry Armstrong | Universal |
22 August 1939 | 10 May 1940 | Lou Ambers | NBA |
10 May 1940 | 19 December 1941 | Lew Jenkins | Universal |
19 December 1941 | 13 November 19422 | Sammy Angott | Universal |
| |||
23 September 1943 | 21 May 1943 | Beau Jack | New York |
21 May 1943 | 19 November 1943 | Bob Montgomery | New York |
19 November 1943 | 3 March 1944 | Beau Jack | NBA |
| |||
8 March 1944 | 18 April 1945 | Juan Zurita | NBA |
18 April 1945 | 25 May 1951 | Ike Williams | Universal |
25 May 1951 | 1 April 1952 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
1 April 1952 | 15 October 1952 | Lauro Salas | Universal |
15 October 1952 | 6 February 1954 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
5 March 1954 | 17 November 1954 | Paddy DeMarco | Universal |
17 November 1954 | 29 June 1955 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
29 June 1955 | 24 August 1956 | Wallace "Bud" Smith | Universal |
24 August 1956 | 21 April 1962 | Joe Brown | Universal |
21 April 1962 | 10 April 1965 | Carlos Ortiz | Universal |
10 April 1965 | 13 November 1965 | Ismael Laguna | Universal |
13 November 1965 | 29 June 1968 | Carlos Ortiz | Universal |
29 June 1968 | 18 February 1969 | Carlos Teo Cruz | Universal |
18 February 1969 | 3 March 1970 | Mando Ramos1 | Universal |
3 March 1970 | 26 September 1970 | Ismael Laguna | Universal |
| |||
26 September 1970 | 26 June 1972 | Ken Buchanan | Universal |
| |||
26 June 1972 | 1 February 1979 | Roberto Durán2 | Universal |
| |||
17 April 1979 | 20 June 1981 | Jim Watt | WBC |
16 June 1979 | 2 May 1980 | Ernesto España | WBA |
20 June 1981 | 15 February 1982 | Alexis Argüello | WBC |
2 May 1980 | 12 April 1981 | Hilmer Kenty | WBA |
12 April 1981 | August 1981 | Sean O'Grady | WBA |
12 September 1981 | 5 December 1981 | Claude Noel | WBA |
5 December 1981 | 8 May 1982 | Arturo Frias | WBA |
8 May 1982 | 1 June 1984 | Ray Mancini | WBA |
1 May 1983 | 3 November 1984 | Edwin Rosario | WBC |
1 June 1984 | 26 September 1986 | Livingstone Bramble | WBA |
3 November 1984 | 10 August 1985 | José Luis Ramírez | WBC |
10 August 1985 | May 1987 | Héctor Camacho | WBC |
26 September 1986 | 21 November 1987 | Edwin Rosario | WBC |
19 July 1987 | 29 October 1988 | José Luis Ramírez | WBC |
21 November 1987 | May 1989 | Julio César Chávez3 | WBA/WBC |
| |||
18 February 1989 | 1992 | Pernell Whitaker4 | WBC, WBA, IBF |
| |||
18 February 1989 | 4 April 1990 | Edwin Rosario | WBA |
4 April 1990 | 11 August 1990 | Juan Nazario | WBA |
6 May 1989 | 22 September 1990 | Mauricio Aceves | WBO |
22 September 1990 | 14 September 1991 | Digaan Thobela | WBO |
14 September 1992 | 24 September 1993 | Giovanni Parisi | WBO |
10 January 1993 | 19 February 1994 | Freddie Pendleton | IBF |
19 February 1994 | 6 May 1995 | Rafael Ruelas | IBF |
29 July 1994 | 15 December 1995 | Oscar De La Hoya | WBO |
6 May 1995 | 1996 | Oscar De La Hoya | IBF/WBO |
19 August 1995 | 2 August 1997 | Philip Holiday | IBF |
13 April 1996 | 3 January 2004 | Artur Grigorian | WBO |
2 August 1997 | April 1999 | Shane Mosley | IBF |
20 August 1999 | 22 November 2003 | Paul Spadafora | IBf |
5 January 2002 | 17 May 2004 | Leonard Dorin | WBC |
22 November 2003 | 13 May 2004 | Javier Jauregui | IBF |
3 January 2004 | 7 August 2004 | Acelino Freitas | WBO |
10 April 2004 | 17 July 2004 | Lakva Sim | WBC |
13 May 2004 | 17 June 2005 | Julio Díaz | IBF |
4 May 2004 | 7 May 2005 | José Luis Castillo | WBC |
17 July 2004 | current | Juan Díaz | WBA |
7 August 2004 | 6 March 2006 | Diego Corrales | WBO |
7 May 2005 | current | Diego Corrales | WBC & WBO |
17 June 2005 | 17 November 2005 | Leavander Johnson | IBF |
17 November 2005 | 3 February 2007 | Jesús Chávez | IBF |
29 April 2006 | 4 October 2006 2 | Acelino Freitas | WBO |
3 February 2007 | current | Julio Díaz | IBF |
Footnotes
- 1 Disputed. See article on Pedro Carrasco.
- 2 Relinquished championship title.
- 3 Retired as champion, relinquishing title.
- 4 Championship recognition withdrawn by sanctioning organization due to champion's failure or refusal to defend title against the organization's #1 ranked contender.