List of world lightweight boxing champions

This is a list of world lightweight boxing champions by organization, as recognized by four of the better-known sanctioning organizations:

* The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA),
* The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963,
* The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983,
* The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988

## World

[edit]

Reign began  | Reign ended  | Champion  | Recognition

|
|
|

29 October 1886  | 9 June 1893[1] |  Jack McAuliffe | Universal

After McAuliffe's retirement, the title remained inactive until 1896, when the title was won by George "Kid" Lavigne in a 17 Round KO against Dick Burge. Lavigne's victory, the first fought under the Marquess of Queensberry rules, was considered by boxing promoters of the time as the first officially recognized world Lightweight Champion.
1 June 1896  | 3 July 1899  |  George "Kid" Lavigne | Universal
3 July 1899  | 12 May 1902  |  Frank Erne | Universal
12 May 1902  | 4 July 1908[1] |  Joe Gans | Universal
4 July 1908  | 22 February 1910  |  Oscar "Battling" Nelson | Universal
22 February 1910  | 28 November 1912  |  Adolph "Ad" Wolgast | Universal
28 November 1912  | 7 July 1914  |  Willie Ritchie | Universal
7 July 1914  | 28 May 1917  |  Freddie Welsh | Universal
28 May 1917  | 15 January 1925[1] |  Benny Leonard | Universal

Following Leonard's retirement, the vacant undisputed NBA and NYSAC lightweight title was filled when Jimmy Goodrich defeated Stanislaus Loayza.
13 July 1925  | 7 December 1925  |  Jimmy Goodrich | Universal
7 December 1925  | 3 July 1926  |  Rocky Kansas | Universal
3 July 1926  | 17 July 1930  |  Sammy Mandel | NBA
17 July 1930  | 14 November 1930  |  Al Singer | Universal
14 November 1930  | 23 June 1933  |  Tony Canzoneri | Universal
23 June 1933  | 15 Apr 1935[1] |  Barney Ross | Universal

Ross vacated the title and campaigned as a light welterweight and welterweight. The vacant undisputed NBA and NYSAC lightweight title was filled when Tony Canzoneri defeated Lou Ambers
10 May 1935  | 3 September 1936  |  Tony Canzoneri | Universal
3 September 1936  | 17 July? 1938  |  Lou Ambers | Universal
17 August? 1938  | 22 August 1939  |  Henry Armstrong | Universal
22 August 1939  | 10 May 1940  |  Lou Ambers | NBA
10 May 1940  | 19 December 1941  |  Lew Jenkins | Universal
19 December 1941  | 13 November 1942[1] |  Sammy Angott | Universal

Following Angott's retirement, the NBA and NYSAC titles were disputed between Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, and Juan Zurita as well as Angott, who later came out of retirement. Ike Williams defeats over Zurita and Montgomery, in 1945 and 1947 respectively, would become recognized as the undisputed Lightweight Champion.
18 December 1942  | 21 May 1943  |  Beau Jack | NYSAC
21 May 1943  | 19 November 1943  |  Bob Montgomery | NYSAC
19 November 1943  | 3 March 1944  |  Beau Jack | NYSAC
3 March 1944  | 4 August 1947  |  Bob Montgomery | NYSAC
27 October 1943  | 8 March 1944  |  Sammy Angott | NBA

Angott won the vacant NBA lightweight title versus Slugger White.
8 March 1944  | 18 April 1945  |  Juan Zurita | NBA
18 April 1945  | 25 May 1951  |  Ike Williams | Universal

Ike Williams became the undisputed champion on the 4th of August, 1947 when he knocked out Bob Montgomery, retaining his NBA title and winning Montgomery's NYSAC title.
25 May 1951  | 1 April 1952  |  Jimmy Carter | Universal
14 May 1952  | 15 October 1952  |  Lauro Salas | Universal
15 October 1952  | 6 February 1954  |  Jimmy Carter | Universal
5 March 1954  | 17 November 1954  |  Paddy DeMarco | Universal
17 November 1954  | 29 June 1955  |  Jimmy Carter | Universal
29 June 1955  | 24 August 1956  |  Wallace "Bud" Smith | Universal
24 August 1956  | 21 April 1962  |  Joe Brown | Universal
1963-04-07  | 1965-04-10  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBA/WBC
1965-04-10  | 1965-11-13  |  Ismael Laguna | WBA/WBC
1965-11-13  | 1968-06-29  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBA/WBC
1968-06-29  | 1969-02-18  |  Carlos Teo Cruz | WBA/WBC
1969-02-18  | 1970-03-03  |  Mando Ramos[2] | WBA/WBC
1970-03-03  | 1970-09-15[1] |  Ismael Laguna | WBA/WBC
1971-02-12  | 1971-06-25  |  Ken Buchanan | WBA/WBC

## WBC

[edit]

Reign began  | Reign ended  | Champion  | Recognition

|
|
|

1963-04-07  | 1965-04-10  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBC
1965-04-10  | 1965-11-13  |  Ismael Laguna | WBC
1965-11-13  | 1968-06-29  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBC
1968-06-29  | 1969-02-18  |  Carlos Teo Cruz | WBC
1969-02-18  | 1970-03-03  |  Mando Ramos | WBC
1970-03-03  | 1970-09-15-Stripped  |  Ismael Laguna | WBC
1971-02-12  | 1971-06-25-Stripped  |  Ken Buchanan | WBC
1971-11-05  | 1972-02-18  |  Pedro Carrasco | WBC
1972-02-18  | 1972-09-15  |  Mando Ramos | WBC
1972-09-15  | 1972-11-10  |  Chango Carmona | WBC
1972-11-10  | 1974-04-11  |  Rodolfo Gato González | WBC
1974-04-11  | 1976-05-08  |  Guts Ishimatsu | WBC
1976-05-08  | 1978-01-21  |  Esteban De Jesús | WBC
1978-01-21  | 1979-01-31[1] |  Roberto Durán | WBC

Durán became WBA champion in 1972 by defeating Ken Buchanan. He unified the titles on January 21, 1978, by defeating Esteban De Jesús.
1979-04-17  | 1981-06-20  |  Jim Watt | WBC
1981-06-20  | 1983-Vacated  |  Alexis Argüello | WBC
1983-05-01  | 1984-11-03  |  Edwin Rosario | WBC
1984-11-03  | 1985-08-10  |  José Luis Ramírez | WBC
1985-08-10  | 1987-Vacated  |  Héctor Camacho | WBC
1987-07-19  | 1988-10-29  |  José Luis Ramírez | WBC
1988-10-29  | 1989[1] |  Julio César Chávez | WBC
1989-08-20  | 1991-10-05[3] |  Pernell Whitaker | WBC
1992-08-24  | 1995-08-19[1] |  Miguel Ángel González | WBC
1996-04-20  | 1997-03-01  |  Jean Baptiste Mendy | WBC
1997-03-01  | 1998-06-13  |  Stevie Johnston | WBC
1998-06-13  | 1999-02-27  |  Cesar Bazan | WBC
1999-02-27  | 2000-06-17  |  Stevie Johnston | WBC
2000-06-17  | 2002-04-20  |  José Luis Castillo | WBC
2002-04-20  | 2003-11-01[1] |  Floyd Mayweather Jr. | WBC
2004-06-05  | 2005-05-07  |  José Luis Castillo | WBC
2005-05-07  | 2006-10-06-Stripped  |  Diego Corrales | WBC
2006-10-07  | 2007-02-01[4] |  Joel Casamayor | WBC
2007-02-01  | 2008-06-28  |  David Díaz | WBC
2008-06-28  | 2009-02-24-Vacated  |  Manny Pacquiao | WBC
2009-04-04  | 2010-02-09-Vacated  |  Edwin Valero | WBC
2010-03-17  | 2011-07-01-Vacated  |  Humberto Soto | WBC
2011-10-15  | 2012-11-17  |  Antonio DeMarco | WBC
2012-11-17  | 2014-01-27-Stripped  |  Adrien Broner | WBC
2014-01-27  | 2014-11-10-Stripped  |  Omar Figueroa Jr. | WBC
2014-12-30  | 2016-06-12  |  Jorge Linares | WBC
2016-06-12  | 2017-01-28  |  Dejan Zlatičanin | WBC
2017-01-28  | 2019-04-25-Vacated  |  Mikey Garcia | WBC
2019-08-31  | 2020-10-17  |  Vasyl Lomachenko | WBC Franchise
2019-11-09  | 2023-08-01-Champion in recess  |  Devin Haney | WBC
2023-11-16  | Present  |  Shakur Stevenson | WBC

## WBA

[edit]

Reign began  | Reign ended  | Champion  | Recognition

|
|
|

1962-04-21  | 1965-04-10  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBA
1965-04-10  | 1965-11-13  |  Ismael Laguna | WBA
1965-11-13  | 1968-06-29  |  Carlos Ortiz | WBA
1968-06-29  | 1969-02-18  |  Carlos Teo Cruz | WBA
1969-02-18  | 1970-03-03  |  Mando Ramos | WBA
1970-03-03  | 1970-09-26  |  Ismael Laguna | WBA
1970-09-26  | 1972-06-26  |  Ken Buchanan | WBA
1972-06-26  | 1979-01-31[1] |  Roberto Durán | WBA
1979-06-16  | 1980-03-02  |  Ernesto España | WBA
1980-03-02  | 1981-04-12  |  Hilmer Kenty | WBA
1981-04-12  | 1981-04-12[1] |  Sean O'Grady | WBA
1981-09-12  | 1981-12-05  |  Claude Noel | WBA
1981-12-05  | 1982-05-08  |  Arturo Frias | WBA
1982-05-08  | 1984-06-01  |  Ray Mancini | WBA
1984-06-01  | 1986-09-26  |  Livingstone Bramble | WBA
1986-09-26  | 1987-11-21  |  Edwin Rosario | WBA
1987-11-21  | 1988-10-29[1] |  Julio César Chávez | WBA
1989-07-09  | 1990-04-04  |  Edwin Rosario | WBA
1990-04-04  | 1990-08-11  |  Juan Nazario | WBA
1990-08-11  | 1991-10-05  |  Pernell Whitaker[1] | WBA
1992-06-13  | 1992-10-24  |  Joey Gamache | WBA
1992-10-24  | 1993-06-26  |  Tony Lopez | WBA
1993-06-26  | 1993-10-30  |  Dingaan Thobela | WBA
1993-10-30  | 1998-05-16  |  Orzubek Nazarov | WBA
1998-05-16  | 1999-04-10  |  Jean Baptiste Mendy | WBA
1999-04-10  | 1999-08-07  |  Julien Lorcy | WBA
1999-08-07  | 1999-11-13  |  Stefano Zoff | WBA
1999-11-13  | 2000-06-11  |  Gilberto Serrano | WBA
2000-06-11  | 2001-07-01  |  Takanori Hatakeyama | WBA
2001-07-01  | 2001-10-08  |  Julien Lorcy | WBA
2001-10-08  | 2002-01-05  |  Raul Horacio Balbi | WBA
2002-01-05  | 2003-05-17[1] |  Leonard Doroftei | WBA
2004-04-10  | 2004-07-17  |  Lakva Sim | WBA
2004-07-17  | 2008-03-08  |  Juan Díaz | WBA Super Champion
2007-12-29  | 2008-05-19  |  José Alfaro | WBA Regular Champion
2008-03-08  | 2009-01-10-Vacated  |  Nate Campbell | WBA Super Champion
2008-05-19  | 2009-01-03  |  Yusuke Kobori | WBA Regular Champion
2009-01-03  | 2010-05-29  |  Paulus Moses | WBA Regular Champion
2009-02-28  | 2012-01-05-Stripped  |  Juan Manuel Márquez | WBA Super Champion
2010-05-29  | 2011-02-26  |  Miguel Acosta | WBA Regular Champion
2011-02-26  | 2011-12-02-Stripped  |  Brandon Rios | WBA Regular Champion
2013-02-28  | 2015-04-09-Stripped  |  Richar Abril | WBA
2015-04-09  | 2015-11-21  |  Darleys Perez | WBA
2015-11-21  | 2016-09-25  |  Anthony Crolla | WBA
2016-09-25  | 2018-05-12  |  Jorge Linares | WBA
2018-05-12  | 2020-10-17  |  Vasyl Lomachenko | WBA
2020-10-17  | 2021-11-27  |  Teófimo López | WBA
2021-11-27  | 2022-06-05  |  George Kambosos Jr. | WBA
2022-06-05  | 2023-11-29-Vacated  |  Devin Haney | WBA
2023-11-29  | Present  |  Gervonta Davis | WBA

## IBF

[edit]

Reign began  | Reign ended  | Champion  | Recognition

|
|
|

1984-01-30  | 1984-04-15  |  Charlie Brown | IBF
1984-04-15  | 1985-04-06  |  Harry Arroyo | IBF
1985-04-06  | 1986-12-05  |  Jimmy Paul | IBF
1986-12-05  | 1987-06-07  |  Greg Haugen | IBF
1987-06-07  | 1988-02-06  |  Vinny Pazienza | IBF
1988-02-06  | 1989-02-18  |  Greg Haugen | IBF
1989-02-18  | 1992-Vacated  |  Pernell Whitaker | IBF

Pernell Whitaker becomes the undisputed champion of the lightweight division by winning the IBF title in February, 1989, and then defeating José Luis Ramírez for the vacant WBC title on August 20, 1989, and Juan Nazario for the WBA title on August 11, 1990.
1993-01-10  | 1994-02-19  |  Freddie Pendleton | IBF
1994-02-19  | 1995-05-06  |  Rafael Ruelas | IBF
1995-05-06  | 1995-07[1] |  Oscar De La Hoya | IBF
1995-08-19  | 1997-08-02  |  Philip Holiday | IBF
1997-08-02  | 1999-04-17[1] |  Shane Mosley | IBF
1999-08-20  | 2003-06-Vacated  |  Paul Spadafora[4] | IBF
2003-11-22  | 2004-05-13  |  Javier Jáuregui | IBF
2004-05-13  | 2005-03-01[1] |  Julio Díaz | IBF
2005-06-17  | 2005-09-17  |  Leavander Johnson | IBF
2005-09-17  | 2007-02-03  |  Jesús Chávez | IBF
2008-02-03  | 2007-10-19  |  Julio Díaz | IBF
2007-10-19  | 2008-03-08  |  Juan Díaz | IBF
2008-03-08  | 2009-02-13-Stripped  |  Nate Campbell[4] | IBF
2010-08-14  | 2014-09-13  |  Miguel Vazquez | IBF
2014-09-13  | 2015-06-26-Vacated  |  Mickey Bey | IBF
2015-12-18  | 2016-06-03-Vacated  |  Rances Barthelemy | IBF
2018-07-28  | 2018-10-30-Vacated  |  Mikey Garcia  | IBF
2019-02-02  | 2019-12-14  |  Richard Commey | IBF
2019-12-14  | 2021-11-27  |  Teófimo López | IBF
2021-11-27  | 2022-06-05  |  George Kambosos Jr. | IBF
2022-06-05  | 2023-11-29-Vacated  |  Devin Haney | IBF
2024-05-12  | 2025-06-09-Vacated  |  Vasyl Lomachenko | IBF
2025-06-09  | Present  | Vacant  | IBF

## WBO

[edit]

Reign began  | Reign ended  | Champion  | Recognition

|
|
|

1989-05-06  | 1990-09-22  |  Mauricio Aceves | WBO
1990-09-22  | 1991-09-14[1] |  Dingaan Thobela | WBO
1992-09-25  | 1994[1] |  Giovanni Parisi | WBO
1994-07-29  | 1996[1] |  Oscar De La Hoya | WBO
1996-04-13  | 2004-01-03  |  Artur Grigorian | WBO
2004-01-03  | 2004-08-07  |  Acelino Freitas | WBO
2004-08-07  | 2005[1] |  Diego Corrales | WBO
2006-04-29  | 2007-04-28  |  Acelino Freitas | WBO
2007-04-28  | 2008-03-08  |  Juan Díaz | WBO
2008-03-08  | 2009-02-13-Stripped  |  Nate Campbell[4] | WBO
2010-02-28  | 2012-01-06-Stripped  |  Juan Manuel Márquez | WBO
2012-01-06  | 2014-03-01  |  Ricky Burns | WBO
2014-03-01  | 2015-03-24-Vacated  |  Terence Crawford | WBO
2015-07-11  | 2017-08-26-Vacated  |  Terry Flanagan | WBO
2018-02-16  | 2018-08-25  |  Ray Beltrán | WBO
2018-08-25  | 2018-12-08  |  Jose Pedraza | WBO
2018-12-08  | 2020-10-17  |  Vasyl Lomachenko | WBO
2020-10-17  | 2021-11-27  |  Teófimo López | WBO
2021-11-27  | 2022-06-05  |  George Kambosos Jr. | WBO
2022-06-05  | 2023-11-29-Vacated  |  Devin Haney | WBO
2024-05-18  | 2025-02-14  |  Denys Berinchyk | WBO
2025-02-14  | 2025-06-06-Stripped  |  Keyshawn Davis | WBO

## See also

[edit]

* List of British world boxing champions

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v Relinquished championship title.
2. ^ Disputed; see Pedro Carrasco
3. ^ Championship title withdrawn by sanctioning organization due to champion's failure or refusal to defend title against organization's top-ranked contender.
4. ^ a b c d Stripped of championship title.

## External links

[edit]

* Ken Buchanan - Lightweight Champion of the World \- Ken Buchanan site with detailed bio, statistics, full fights and more
* https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association's_Quarterly_Ratings:_1942
* https://boxrec.com/media/index.php/National_Boxing_Association's_Quarterly_Ratings:_1943

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