Middleweight
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (October 2014) |
Middleweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is contested above 154 lb (70 kg) and up to 160 lb (73 kg).
Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867. Chandler won, becoming known as the American middleweight champion.
The first middleweight fight with gloves may have been between George Fulljames and Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey (no relation to the more famous heavyweight Jack Dempsey).
Gennady Golovkin and Bernard Hopkins hold the record for most consecutive title defenses at this division, with 20 defenses.[1][2]
Professional champions
Current male champions
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA (super) | September 15, 2018 |  Canelo Álvarez[3][4]
|
50–1–0 (34 KO) | 0 |
| WBA | October 22, 2017 |  Ryōta Murata
|
14–1–0 (11 KO) | 1 |
| WBC | September 15, 2018 | Canelo Álvarez[5][6]
|
50–1–0 (34 KO) | 0 |
| IBF | vacant | |||
| WBO | December 20, 2015 |  Billy Joe Saunders
|
26–0–0 (12 KO) | 3 |
Current interim champions
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBC | April 21, 2018 |  Jermall Charlo
|
27–0–0 (21 KO) | 0 |
Current The Ring magazine middleweight rankings Updated 20 September 2018
| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Canelo Alvarez
|
50–1–1 (34 KO) | Ring, WBA, WBC |
| 1 |  Gennady Golovkin
|
38–1–1 (34 KO) | |
| 2 | Daniel Jacobs
|
34–2–0 (29 KO) | |
| 3 | Billy Joe Saunders
|
26–0-0 (12 KO) | WBO |
| 4 |  Serhiy Derevyanchenko
|
12–0–0 (10 KO) | |
| 5 | Jermall Charlo
|
27–0-0 (21 KO) | |
| 6 | Ryota Murata
|
14–1–0 (11 KO) | WBA (Regular) |
| 7 |  David Lemieux
|
38–4-0 (33 KO) | |
| 8 | Demetrius Andrade
|
25–0–0 (16 KO) | |
| 9 |  Hassan N'dam N'jikam
|
36–3-0 (21 KO) | |
| 10 |  Maciej Sulecki
|
26–1–0 (10 KO) |
Longest reigning middleweight champions
Below is a list of longest reigning middleweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.
| Rank | Name | Title Reign | Title Recognition | Successful Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bernard Hopkins |
10 years, 2 months, 18 days | IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO | 20 |
| 2. | Tommy Ryan |
8 years, 7 months, 4 days | World | 4 |
| 3. | Gennady Golovkin |
8 years, 1 month, 3 days | WBA (Super), IBF, WBC | 20 |
| 4. | Tony Zale |
6 years, 11 months, 24 days | NBA (current WBA) | 4 |
| 5. |  Carlos Monzon |
6 years, 9 months, 9 days | WBA, WBC | 14 |
| 6. | Marvelous Marvin Hagler |
6 years, 7 months, 10 days | WBC, WBA, IBF | 12 |
| 7. |  Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey |
6 years, 6 months, 15 days | World | 3 |
| 8. |  Felix Sturm |
5 years, 4 months, 4 days | WBA (Super) | 12 |
| 9. | Bob Fitzsimmons |
3 years, 8 months, 12 days | World | 1 |
| 10. | Arthur Abraham |
3 years, 7 months, 2 days | IBF | 11 |
- Active Title Reign
- Reign has ended
Olympic champions
- 1904:
Charles Mayer (USA) - 1908:
John Douglas (GBR) - 1920: Harry Mallin (GBR)
- 1924: Harry Mallin (GBR)
- 1928:
Piero Toscani (ITA) - 1932:
Carmen Barth (USA) - 1936:
Jean Despeaux (FRA) - 1948:
László Papp (HUN) - 1952: Floyd Patterson (USA)
- 1956:
Gennadiy Shatkov (URS) - 1960:
Eddie Crook, Jr. (USA) - 1964: Valeriy Popenchenko (URS)
- 1968: Chris Finnegan (GBR)
- 1972: Vyacheslav Lemeshev (URS)
- 1976: Michael Spinks (USA)
- 1980:
José Gómez (CUB) - 1984:
Shin Joon-Sup (KOR) - 1988:
Henry Maske (GDR) - 1992: Ariel Hernández (CUB)
- 1996: Ariel Hernández (CUB)
- 2000: Jorge Gutiérrez (CUB)
- 2004:
Gaydarbek Gaydarbekov (RUS) - 2008: James DeGale (GBR)
- 2012:
Ryota Murata (JPN) - 2016: Arlen López (CUB)
Kickboxing
- International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) Middleweight (Pro & Amateur) 159.1–165 lb. or 72.4–75 kg
- In Glory promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).[7]
- In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a middleweight division is up to 85 kg (187 lb).
Mixed Martial Arts
In MMA, the middleweight division is from 171 lbs (77.5 kg) to 185 lbs (84 kg).
Taekwondo
| Category | Men's | Women's | Competitions | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleweight | 78–84 kg | 67–72 kg | World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games | since 1999 |
| Middleweight | 76–83 kg | 65–70 kg | World Championships, Continental Championships, Asian Games | until 1998 |
| Middleweight | 68–80 kg | 57–67 kg | Olympic Games, Pan Am Games, All-Africa Games |
References
- ^ http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2774557-gennady-golovkin-ties-bernard-hopkins-record-with-win-vs-vanes-martirosyan
- ^ http://www.espn.com/boxing/story/_/id/23418556/gennady-golovkin-knocks-vanes-martirosyan-stubhub-center
- ^ "Alvarez edges Golovkin, becomes new middleweight champion". CBSnews.com. September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "Alvarez wins narrow decision for middleweight title". APnews.com. September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "Alvarez edges Golovkin, becomes new middleweight champion". CBSnews.com. September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ "Alvarez wins narrow decision for middleweight title". APnews.com. September 16, 2018. Retrieved September 16, 2018.
- ^ OFFICIAL GLORY RANKING Archived 2014-01-08 at the Wayback Machine