Breaking Down Each Boxing Weight Class | Bleacher Report

History of the Weight Divisions

In January 2015, the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and the International Boxing Federation reached an agreement to standardize the names of professional boxing’s then 17 weight divisions. (The World Boxing Organization has yet to adopt these standard class names.)

The currently-recognized weights for professional male boxers, listed in maximum allowable weight for each division/class/category, as defined by these four major sanctioning bodies, are:

• Light Flyweight: up to 106 pounds
• Flyweight: 112
• Bantamweight: 119
• Featherweight: 125
• Lightweight: 132
• Light Welterweight: 141
• Welterweight: 152
• Middleweight: 165
• Light Heavyweight: 178
• Heavyweight: 201
• Super Heavyweight: over 201

The 21 National Sporting Club (NSC) Rules- (1891-?)
London-based private club amends 12 Queensberry Rules, modifying with new augment rules with nine specific criteria, such as designating role of officials;

• Heavyweight [176 lbs plus; at least 75.3 kg; over 12 stone, 7 lbs]
• Cruiserweight [175 lb maximum; 79.5 kg; or 12 stone, 7 pounds] later called «lighter heavyweight» by the English and «light heavyweight» by the Americans. Solidified under the New York State Athletic Commission and National Boxing Association as one division, with a uniform name.
• Middleweight [160 lbs maximum; 72.7 kg; or 11 stone, 4 pounds]
• Welterweight [147 lbs maximum; 66.8 kg; or 10 stone, 7 pounds]
• Lightweight [135lbs maximum; 61.4 kg; or 9 stone, 9 pounds]
• Featherweight [126lbs maximum; 57.3 kg; or 9 stone]
• Bantamweight [118lbs maximum; 53.6 kg; or 8 stone, 6 pounds]
• Flyweight [112lbs maximum; 50.9 kg; or 8 stone]

NOTE: weight class key- one pound equals .45359237 kilograms
one pound equals .0714285714 stone- sixteen ounces equals one pound, 14 stone and 6 kilograms.

Olympic Boxing Classes {amp}amp; Weight Divisions: [American lbs, European kilograms, English stones]

• One pound (lb as unit of mass) is equal to 16 ounces (oz)
• One kilogram (also equal to 1,000 grams) is equal to 2.2 lbs
• One stone is equal to 14 pounds (with pounds rounding 5/8th)

• Super Heavyweight: [202lbs above; 91.6 kg or 14 stone, 6 pounds] – (est. 1984-end 2004): legislation pending before International Olympic Congress, not subject to change by AIBA.
• Heavyweight: [179-201lbs*; 81.2 – 91.2 kg; 12 stone, 11 pounds – 14 stone, 5 pounds]– (est. 1904)
• Light Heavyweight: [166-178lbs; 75.3 – 80.7 kg; or 11 stone, 12 pounds – 12 stone, 10 pounds – (est. 1920)
• Middleweight: [157-165lbs; 71.2 – 74.8; or 11 stone, 3 pounds – 11 stone, 11 pounds] – (est. 1904)
• Light Middleweight: [148-156lbs; 67.1 – 70.8 kg; or 10 stone, 8 pounds – 11 stone, 2 pound] – (est. 1952)
• Welterweight: [140-147lbs; 63.5 – 66.7 kg; or 10 stone – 10 stone, 7 pounds] – (est. 1904)
• Light Welterweight: [133-139lbs; 60.3 – 63.0 kg; or 9 stone, 7 pounds – 9 stone, 13 pounds] – (est. 1952)
• Lightweight: [126-132lbs; 57.2 – 59.9 kg; or 9 stone – 9 stone, 6 pounds] – (est. 1904)
• Featherweight: [120-125lbs; 54.4 – 56.7 kg; or 8 stone, 8 pounds – 8 stone, 13 pounds] – (est. 1904)
• Bantamweight: [113-119lbs; 51.3 – 53.9 kg; or 8 stone, 1 pound – 8 stone, 7 pounds] – (est. 1904)
• Flyweight: [107-112lbs; 48.5 – 50.8 kg; or 7 stone, 9 pounds – 8 stone] – (est. 1904)
• Light Flyweight: [106 – below; less than 48.1 kg; or 7 stone, 8 pounds and below] – (est. 1968)

Detailed Weight Division History
[in American lbs, European kilograms, English stones]