Light Middleweight (also known as
Junior Middleweight or
Super Welterweight), is a weight division in professional boxing, between 148-154 pounds (66.7-69.9 kg).
This division was established in 1962, when the Austrian Board of Control recognized a fight between
Emile GriffithEmile Alphonse Griffith is a former boxer who was the first fighter from the U.S. Virgin Islands ever to become a world champion. He is best known for a controversial 1962 welterweight title fight in which Benny Paret died ten days after being knocked out by Griffith. In addition to the...
and Teddy Wright for the "world" championship. The fight, which took place on October 17, was won by Griffith via fifteen round decision.
Light Middleweight (also known as
Junior Middleweight or
Super Welterweight), is a weight division in professional boxing, between 148-154 pounds (66.7-69.9 kg).
This division was established in 1962, when the Austrian Board of Control recognized a fight between
Emile GriffithEmile Alphonse Griffith is a former boxer who was the first fighter from the U.S. Virgin Islands ever to become a world champion. He is best known for a controversial 1962 welterweight title fight in which Benny Paret died ten days after being knocked out by Griffith. In addition to the...
and Teddy Wright for the "world" championship. The fight, which took place on October 17, was won by Griffith via fifteen round decision. Three days later, the
World Boxing AssociationThe World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title, at the professional level. It is also the most major title out of the four. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...
championship was created when
Denny MoyerDenny Moyer is a retired American boxer who held the World Light middleweight title between 1962 and 1963. He finished his career with a 97–38–4 record.-Personal Background:...
outpointed
Joey GiambraJoey Giambra , was a former middleweight boxer who faced and defeated most of the top contenders of his era. Giambra also defeated future middleweight champion, Joey Giardello, in two out of three matches....
. The
World Boxing CouncilThe World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...
recognized the WBA champion as the true division champion until 1975, when it sanctioned a fight between
Miguel de OliveiraMiguel de Oliveira is a former Brazilian boxer at middleweight. He was born in Sao Paulo, Brazil.- Professional career :...
and Jose Duran. De Oliveira won the title over fifteen rounds in 1975. The
International Boxing FederationThe International Boxing Federation, or IBF, is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...
crowned its first champion when
Mark MedalMark Medal , was a professional boxer in the Light Middleweight division.Medal turned pro in 1979 and won the Vacant IBF Light Middleweight Title with a TKO win over Earl Hargrove in 1984, becoming the inaugural champion. He lost the belt in his first defense to Carlos Santos...
defeated Earl Hargrove in 1984.
Popular fighters to have held championships in this division were
Nino BenvenutiGiovanni Benvenuti , better known as Nino Benvenuti, is an Italian former boxer who is considered by many, including noted boxing writer Brian Doogan, to be the greatest boxer ever from Italy.Benvenuti went to the 1960 Olympic Games in Rome, where he earned the Welterweight division's gold medal...
,
Wilfred BenitezWilfred Benítez , is a Puerto Rican boxer. He is remembered best as a skilled and aggressive fighter with exceptional defensive abilities who won world championships in three separate weight divisions, and was the youngest world champion in boxing history.- Early history :Benitez, a young prodigy...
,
Sugar Ray LeonardSugar Ray Leonard is a retired American professional boxer . Named Fighter of the Decade for the 1980s, he is widely considered to be one of the best boxers of all time, winning world titles at multiple weights and engaging in contests with such celebrated opponents as Wilfred Benitez, Thomas...
,
Thomas HearnsThomas "Hitman" Hearns , is an outstanding American 8-time world champion professional boxer in six different categories or weights.Hearns became the first ever quadruple world champion in boxing history....
,
Mike McCallumMike McCallum is a retired boxer from Jamaica who held world titles in several weight classes.-Amateur career:...
,
Julian JacksonJulian Jackson is a former professional boxer and former three-time world champion of the middle weight & junior middle weight division. Born in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Jackson is considered to be one of the hardest pound-for-pound punchers of all time...
,
Roberto DuranRoberto Durán is a retired professional boxer from Panama, widely regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all-time. A versatile brawler in the ring, he was nicknamed "Manos de Piedra" during his career....
,
Terry NorrisTerry Wayne Norris is a retired American boxer and a three-time world champion in the junior middleweight division. Originally from Lubbock, Texas, he fought out of San Diego.- Early boxing career :...
,
Oscar De La HoyaOscar "The Golden Boy" De La Hoya is a retired American boxer of Mexican descent. He won a gold medal at the Barcelona Olympic Games. De La Hoya comes from a boxing family. His grandfather Vicente, father Joel Sr., and brother Joel Jr. were all boxers...
,
Floyd Mayweather Jr.Floyd Joy Mayweather, Jr. , is an African-American professional boxer. He is all-time undefeated as a professional, with a record of 40–0...
and
Winky WrightRonald Lamont "Winky" Wright is an American boxer, the former undisputed light middleweight world champion and a current middleweight contender....
. Wright was the first
undisputed championIn professional boxing, the undisputed champion of a weight class is a boxer who is recognized as the world champion at that class by each boxing organization.-History:...
since 1975 when he unified his IBF belts with Sugar Shane Mosley's WBC and WBA belts on March 13, 2004.