Featherweight is a weight class division in the sport of boxing. There are similarly named divisions under several Mixed Martial Arts organizations (see Featherweight (MMA)) and in Greco-Roman wrestling.
Contents |
A featherweight boxer weighs in at a limit of 126 pounds (57 kg). In the early days of the division, this limit fluctuated. The British have generally always recognized the limit at 126 pounds, but in America the weight limit was at first 114 pounds. An early champion, George Dixon, moved the limit to 120 and then 122 pounds. Finally, in 1920 the United States fixed the limit at 126 pounds.[1]
The 1860 fight between Nobby Clark and Jim Elliott is sometimes called the first featherweight championship. However, the division only gained wide acceptance in 1889 after the Ike Weir-Frank Murphy fight.
Since the end of the 2000s and early 2010s the Featherweight division is one of the most active in boxing with the likes of Chris John, Juan Manuel López, Celestino Caballero, Yuriorkis Gamboa, Elio Rojas, Israel Vazquez, Cristobal Cruz, Rafael Márquez, Rocky Juarez, and Steven Luevano.
In amateur boxing, the weight limit is 54 to 57 kilograms.
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA Super | November 1, 2003 | Chris John | 46-0-2 (22 KO) | 15 |
| WBA Regular | October 14, 2011 | Celestino Caballero | 36-4 (23 KO) | 1 |
| WBC | April 8, 2011 | Jhonny Gonzalez | 51-7 (45 KO) | 3 |
| IBF | July 29, 2011 | Billy Dib | 33-1-0-1 (20 KO) | 1 |
| WBO | April 16, 2011 | Orlando Salido | 37-11-2-1 (25 KO) | 1 |
For a full list, see List of featherweight boxing champions
In kickboxing, a featherweight fighter generally weighs between 55 kg (121 lb) and 59 kg (130 lb). However, some governing bodies have slightly different classes. For example, the International Kickboxing Federation (IKF) featherweight division (professional and amateur) is between 122.1-127 lb (55.50–57.72 kg).
|
|||||||||||