Middleweight

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For the mixed martial arts division of the same name, see Middleweight (MMA)

Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1867. Chandler won, becoming known as the American middleweight champion.

The first middleweight fight with gloves may have been between George Fulljames and Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey (no relation to the more famous heavyweight of the same name). Dempsey knocked out Fulljames on July 30, 1884.

In the modern era, middleweight means that the fighter's official weight does not exceed 160 pounds (73 kg). (In practice, however, since weigh-ins take place usually 24 hours before the actual fight, many fighters show up at the actual ringside weighing more.)

The current middleweight champion, Kelly Pavlik, won a T.K.O. victory in September 2007, defeating the defending champion, Jermain Taylor in the 7th round.

Some notable middleweights have been:

  • Bob Fitzsimmons, who was the first fighter - there have only been a handful since - to hold titles in three of the original eight divisions, and the first middleweight champion to capture the heavyweight title

[edit] Olympic champions

[edit] Professional Champions

[edit] Kickboxing


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Weight divisions in boxing
Professional boxing
Olympic boxing