Light middleweight,[1] also known asjunior middleweight[2][3][4] orsuper welterweight,[5][6][7] is aweight class in boxing but also may include othercombat sports.
The light middleweight division (also known as junior middleweight in theIBF or super welterweight in theWBA andWBC), is a weight division in professional boxing, above 66.7 kg and up to 69.9 kg (147–154 pounds).
This division was established in 1961, when theAustrian Board of Control recognized a fight betweenEmile Griffith and Teddy Wright for the "world" championship. The fight, which took place on October 17, was won by Griffith via a 15-round decision. Three days later, theWorld Boxing Association championship was created whenDenny Moyer outpointedJoey Giambra. TheWorld Boxing Council recognized the WBA champion as the true division champion until 1975, when it stripped their current champion and sanctioned a fight betweenMiguel de Oliveira and Jose Duran for the vacant title. De Oliveira won the title over 15 rounds in 1975. TheInternational Boxing Federation crowned its first champion whenMark Medal defeated Earl Hargrove in 1984. TheWorld Boxing Organization crowned its first champion whenJohn David Jackson defeatedLupe Aquino in 1988.
Popular boxers to have held championships in this division wereNino Benvenuti,Canelo Álvarez,Manny Pacquiao,Wilfred Benítez,Sugar Ray Leonard,Miguel Cotto,Thomas Hearns,Mike McCallum,Julian Jackson,Roberto Durán,Terry Norris,Oscar De La Hoya,Floyd Mayweather Jr.,Zab Judah andWinky Wright.
Male champions
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | August 3, 2024 | Terence Crawford | 41–0 (31 KO) | 0 |
| WBC | March 30, 2024 | Sebastian Fundora | 22–1–1 (14 KO) | 1 |
| IBF | April 6, 2024 | Bakhram Murtazaliev | 23–0 (17 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | March 30, 2024 | Sebastian Fundora | 22–1–1 (14 KO) | 1 |
Female champions
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | October 30, 2021 | Hannah Rankin | 12–5 (3 KO) | 1 |
| WBC | September 3, 2022 | Natasha Jonas | 15–2–1 (9 KO) | 1 |
| IBF | November 12, 2022 | Natasha Jonas | 15–2–1 (9 KO) | 0 |
| WBO | February 19, 2022 | Natasha Jonas | 15–2–1 (9 KO) | 2 |
As of February 26, 2025.[8]
Keys:
| Rank | Name | Record (W–L–D) | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | vacant | ||
| 1 | Terence Crawford | 41–0 (31 KO) | WBA |
| 2 | Vergil Ortiz Jr. | 23–0 (21 KO) | |
| 3 | Israil Madrimov | 10–2–1 (7 KO) | |
| 4 | Bakhram Murtazaliev | 23–0 (17 KO) | IBF |
| 5 | Sebastian Fundora | 22–1–1 (14 KO) | WBO,WBC |
| 6 | Serhii Bohachuk | 25–2 (24 KO) | |
| 7 | Tim Tszyu | 24–2 (17 KO) | |
| 8 | Charles Conwell | 21–0 (16 KO) | |
| 9 | Jesus Ramos | 21–1 (17 KO) | |
| 10 | Xander Zayas | 21–0 (13 KO) |
As of 26 April 2022[update].[9]
| Rank | Name | Record (W–L–D) | Points | Title(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jermell Charlo | 35–1–1 (18 KO) | 147.5 | |
| 2 | Sebastian Fundora | 19–0–1 (13 KO) | 95.41 | |
| 3 | Brian Castaño | 17–1–2 (12 KO) | 73.74 | |
| 4 | Tim Tszyu | 21–0 (15 KO) | 73.04 | WBO |
| 5 | Liam Smith | 31–3–1 (17 KO) | 52.37 | |
| 6 | Israil Madrimov | 8–0 (6 KO) | 48.45 | WBA |
| 7 | Erickson Lubin | 24–2 (17 KO) | 47.71 | |
| 8 | Jack Culcay | 30–4 (13 KO) | 37.45 | |
| 9 | Tony Harrison | 29–3–1 (21 KO) | 33.06 | |
| 10 | Dennis Hogan | 30–4–1 (7 KO) | 32.00 |
In theInternational Kickboxing Federation (IKF), Super Welterweight is 147.1 - 153 lb (66.9 - 69.5 kg) & Light Middleweight is 153.1 - 159 lb (69.6 - 72.3 kg).
TheWorld Lethwei Championship recognizes the light middleweight with an upper limit of 71 kg (157 lb). InWorld Lethwei Championship,Sasha Moisa is the Light middleweight Champion.