Boxing
List of best lightweight boxing champions
The lightweight division is one of the oldest in boxing history, so the weight class is filled with all-time boxing greats. Find out who they are right here.
Roberto Duran fights Sugar Ray Leonard//Getty Images
The best lightweight champions in boxing
The lightweight division is one of the oldest weight classes in boxing history, dating way back to 1738. It makes sense that boxing would begin to divide weights in the early days between heavy and light; then middle came soon after.
Due to its extensive history, it has produced some of the most iconic names in the sport. Even today, the lightweight division’s current champions are some of the best in the entire boxing world. Three of the four reigning lightweight champs are three-weight world champions, proving just how competitive and talented the historic weight class really is.
Read on to learn all about this 300-year-old celebrated class and who were the best of the bunch.
The first-ever world lightweight champion was Irish-born American Jack McAuliffe between 1886-1893, and is only one of 15 world champions in boxing to retire undefeated, with 27 wins and 11 draws.
The History of the Lightweight Division
The first records of the lightweight division dates all the way back to 1738, when English pugilist Jack Broughton established his ‘Broughton’s Rules’ (drafted in 1743), which were essentially the first-ever guidelines laid out for boxing matches. Prior to this, the loose rules varied from contest to contest, but Broughton created just seven stipulations to make matches stricter and safer.
Later, his list was revised by the London Prize Ring Rules in 1838, outlawing butting, gouging, scratching, kicking, hitting a man while down, holding the ropes, and using resin, stones or hard objects in the hands, and biting.
In 1823, the ‘Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue’ determined the limit for lightweight at 168lbs (12 stone / 76.2kg), which is the weight limit for super-middleweight today. However, the ‘Sportsman’s Slang’ in the same year, stated that the limit was 154lbs (11 stone / 69.9kg), which is today’s super-welterweight limit.
In 1867, the famous Queensberry Rules were published, which gave birth to modern boxing. The biggest change was mandating the use of boxing gloves. At this time, there were only five weight divisions: Feather, light, welter, middle, heavyweight.
Now, there are at least 17 weight classes in boxing, but ‘the original eight’, which were established by the National Sporting Club in London in 1909, were heavy, light-heavy, middle, welter, light, feather, bantam and flyweight.
The lightweight division only became set at 135lbs in 1920 by Walker Law, which is still adhered to today.
Read on to find out who the best 135lbs fighters in boxing history are.
Benny Leonard
Benny Leonard and Billy Townsend//Getty Images
“The Ghetto Wizard” is known for being the most cerebral fighter of all-time. “Benny the Great” regained as undisputed championship when the lightweight division was at its strongest in 1917.
The New Yorker scalped a long line of great fighters including Lew Tendler, Johnny Dundee, Rocky Kansas, Ritchie Mitchell, Johnny Kilbane, Freddie Welsh, Willie Ritchie.
During 1912 to 1932, Benny suffered just one single defeat over 20 years! He retired in 1932 with a record of 185-22-9, 70KO, and is widely considered to be one of the best boxers of all-time.
Joe Gans
Known as “The Old Master”, Joe Gans reigned as the world lightweight champion from 1902-1908, making 15 defences of the title.
The Baltimore boxer became the first African-American world champion of the 20th century when he defeated Frank Erne in just 100 seconds on May 12, 1902 in Ontario, Canada.
American hero Gans is rated by many, including Ring Magazine founder Nat Fleischer, as the no.1 lightweight of all-time.
A bronze statue of Joe Gans stands on the suite floor of the iconic boxing venue, Madison Square Garden, and boxers will traditionally bump the left fist for good luck when walking past.
Tony Canzoneri
Tony Canzoneri was a three-weight, five-time world champion. In his prime, during the late 1920s, he wasn’t only recognised as the best lightweight in the world but also as the best pound-for-pound boxer.
Born in Louisiana in 1908, he ended up in New York at the age of 18, where he fought his first 38 fights, with the exception of one in neighbouring New Jersey.
He won his first world title at featherweight in 1927 against Johnny Dundee, then became the lightweight world champion in 1930, then became a simultaneous lightweight and super-lightweight champion in 1931.
Clever, versatile, powerful, Canzoneri scored wins over great fighters such as Johnny Dundee, Charles Taylor, Benny Bass, Sammy Mandell, Al Singer, Billy Petrolle, Frankie Klick, Jimmy McLarnin, Jackie Kid Berg, Lou ambers, Kid Chocolate.
Roberto Duran
Panamanian Roberto Duran was known as “Hands of Stone” during his incredible career that spanned five decades between 1968-2001. He is one of only two boxers in history to have competed over five decades, along with the legendary Jack Johnson.
During those 33 years, he won world titles in four different weight categories, from lightweight to middleweight. However, he experienced fights in eight categories from super-featherweight right up to light-heavyweight.
Having started boxing and sparring at eight-years-old, he turned pro shortly after at 16. At 21, he battered Scottish boxing legend Ken Buchanan at Madison Square Garden to win the WBA and Ring lightweight titles, which he retained for seven years and a record 12 defences.
Ike Williams
Born in Georgia in 1923, Ike made eight successful defences of the world lightweight title between 1945-1951.
Fast, powerful, ruthless, Ike held wins over a long list of Hall of Famers including Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, Tippy Larkin, Sammy Angott, Jimmy Carter, Johnny Bratton, Kid Gavilan.
Not only is his name emblazoned into boxing history books as one of the greatest lightweights of all-time, but he is also named in Ring Magazine’s top 100 greatest punchers, too, and was their Fighter of the Year 1948.
The Best Lightweights
Check out this list of the best lightweights in boxing history:
| Rank | Boxer | Record | Nationality |
| 1 | Benny Leonard | 185-22-9, 70KO | America |
| 2 | Joe Gans | 157-12-22, 100KO | America |
| 3 | Tony Canzoneri | 141-24-10, 44KO | America |
| 4 | Roberto Duran | 103-16, 70KO | Panama |
| 5 | Ike Williams | 128-24-5, 61KO | America |
| 6 | Julio Cesar Chavez | 107-6-2, 85KO | Mexico |
| 7 | Freddie Welsh | 121-29-17, 34KO | Wales |
| 8 | Lou Ambers | 89-8-7, 29KO | America |
| 9 | Pernell Whitaker | 40-4-1, 17KO | America |
| 10 | Carlos Ortiz | 61-7-1, 30KO | Puerto Rico |
| 11 | Battling Nelson | 59-20-22, 40KO | Denmark |
| 12 | Jack Blackburn | 117-24-22, 34KO | America |
Honourable Mentions
Packy McFarland; Beau Jack; Wesley Ramey; Ismael Laguna; Aaron Pryor; Joe Brown; Esteban De Jesus; Lew Tendler; Ad Wolgast; Bob Montgomery; Sid Terris; Pedroe Montanez; Sammy Mandell; Kid Lavigne; Sugar Shane Mosley; Benny Valgar; Jack McAuliffe; Ken Buchanan.
Tim has over 27 years experience within the sports industry, working for football clubs Arsenal FC and Millwall FC, and boxing news websites British Boxing News, Boxing Social and Global Boxing News. His boxing articles have been published in Boxing News Magazine, national newspapers, plus many other major news outlets.