Light welterweight, also known asjunior welterweight[1] orsuper lightweight,[2] is aweight class incombat sports.
Inprofessional boxing, light welterweight is contested between thelightweight andwelterweight divisions, in which boxers weigh above 61.2kg or 135 pounds and up to 63.5 kg or 140 Ibs. The first champion of this weight class wasPinky Mitchell in 1922, though he was only awarded his championship by a vote of the readers of theBoxing Blade magazine.
There was not widespread acceptance of this new weight division in its early years, and theNew York State Athletic Commission withdrew recognition of it in 1930. TheNational Boxing Association continued to recognize it until its champion,Barney Ross relinquished the title in 1935 to concentrate on regaining thewelterweight 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 whenCarlos Ortiz won the vacant title with a victory overKenny Lane. Both the World Boxing Association (WBA) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) recognized the same champions until 1967, when the WBC strippedPaul Fuji of the title and matchedPedro Adigue and Adolph Pruitt for their version of the championship. Adigue won a fifteen-round decision. TheInternational Boxing Federation (IBF) recognizedAaron Pryor as its first champion in 1984.Hector Camacho became the firstWorld Boxing Organization (WBO) champion with his victory againstRay Mancini in 1989.[3]
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | March 1, 2025 | Gary Antuanne Russell | 18–1 (17 KO) | 0 |
| WBC | January 10, 2026 | Dalton Smith | 19–0 (14 KO) | 0 |
| IBF | December 7, 2024 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | January 31, 2026 | Shakur Stevenson | 25–0 (11 KO) | 0 |
As of January 31, 2026.[4]
Keys:
| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | Shakur Stevenson | 25–0 (11 KO) | WBO |
| 1 | Dalton Smith | 19–0 (14 KO) | WBC |
| 2 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | IBF |
| 3 | Alberto Puello | 24–1 (10 KO) | |
| 4 | Arnold Barboza Jr. | 32–1 (11 KO) | |
| 5 | Gary Antuanne Russell | 18–1 (17 KO) | WBA |
| 6 | Sandor Martín | 43–4 (15 KO) | |
| 7 | Subriel Matías | 23–3 (22 KO) | |
| 8 | Adam Azim | 14–0 (11 KO) | |
| 9 | Lindolfo Delgado | 23–0 (16 KO) | |
| 10 | Andy Hiraoka | 24–0 (19 KO) |
As of 31 January 2026[update].[5]
| Rank | Name | Record | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shakur Stevenson | 25–0 (11 KO) | WBO &The Ring |
| 2 | Dalton Smith | 19–0 (14 KO) | WBC |
| 3 | Keyshawn Davis | 14–0 (10 KO) | |
| 4 | Teofimo Lopez | 22–2 (13 KO) | |
| 5 | Richardson Hitchins | 20–0 (8 KO) | IBF |
| 6 | Adam Azim | 14–0 (11 KO) | |
| 7 | Arnold Barboza Jr. | 32–1 (11 KO) | |
| 8 | Arthur Biyarslanov | 20–0 (16 KO) | |
| 9 | Ernesto Mercado | 18–0 (17 KO) | |
| 10 | Khariton Agrba | 17–1 (9 KO) |
Inamateur boxing, light welterweight is a weight class for fighters weighing up to 64kilograms. For the1952 Summer Olympics, the division was created when the span from 54 to 67 kg was changed from three weight classes (featherweight,lightweight, andwelterweight) to four. Perhaps the most famous amateur light welterweight champion isSugar Ray Leonard, who went on to an impressive professional career.[6]
Charles Adkins (USA)
Vladimir Yengibaryan (URS)
Bohumil Nemeček (TCH)
Jerzy Kulej (POL) Jerzy Kulej (POL)
Ray Seales (USA) Ray Leonard (USA)
Patrizio Oliva (ITA) Jerry Page (USA) Vyacheslav Yanovskiy (URS)
Héctor Vinent (CUB) Héctor Vinent (CUB)
Muhammadqodir Abdullaev (UZB)
Manus Boonjumnong (THA)
Felix Diaz (DOM) Roniel Iglesias (CUB) Fazliddin Gaibnazarov (UZB)TheWorld Lethwei Championship recognizes the light welterweight division with an upper limit of 63.5 kg (140 lb). InWorld Lethwei ChampionshipAntonio Faria is the Light welterweight Champion.