Lightweight


Lightweight is a weight class in combat sports and rowing.

Boxing

Professional boxing

The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing.
Notable lightweight boxers include Henry Armstrong, Ken Buchanan, Tony Canzoneri, Pedro Carrasco, Joel Casamayor, Al "Bummy" Davis, Oscar De La Hoya, Roberto Durán, Joe Gans, Artur Grigorian, Benny Leonard, Ray Mancini, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Márquez, Sugar Shane Mosley, Miguel Ángel González, Carlos Ortiz, Katie Taylor, Edwin Valero, Len Wickwar, Pernell Whitaker, Manny Pacquiao and Ike Williams.

Current world champions

Sanctioning bodyReign beganChampionRecordDefenses
WBAVacant
WBCNovember 16, 2023Shakur Stevenson24–0 3
IBFJune 9, 2025Raymond Muratalla23–0 0
WBONovember 22, 2025Abdullah Mason20–0 0

Current world rankings

''The Ring''
As of August 11, 2025.
Keys:
RankNameRecordTitle
C
1Shakur Stevenson24–0 WBC
2Gervonta Davis30–0–1 WBA
3Raymond Muratalla23–0 IBF
4William Zepeda33–1
5Andy Cruz6–0
6Floyd Schofield19–0
7Denys Berinchyk19–1
8Sam Noakes17–0
9Abdullah Mason20–0 WBO
10Lucas Bahdi20–0
''BoxRec''
As of May 19, 2025.
RankNameRecordTitle
1Gervonta Davis30–0–1 WBA
2Shakur Stevenson23–0 WBC
3Raymond Muratalla23–0
4William Zepeda Segura33-0
5Keyshawn Davis13–0–0–1
6Lamont Roach Jr.25–1–2
7Zaur Abdullaev20–2
8Sam Noakes17–0
9Abdullah Mason20–0
10Jadier Herrera17–0

Longest reigning world lightweight champions

Below is a list of "longest reigning lightweight champions" career time as champion does not apply.
NameTitle ReignTitle recognitionSuccessful defensesBeaten opponentsFights
1.Benny Leonard7 years, 7 months, 17 daysWorld66
2.Artur Grigorian7 years, 6 months, 20 daysWBO1717
3.Jack McAuliffe6 years, 7 months, 12 daysWorld76
4.Roberto Durán6 years, 7 months, 5 daysWBA1211
5.Ike Williams6 years, 1 month, 7 daysWorld86
6.Joe Gans6 years, 27 daysWorld1513
7.Joe Brown 5 years, 7 months, 27 daysWorld1110
8.Devin Haney4 years, 1 month, 7 daysWBA, WBC, IBF, WBO76
9.Miguel Vazquez4 years, 29 daysIBF66
10.Sammy Mandell4 years, 14 daysNBA44
11.Paul Spadafora3 years, 10 monthsIBF88

Amateur boxing

Olympic Champions

Men’s
Lightweight 127.1 lb - 132 lb or 57.77 kg - 60 kg.
Women's divisions also use this weight class, but usually at a lower weight than the men's divisions.
In Glory promotion, a lightweight division is up to 70 kg.
In ONE Championship, the lightweight division limit is.

Bare-knuckle boxing

The limit for lightweight generally differs among promotions in bare-knuckle boxing:
In World Lethwei Championship, the lightweight division has an upper limit of.

Mixed martial arts

In MMA, the lightweight division is from 146 lb to 155 lb.

Rowing

At the international level, for crew boats, the limits are:
  • Men: Crew average – no rower over
  • Women: Crew average – no rower over
For single sculls, the limits are for men and for women.
Originally, lightweight rowing was a introduced as a category at the 1996 Summer Olympics, due to countries with athletes of smaller average stature competing with an unfair disadvantage, as rowing favors taller athletes who have more leverage.
Current Olympic-class lightweight events in rowing are the men's lightweight double sculls, and the women's lightweight double sculls. From 1996 to 2016, there was also the men's lightweight coxless four event.

Sumo

In amateur sumo competitions sanctioned by the International Sumo Federation, the lightweight class is defined as no heavier than for men, for boys, for women, and for girls.