Breakdown of Boxing's Weight-Classes

Boxing's early days looked nothing like the sport does today, including its confusing and hard to remember division designations that incrementally increase from 105 pounds to 201 pounds and up.

Back in the day, weights didn't really matter when making a fight. Guys just slugged it out without any mind paid to size differentials. That changed starting in 1890s when the Marquess of Queensberry Rules instituted universal regulations for the sport. Roughly 20 years later, eight traditional weight-classes with specific limits debuted thanks to the National Sporting Club of London—heavyweight, cruiserweight, middleweight, welterweight, lightweight, featherweight, bantamweight, and flyweight.

The weight limits have fluctuated for some of the divisions over the years (or centuries) since history books will tell you that the heavyweight limit used to be 160 pounds as far back as the 1730s. Athletes have grown considerably since the 18th century and so have the number of divisions in boxing—the sport now features 17 weight classes. Adding to the confusion of many casual fans, three of the four sanctioning bodies (WBC, WBA, IBF) agreed to standardized division designations in 2015 while one (WBO) continues to do things differently.

So keeping all that in mind, we're offering up a breakdown of boxing's divisions—a little history mixed in with a snapshot as they stand in the first quarter of 2020.

Heavyweight (201 lbs and up)

The most glamorous and romanticized division in boxing. Many of the sport’s most famous fighters—like Joe Louis and his 25 title defenses, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali, Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson, and Lennox Lewis—all fought here and the health of the sport is largely tied to the division’s quality and fan interest in seeing the big boys brawl. With a number of high-profile heavyweights like Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, and Anthony Joshua, the heavyweight division has enjoyed a relevancy renaissance in recent years.

Cruiserweight (200 lbs limit)

Usually it’s a pit stop here on the way to heavyweight. Evander Holyfield was the first undisputed champion in the division’s history in the late 1980s. Oleksandr Usyk, one of our top 10 pound-for-pound boxers, was the most recent undisputed champion before moving to heavyweight in 2019.

Light Heavyweight (175 lbs limit)

Roy Jones Jr. is the division’s most celebrated modern champion that low-key has been one of boxing’s best and deepest over recent years. We saw Canelo Alvarez move up two divisions to light heavyweight last year to win a title while Artur Beterbiev—one of the hardest punchers in boxing—is largely considered the division’s best these days.

Super Middleweight (168 lbs limit)

Alvarez, the face of boxing, will likely take the many of his future fights in this weight-class that doesn’t feature the depth and talent of the division above or below it. Canelo was supposed to take on Billy Joe Saunders in May for Saunders’ WBO belt at 168, but that's been pushed back. When Canelo and GGG meet for a third time, reportedly later this year, there's a good chance it happens at this weight instead of 160. The division currently has four different champions and one vacant title up for grabs.

Middleweight (160 lbs limit)

The division Bernard Hopkins ruled in the 90s when he defended his titles 20 straight times is one of boxing’s best. Canelo still holds a title in this weight class and future Hall of Famer Gennadiy Golovkin—still a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter—holds two belts. A division with a rich history that saw greats like Sugar Ray Robinson and Marvin Hagler rule it back in the day, middleweight is deep and features dangerous and talented fighters like Demetrius Andrade and Jermall Charlo who need to face-off in 2020.

Super Welterweight (154 lbs limit)

Also known as junior middleweight. The division is devoid of star power, but filled with fighters who can put on a good show. While Jermell Charlo, twin brother of middleweight champ Jermall Charlo, is arguably the best at 154, division supremacy is absolutely up for grabs.

Welterweight (147 lbs limit)

Boxing’s deepest, best, and most entertaining division, this is the weight-class Floyd Mayweather Jr. ruled for years and features three of our top 10 pound-for-pound boxers in Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, and Manny Pacquiao. Many of boxing’s greatest fighters fought at 147 pounds like Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, and Emile Griffith. Prayers up that we can get a Crawford-Spence unification mega-fight—one of the biggest to make in boxing—before they’re both washed up.

Super Lightweight (140 lbs limit)

Also known as junior welterweight. Caught between two of the sport’s glamour divisions, this weight-class features some of boxing’s most underrated and overlooked fighters like Josh Taylor, Jose Ramirez, Regis Prograis, and Maurice Hooker. Before the boxing calendar was put on hold, supremacy in the division was expected to be sorted out by the end of the year since the best were actually lined up to eventually fight each other.

Lightweight (135 lbs limit)

One of the best divisions, Vasiliy Lomachenko stands above everyone else at 135 since he’s our No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world and is supremely gifted in ways rarely seen. But with names like Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, and Gervonta Davis lurking behind Lomachenko there are excellent fights to be made at lightweight. Maybe Mikey Garcia drops back down to 135—where Roberto Duran, Julio Cesar Chavez, and Pernell Whitaker once ruled—to take a mega-fight.

Super Featherweight (130 pound limit)

Also known as junior lightweight. Floyd Mayweather made his pro debut and earned his first belt at this weight. With names like Miguel Berchelt (a borderline pound-for-pound top 10 boxer), Jojo Diaz, Jamel Herring, and Leo Santa Cruz fighting in the division, it can offer up entertaining fights for the hardcore fans. Greats like Henry Armstrong and Alexis Arguello once ruled the division.

Featherweight (126 pound limit)

Home, for now, of Shakur Stevenson who has future superstardom written all over him. A 2016 Olympic silver medalist for the United States is just getting started and many have him pegged for greatness. Legends like Henry Armstrong and Alexis Arguello once ruled the division.

Super Bantamweight (122 pound limit)

Also known or junior featherweight. Emanuel Navarrete, who fought on the Wilder-Fury 2 undercard, is considered by many to be the best in the division.

Bantamweight (118 pound limit)

One of our best pound-for-pound boxers and hardest puchers, Nayoa Inoue, is the top dog in this division and a burgeoning superstar. Our 2019 Fight of the Year went down in this weight-class that still features one future Hall of Famer (Nonito Donaire), an underrated power puncher in Luis Nery, and a couple of other names hardcore fans know and respect.

Super Flyweight (115 pound limit)

Some call this the junior bantamweight division. Doesn’t really matter what you prefer as long as you respect the division since it features one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in Juan Francisco Estrada and former fixtures on the mythical list Roman “Choclatito” Gonzalez and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.

Flyweight (112 pound limit)

The legendary Manny Pacquiao won his first title in 1998 at this weight. Flyweight supremacy appears to be up for grabs now that Kosei Tanaka, an undefeated three-division champion, is looking to take on new challengers at a different weight.

Junior Flyweight (108 pound limit)

Pacquiao, the only eight-division champion in boxing history, made his debut in 1995 at 106 pounds. Kenshiro “The Amazing Boy” Teraji is considered the best in the weight-class.

Minimum Weight (105 pound limit)

Also known as strawweight. The smallest weight-class in boxing. The division’s best, Wanheng Menayothin, quietly surpassed Mayweather’s 50-0 mark in 2018. He’s now 54-0.