There are many boxing weight classes and they change per each organization, making it difficult to understand the details and differences between each one.
In this article, I’ll lay out all the divisions in an easy-to-understand format for you. Let’s get to it.
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Table of Contents
Professional boxing weight classes
There are four major boxing organizations that sanction professional bouts, those are:
- WBA: World Boxing Association
- WBC: World Boxing Council
- IBF: International Boxing Federation
- WBO: World Boxing Organization
These organizations recognize different naming conventions between several weight limits.
There are a total of 19 weight classes in professional boxing, across all major organizations.
Here are all the weight classes in professional boxing:
| Weight limit (lb/kg) | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 102 lb/46.3 kg | Light minimumweight | Atomweight | Junior mini flyweight | Atomweight |
| 105 lb/47.6 kg | Minimumweight | Strawweight | Mini flyweight | |
| 108 lb/49.0 kg | Light flyweight | Junior flyweight | ||
| 112 lb/50.8 kg | Flyweight | |||
| 115 lb/52.5 kg | Super flyweight | Junior bantamweight | ||
| 118 lb/53.5 kg | Bantamweight | |||
| 122 lb/55.3 kg | Super bantamweight | Junior featherweight | ||
| 126 lb/57.2 kg | Featherweight | |||
| 130 lb/59.0 kg | Super featherweight | Junior lightweight | ||
| 135 lb/61.2 kg | Lightweight | |||
| 140 lb/63.5 kg | Super lightweight | Junior welterweight | ||
| 147 lb/66.7 kg | Welterweight | |||
| 154 lb/69.9 kg | Super welterweight | Junior middleweight | ||
| 160 lb/72.6 kg | Middleweight | |||
| 168 lb/76.2 kg | Super middleweight | |||
| 175 lb/79.4 kg | Light heavyweight | |||
| 200 lb/90.7 kg | Cruiserweight | Junior heavyweight | ||
| 224 lb/101.6 kg | Bridgerweight | |||
| No limit | Heavyweight | |||
Bridgerweight is currently the only weight class that is recognized by just one org, the WBC.
Catchweight matchups are also possible inside boxing, where an irregular weight limit is selected for the bout (e.g. 150 lb). But these are not viable for awarding championship belts.
For more details on every single professional boxing class, keep reading.
Light minimumweight/Atomweight/Junior mini flyweight (102 lb/46.3 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA (Light minimumweight), WBC & WBO (Atomweight), IBF (Junior mini flyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 2007
The Light minimumweight, also known as Atomweight and Junior mini flyweight, is a relatively recent addition to professional boxing, established in 2007.
This weight class offers a competitive platform for smaller female boxers who have a talent for unbelievable speed and precision.
Notable boxers are Monserrat Alarcón, the two-division Mexican champion.
Fabiana Bytyqi is the first female from the Czech Republic to win a major championship (WBC female Atomweight).
Minimumweight/Strawweight/Mini flyweight (105 lb/47.6 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA (Minimumweight), WBC (Strawweight), IBF & WHO (Mini flyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1987
The Minimumweight class, known alternatively as Strawweight and Mini flyweight, was established in 1987.
This category opened opportunities for smaller fighters, first seen at the 1968 Summer Olympic Games but not officially recognized until ’87.
Most notable names from this division are the Thai native Thammanoon Niyomtrong, better known for his ring name ‘Knockout CP Freshmart’ and the Puerto Rican, Oscar Collazo, who is a rising star having recently won the WBO Mini flyweight title.
Light flyweight/Junior flyweight (108 lb/49.0 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Light flyweight), IBF & WBO (Junior flyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1975
Light flyweight, also known as Junior flyweight, was introduced in 1975, creating a bridge between the smallest weight classes and the Flyweight division.
This weight class has been a platform for boxers who excel in higher power at great speed.
Noteworthy fighters in this category include Kenshiro Teraji from Japan and Jonathan González from Puerto Rico who has also represented his country, winning gold both at the Youth World Championships and Central American and Caribbean Games.
Flyweight (112 lb/50.8 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Flyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1911
Flyweight, established in 1911, is one of the oldest weight classes in professional boxing where it has been a feature of all major boxing organizations for the lighter fighter.
Legendary boxers in this weight class include Jimmy Wilde, often considered one of the greatest flyweights of all time.
As well as Omar Andres Narvaez who defended his WBO belt 16 times over 7 years and Pongsaklek Wonjongkam from Thailand, who defended the WBC title 17 times.
Super flyweight/Junior bantamweight (115 lb/52.5 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Super flyweight), IBF & WBO (Junior bantamweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1980
The Super flyweight or Junior bantamweight division, established in 1980, offers a stage for fighters slightly heavier than Flyweights but still maintains a high level of agility and technical skill.
It’s common for boxers from Flyweight to also meet this weight limit for bouts.
Notable boxers in this class include Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada, a two-weight world champion who has held WBC, WBA, and WHO titles.
There’s also Román González, better known as ‘Chocolatito’, hailing from Nicaragua and became the first Nicaraguan to win world titles in four different weight classes.
Bantamweight (118 lb/53.5 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Bantamweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1894
The bantamweight division, established in 1894, is a historic class where speed and technique are as crucial as power.
This weight limit has been a battlefield for many great matchups over the last century.
Eminent boxers in this category include the longest-reigning title holder, Anselmo Moreno, the Australian Jason Moloney, and Puerto Rico’s Emmanuel Rodríguez.
Super bantamweight/Junior featherweight (122 lb/55.3 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Super bantamweight), IBF & WBO (Junior featherweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1976
Introduced in 1976, the Super bantamweight or Junior featherweight class offers a platform for fighters who are slightly heavier and often transition between Bantamweight to Featherweight bouts.
Some of the best boxers in this class have been the knockout monster from Japan, Naoya Inoue, who has held the WBO & WBC titles, and the Filipino, Marlon Tapales, who has held the WBA & IBF titles.
Featherweight (126 lb/57.2 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Featherweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1889
Featherweight is another one of the oldest divisions and has been home to many of boxing’s greatest tacticians.
Legends of Featherweight are Leigh Wood, the English two-time champion, and Chris John, a now-retired Indonesian boxer who defended his WBA title 18 times over a decade between 2004-2013.
Super featherweight/Junior lightweight (130 lb/59.0 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Super featherweight), IBF & WBO (Junior lightweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1959
The super featherweight or junior lightweight division, created in 1959, is a dynamic weight class that showcases a blend of agility and increased punching power.
Famous boxers at this weight include the Mexican KO powerhouse, Emanuel Navarrete, and the recently new WBA title holder, American Lamont Roach Jr.
Lightweight (135 lb/61.2 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Lightweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1886
Lightweight, with its roots stretching back to 1886, is a classic division that has featured some of the most skilled and versatile boxers in history, offering a perfect blend of speed, power, and technical prowess.
Names at the top of the list in this class include the American, Devin Haney, who has unified the Lightweight belts across WBA, WBC & WBO.
Plenty of other modern greats such as Ukranian Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, and Ryan Garcia are also worth mentioning.
Other legends from the boxing records would be Roberto Durán, Artur Grigorian, and Ike Williams to name just a few!
Super lightweight/Junior welterweight (140 lb/63.5 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Super lightweight), IBF & WBO (Junior welterweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1959
The super lightweight or junior welterweight division, established in 1959, showcases fighters who possess additional power as we get closer to Welterweight—offering some tasty encounters.
Boxers recently at the top of excellence for this division are the WBC title-dominant Regis Prograis, Puerto Rican Subriel Matías, American Teofimo Lopez, and Scotsman Josh Taylor.
Welterweight (147 lb/66.7 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Welterweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1914
The Welterweight division, in place since 1914, has been a fertile ground for some of boxing’s most celebrated and versatile fighters.
Recent champions to mention are Terence Crawford for holding the WBA, WBC and WBO titles simultaneously, and Errol Spence Jr.
But Welterweight has also brought us legendary names like Sugar Ray Robinson, Félix Trinidad, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., each of which have had massive impacts on the sport.
Super welterweight/Junior middleweight (154 lb/69.9 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA & WBC (Super welterweight), IBF & WBO (Junior middleweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1962
The Super welterweight or Junior middleweight class brings boxers with the power of middleweights and the agility of welterweights that often bring explosive round-by-round bouts.
Standouts at this weight are the three-title-holding American, Jermell Charlo and the Australian Tim Tszyu.
Middleweight (160 lb/72.6 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Middleweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1884
The Middleweight division is another one of boxing’s most prestigious classes, showcasing a depth of explosive power and slick counterattack boxing styles.
Boxing at this weight class has recently brought us skills from Janibek Alimkhanuly, Jermall Charlo, and Erislandy Lara.
But we also have legends from boxing’s past to thank for their performances, like Bernard Hopkins with titles across IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO, and 20 successful defenses of his titles.
Kazakhstani Gennady Golovkin (better known as ‘GGG’) also had 22 successful defenses at Middleweight and had a large influence on boxing.
Super middleweight (168 lb/76.2 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Super middleweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1984
The Super middleweight division was introduced fairly recently and offered an additional weight class for Middleweights who struggled to cut down as competition intensified.
Canelo Álvarez is the major name who has excelled in this division across all organizations, unifying all major titles and only losing twice to Dmitry Bivol and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at different weight classes.
We’ve also had classic professional talents in boxing history with the likes of the Welshman, Joe Calzaghe, and German Sven Ottke. Both defended their titles 21 times.
Light heavyweight (175 lb/79.4 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Light heavyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1913
Light heavyweight has offered a taste of the heavy-hitting potential in pro boxing.
Distinguished names in this weight class have included the Russian, Dmitry Bivol, and Russian/Canadian, Artur Beterbiev.
Legendary boxers have fought here, too, like Archie Moore and Dariusz Michalczewski who continue to hold some of the longest reigning periods of holding their belts during their prime.
Cruiserweight/Junior heavyweight (200 lb/90.7 kg)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC & IBF (Cruiserweight), WBO (Junior heavyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1980
The Cruiserweight or Junior heavyweight division, established as late as 1980, bridges the gap up to Heavyweight in most organizations.
Recent champions include Jai Opetaia, who has been ranked the best Cruiserweight in the world, and the Armenian-German, Noel Gevor.
History has brought us other considerable boxers like the British Johnny Nelson, Oleksandr Usyk, and Marco Huck.
Bridgerweight (224 lb/101.6 kg)
- Recognized by: WBC
- Weight limit in use since: 2020
Bridgerweight, a new division recognized solely by the WBC since 2020, aims to provide an additional competitive class for heavy boxers who still prefer a weight limit.
The other major organizations are yet to recognize it and it may be considerable time before they do.
As it’s so fresh, there isn’t much else to say about this weight division except for noting the first two champions in its short history: Óscar Rivas and Łukasz Różański.
Heavyweight (no limit)
- Recognized by: WBA, WBC, IBF & WBO (Heavyweight)
- Weight limit in use since: 1884
The Heavyweight division is where the biggest and heaviest boxers come to delight combat sports fans.
Heavyweight bouts are often some of the most spectacular events in terms of viewership and pay-per-view numbers.
In recent years, we’ve been delighted by performances from Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk, the “Gypsy King himself Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Anthony Joshua, Joe Joyce, and many more.
Legendary heavyweights include Muhammad Ali, celebrated for his extraordinary skill, charisma, and activism.
Not forgetting the dangerous Mike Tyson and Joe Louis, one of the most dominant heavyweights in boxing history.
Amateur boxing weight classes
Amateur weight classes in boxing work differently from professionals for added safety and less severe weight cuts.
Specifically, instead of weight limits, these are minimum weights where the maximum weight is the minimum of the weight class above it.
There are a total of 15 potential weight classes in amateur boxing. Or if you include each individual weight across juniors and both genders, there are 37.
Here are all the weight classes in amateur boxing:
| Weight class | Junior weight (lb/kg) | Women’s weight (lb/kg) | Men’s weight (lb/kg) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pinweight | 44–46 kg (97.0–101.4 lb) | 45–47.5 kg (99.2–104.7 lb) | 46–48 kg (101.4–105.8 lb) |
| Light flyweight | 48 kg (105.8 lb) | 50 kg (110.2 lb) | — |
| Flyweight | 50 kg (110.2 lb) | 52.5 kg (115.7 lb) | 51 kg (112.4 lb) |
| Light bantamweight | 52 kg (114.6 lb) | — | — |
| Bantamweight | 54 kg (119.0 lb) | 55 kg (121.3 lb) | 54 kg (119.0 lb) |
| Featherweight | 57 kg (125.7 lb) | 57.5 kg (126.8 lb) | 57 kg (125.7 lb) |
| Lightweight | 60 kg (132.3 lb) | 60 kg (132.3 lb) | 60 kg (132.3 lb) |
| Light welterweight | 63 kg (138.9 lb) | 63 kg (138.9 lb) | 63.5 kg (140.0 lb) |
| Welterweight | 66 kg (145.5 lb) | 66 kg (145.5 lb) | 67 kg (147.7 lb) |
| Light middleweight | 70 kg (154.3 lb) | 70 kg (154.3 lb) | 71 kg (156.5 lb) |
| Middleweight | 75 kg (165.3 lb) | 75 kg (165.3 lb) | 75 kg (165.3 lb) |
| Light heavyweight | 80 kg (176.4 lb) | 81 kg (178.6 lb) | 80 kg (176.4 lb) |
| Cruiserweight | — | — | 86 kg (189.6 lb) |
| Heavyweight | — | Unlimited | 92 kg (202.8 lb) |
| Super heavyweight | — | — | Unlimited |
FAQ On Boxing Weight Classes
Why are there so many weight classes in boxing?
Professional boxing has so many weight classes (19 in total) to provide safety, fairness, and competitive balance. These classes are intended to match fighters of similar size, reducing mismatches and the potential health risks from extreme weight cuts. They also showcase more skillsets from more fighters, creating more champions and improving viewership engagement with one boxer being able to win titles in multiple divisions, sometimes simultaneously.
Which boxing weight class has the most knockouts?
The Heavyweight division in boxing commonly has the highest knockout rate across all organizations. This can be simply attributed to the greater power and strength of the fighters. A boxer’s brain and skull are largely the same, regardless of weight, which means that more power behind a punch equals more knockout potential.
Which weight class makes the most money?
The Heavyweight division in boxing is the most lucrative largely because of the appeal of massive knockout power—one punch could end a fight and that’s exciting for the fans. That is likely why the Heavyweight matchups get a considerably higher level of media coverage and bring in the most high-value sponsorship deals to promoters and the boxers themselves. Ever since the bouts of Muhammad Ali, the heaviest fighters have brought the most dazzling action underpinned by taking the greatest risks.
