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There are a total of 18 weight classes in professional boxing. A new weight class, "bridgerweight", was introduced in 2020 by the World Boxing Council (WBC) but it hasn't caught on with other organizations and the boxing fans. This article will focus on the original 18.
Some weight classes are named differently by different governing bodies and individuals, this article will follow the "super" format and provide the aliases for reference.
Weight limit: 90+ kg / 200+ lb
The heaviest of the weight classes, anything above 90 kgs / 200 lbs come under this class. Some of the most famous boxers have fought at this weight class. When we think of heavyweight boxing, boxers like Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson immediately come to mind.
Notables: Sonny Liston, Muhammad Ali, Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Wladimir Klitschko, Jack Dempsey, Jack Johnson, Joe Frazier, Floyd Patterson, Rocky Marciano, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk.
Weight limit: 90 kg / 200 lb
Alias: Junior Heavyweight
A weight class just below the heavyweight, sometimes considered a "boring" weight class by some fans. WBC's bridgerweight (101.6 kg / 224 lb) attempted to act as a buffer between heavyweight and cruiserweight but it doesn't seem to have gained popular acceptance. Many cruiserweights have moved up in weight to find glory and success at heavyweight, Evander Holyfield and Oleksandr Usyk being the best examples.
Notables: Evander Holyfield, Oleksandr Usyk, Krzysztof Włodarczyk, Johnny Nelson, Marco Huck, Mairis Briedis, Lawrence Okolie, Jai Opetaia, James Toney, David Haye, Tony Bellew.
Weight limit: 79.4 kg / 175 lb
Roy Jones Jr. put some of the most dominant and exciting performances of all time at this weight class. This class in the heaviest Canelo Álvarez has been a world champion at (WBO).
Notables: Bernard Hopkins, Roy Jones Jr., Sergey Kovalev, Dmitry Bivol, Artur Beterbiev, Dariusz Michalczewski, Michael Spinks, Archie Moore, Canelo Álvarez.
Weight limit: 76.2 kg / 168 lb
Canelo Álvarez is the undisputed super-middleweight world champion as of December 2022. Franchon Crews Dezurn is the same in female boxing. Laila Ali was the WBC champion at this weight class.
Notables: Canelo Álvarez, James Toney, David Benavidez, Demetrius Andrade, Joe Calzaghe, Andre Ward, Chris Eubank, Nigel Benn, Sven Ottke, Lucian Bute, Franchon Crews Dezurn, Laila Ali.
Weight limit: 72.6 kg / 160 lb
The lightest weight class James Toney has been a world champion at. The heaviest Oscar De La Hoya has been a world champion at. Canelo Álvarez won the Ring Magazine belt and all the ABC organization titles, except WBO at this weight class. Claressa Shields is the female undisputed super-middleweight world champion as of December 2022.
Notables: Oscar De La Hoya, James Toney, Gennady Golovkin, Erislandy Lara, Chris Eubank Jr., Jermall Charlo, Canelo Álvarez, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Carlos Monzon, Bernard Hopkins, Felix Sturm, Claressa Shields.
Weight limit: 69.9 kg / 154 lb
Alias: Junior Middleweight
Jermell Charlo is the undisputed super-welterweight world champion as of December 2022. This is the heaviest weight class Manny Pacquiao has been a world champion at. Also this is the lightest weight class Canelo Álvarez has been a world champion at, he won the Ring Magazine belt and all the ABC organization titles, except IBF at this weight class.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo Álvarez, Jermell Charlo, Sebastian Fundora, Natasha Jonas, Hannah Rankin, Tim Tszyu, Brian Castaño, Antonio Margarito, Natasha Jonas, Terri Harper.
Weight limit: 66.7 kg / 147 lb
Floyd Mayweather Jr. had the most successful run of his career at this weight class, winning titles in WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and the Ring Magazine belt. Cecilia Brækhus had 26 consecutive successful title fights at this weight class untill losing to Jessica McCaskill. As of December 2022, Jessica McCaskill is the female undisputed super-middleweight world champion.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Errol Spence Jr., Terence Crawford, Keith Thurman, Mikey Garcia, Jaron Ennis, Félix Trinidad, Antonio Margarito, Sugar Ray Robinson, Cecilia Brækhus, Jessica McCaskill.
Weight limit: 63.5 kg / 140 lb
Alias: Junior Welterweight
Terence Crawford became the undisputed super-lightweight world champion on August 19, 2017 when he unified his WBA (Super) and IBF titles with Julius Indongo's WBC and the WBO titles. He also became the new Ring Magazine super-lightweight champion with this win. Chantelle Cameron is the female undisputed super-middleweight world champion as of December 2022.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Julio César Chávez, Erik Morales, Kostya Tszyu, Pernell Whitaker, Juan Manuel Márquez, Amir Khan, Ricky Hatton, Erik Morales, Arturo Gatti, Micky Ward, Danny García, Alexis Argüello, Miguel Cotto, Terence Crawford, Paulie Malignaggi, Regis Prograis, Gervonta Davis, Chantelle Cameron, Kali Reis.
Weight limit: 61.2 kg / 135 lb
Devin Haney is the undisputed super-welterweight world champion as of December 2022. Katie Taylor is the female undisputed super-middleweight world champion as of December 2022.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Roberto Durán, Joseph Diaz, Miguel Vazquez, George Kambosos Jr., Katie Taylor.
Weight limit: 59 kg / 130 lb
Alias: Junior Lightweight
The lightest weight class Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, and Gervonta Davis have been world champions at.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Gervonta Davis, Óscar Valdez, Shakur Stevenson, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Arturo Gatti,, Alexis Argüello, Julio César Chávez, Érik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Márquez, Azumah Nelson, Alycia Baumgardner, Hyun Mi Choi.
Weight limit: 57.2 kg / 126 lb
The heaviest weight class Nonito Donaire has been a world champion at (WBA).
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Alexis Argüello, Marco Antonio Barrera, Naseem Hamed, Juan Manuel Márquez, Érik Morales, Salvador Sánchez, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Emanuel Navarrete, Gary Russell Jr., Nonito Donaire, Léo Santa Cruz, Amanda Serrano, Erika Cruz.
Weight limit: 55.3 kg / 122 lb
Alias: Junior Featherweight
Manny Pacquiao has been a world champion from this weight class, all the way up to super-welterweight. He was also a champion at flyweight, two weight classes below this weight class.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Jeff Fenech, Érik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Rafael Márquez, Carl Frampton, Leo Santa Cruz, Isaac Dogboe, Stephen Fulton, Murodjon Akhmadaliev.
Weight limit: 53.5 kg / 118 lb
Naoya Inoue is the undisputed bantamweight world champion as of December 2022. He is planning to move up to super-bantamweight next.
Notables: Naoya Inoue, John Riel Casimero, Nonito Donaire, Eder Jofre, Shinsuke Yamanaka, Orlando Canizales, Hozumi Hasegawa, Veeraphol Sahaprom, Emmanuel Rodríguez, Gary Antonio Russell.
Weight limit: 52.2 kg / 115 lb
Alias: Junior Bantamweight
The heaviest weight class Román González has been a world champion at (WBA and WBC). One of Naoya Inoue's most impressive wins was at this weight class — the 2nd round KO of Omar Narváez to become the new WBO champion.
Notables: Juan Francisco Estrada, Román González, Naoya Inoue, Kazuto Ioka, Jesse Rodriguez, Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, Kosei Tanaka, Nonito Donaire, Carlos Cuadras, Vic Darchinyan, Omar Narváez.
Weight limit: 50.8 kg / 112 lb
This is the lightest weight class Manny Pacquiao and Nonito Donaire were world champions at. Donaire won the first world title (IBF) of his career at this weight class with the 5th round knockout of Vic Darchinyan. Naoya Inoue skipped this weight class.
Notables: Manny Pacquiao, Fighting Harada, Pancho Villa, Julio Cesar Martinez, Sunny Edwards, Jorge Arce, Vic Darchinyan, Nonito Donaire, Román González, McWilliams Arroyo, Donnie Nietes.
Weight limit: 49 kg / 108 lb
Alias: Junior Flyweight
The lightest weight class Naoya Inoue has been a world champion at. As the underdog, Inoue knocked out Adrián Hernández in the 6th round to become the new WBC champion. This was also his first world title win.
Notables: Naoya Inoue, Kenshiro Teraji, Jonathan González, Hiroto Kyoguchi, Michael Carbajal, Donnie Nietes, Román González.
Weight limit: 47.6 kg / 105 lb
Alias: Minimumweight, Mini Flyweight
Román González started his championship reign at this weight class. This is the lightest weight division in men's professional boxing, and it is the most neglected weight class of all. Impressive performances or title runs here rarely get noticed by the fans and the media.
Notables: Román González, Knockout CP Freshmart, Panya Pradabsri, Wanheng Menayothin, Masataka Taniguchi.
Weight limit: 46.3 kg / 102 lb
Alias: Light Minimumweight
And this is the lightest weight division in women's professional boxing. Unless you are a family member, or a team member, or the manager, or an official from the sanctioning bodies, it is very likely that you would not have heard of any boxer from this weight class.
Notables: Nanae Suzuki, Mika Iwakawa, Fabiana Bytyqi.