In professional boxing, the lightweight division is a weight class that lies between super featherweight and super lightweight. Boxers weigh between 126 and 135 pounds (57 and 61 kilograms). Many renowned boxers have competed in the lightweight division throughout history, showcasing their prowess and thrilling audiences with their matchups.
Boxing Lightweight Overview
In 1850, John Monaghan, an Englishman, might have been the first lightweight world champion. Carlos Ortiz received the belt from the WBA in 1962 after defeating Joe Brown, the first of the contemporary sanctioning bodies to do so. He would face Doug Vaillant in the WBC's first world lightweight championship match one year later.
The WBO and IBF both produced their own champions in 1984 and 1989, respectively. If you exclude Artur Grigorian's underappreciated WBO run of 17, Roberto Duran of Panama holds the record for the longest title reign in the modern era with 12 successful title defenses.
History of the Lightweight Class in Pro Boxing
The earliest records of the lightweight division date to 1738, when Jack Broughton, the father of English boxing, established it. A lightweight was a fighter who weighed under 160 lb (72.57 kg). The ABA changed it after that and called it "ten stones" in 1889. The NSC finally decided on the current weight restriction of 135 lb (61.23 kg) in 1909.
History's notable lightweight champions include Jack McAuliffe, Benny Leonard, Joe Gans, Ike Williams, Carlos Ortiz, Roberto Duran, Hector Camacho, Artur Grigorian, Julio Cesar Chavez, Pernell Whitaker, Juan Manuel Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
List of Current Pro Boxing Lightweight Champions
| Division/ Weight | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO |
| Lightweight | Gervonta Davis | Shakur Stevenson | Vasiliy Lomachenko | Denys Berinchyk |
Latest Results from Lightweight Pro Boxing
On June 15, 2024, Gervonta Davis defeated Frank Martin and retained the WBA lightweight title.
On May 12, 2024, Vasiliy Lomachenko beat George Kambosos Jr., and won the vacant IBF lightweight title.
Pro Boxing Lightweight Rankings 2024
| Rank | BoxRec | TBRB | The Ring | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO |
| C | — | vacant | vacant | Gervonta Davis | Shakur Stevenson | Vasiliy Lomachenko | Denys Berinchyk |
| 1 | Gervonta Davis | Vasiliy Lomachenko | Vasiliy Lomachenko | William Zepeda | William Zepeda | William Zepeda | William Zepeda |
| 2 | Devin Haney | Gervonta Davis | Gervonta Davis | Frank Martin | Raymond Muratalla | vacant | Shakur Stevenson |
| 3 | Shakur Stevenson | Ryan Garcia | Isaac Cruz | Floyd Schofield | Keyshawn Davis | vacant | Denys Berinchyk |
| 4 | Vasiliy Lomachenko | William Zepeda | Ryan Garcia | Edwin De Los Santos | Edwin de Los Santos | Isaac Cruz | Isaac Cruz |
| 5 | Raymond Muratalla | Frank Martin | Shakur Stevenson | Chann Thonson | Zaur Abdullaev | Shakur Stevenson | Angel Fierro |
| 6 | William Zepeda | Isaac Cruz | Frank Martin | Fradimil Macayo | Artem Harutyunyan | Michel Rivera | William Zepeda |
| 7 | Frank Martin | George Kambosos Jr | George Kambosos Jr | Gary Cully | Andy Cruz | George Kambosos Jr | Shuichiro Yoshino |
| 8 | Jamaine Ortiz | Gustavo Daniel Lemos | William Zepeda | Zaur Abdullaev | Giovanni Cabrera | Giovanni Cabrera | Frank Martin |
| 9 | Shuichiro Yoshino | Jeremiah Nakathila | Maxi Hughes | Andy Cruz | Gustavo Lemos | Maxi Hughes | Francesco Patera |
| 10 | Isaac Cruz | Jamaine Ortiz | Keyshawn Davis | Giovanni Cabrera | Mark Chamberlain | Richard Commey | Keyshawn Davis |
Pro-Boxing Weight Divisions
FAQs On Pro-Boxing Lightweight
A. Boxers in the lightweight division weigh between 126 and 135 pounds (57 to 61 kilograms).
A. In the lightweight division, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and Denys Berinchyk are the holders of WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO titles, respectively.
A. The lightweight division was established in 1738 by Jack Broughton, considered the father of English boxing.
A. Gervonta Davis is 29 years old as of August 2024.
