Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system. In most sports that use it, welterweight is heavier than lightweight but lighter than middleweight.
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A welterweight boxer's weight is greater than 140 pounds (63.5 kilos), but not greater than 147 pounds (66.7kilos).
Henry Armstrong holds the division record for most title defenses at 18. Felix Trinidad was the longest reigning champion, holding the IBF title six years, eight months, and fourteen days. Sugar Ray Robinson is generally considered to be the greatest welterweight of all time.
Notable fighters who have fought as welterweights include Barney Ross, Jackie Fields, Johar Abu Lashin, Ted "Kid" Lewis, Jimmy McLarnin, Jack Britton, Henry Armstrong, Fritzie Zivic, Sugar Ray Robinson, Kid Gavilan, Carmen Basilio, Emile Griffith, José Nápoles, Sugar Ray Leonard, Eisa Al Dah, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Durán, Julio César Chávez, Pernell Whitaker, Félix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Ike Quartey, Shane Mosley, Vernon Forrest, Zab Judah, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Ricky Hatton, Micky Ward, Arturo Gatti, Miguel Cotto, Victor Ortiz, and Manny Pacquiao.
| Sanctioning Body | Reign Began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WBA | April 10, 2009 | Vyacheslav Senchenko | 32-0 (21 KO) | 3 |
| WBC | September 17, 2011 | Floyd Mayweather, Jr. | 42-0 (26 KO) | 0 |
| IBF | Vacant | |||
| WBO | November 14, 2009 | Manny Pacquiao | 54-3-2 (38 KO) | 3 |
The weight division system is different in each organisation. So the kickboxing weight divisions of some international organisations vary:
Muay Thai has fixed its weight division as similar to boxing. According to World Muay Thai Council (WMC), its welter weight is from 140 pounds (63.5 kg) to 147 pounds (66.6 kg). And World Muay Thai Federation (WMF) which is the official amateur organization fixed from 63.5 to 67 kg for adult. The Junior category is the same as adult.
The official rules of shoot boxing define welterweights as between 65 and 67 kg (143.3 to 147.7 lb).
In the sport of olympic taekwondo, welterweight falls between 74 and 80 kg. At the weight classes for the olympic games it is between 68 and 80 kg.
According to the National Physique Association, in bodybuilding a welterweight weighs more than 154.25 lbs and not more than 165.25 lbs.[1]
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