The various regulatory organizations of professional boxing sports adopt 17 weight classes for their competitors, as shown below.
- Minimumweight (48 kg)
- Light flyweight (49 kg)
- Flyweight (51 kg)
- Super flyweight (52 kg)
- Bantamweight (53.5 kg)
- Super bantamweight (55 kg)
- Featherweight (57 kg)
- Super featherweight (59 kg)
- Lightweight (61 kg)
- Super lightweight (63.5 kg)
- Welterweight (67 kg)
- Super welterweight (70 kg)
- Middleweight (72.5 kg)
- Super middleweight (76 kg)
- Light heavyweight (79 kg)
- Cruiserweight (91 kg)
- Heavyweight (+91 kg)
This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of the weight classes in professional boxing, from the featherweight to the heavyweight division. Let’s get started!
What Are the Different Professional Boxing Weight Classes?
Professional Boxing is one of the most exciting martial arts, with millions of followers. The World Boxing Association, World Boxing Council, International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Organization, and others govern professional boxing.
Boxers are divided into weight classes to ensure high-level competitiveness and avoid serious injuries caused by weight discrepancies.
Various Professional Boxing Weight Divisions in Order
Most professional boxing governing bodies recognize 17 weight classes for men, as indicated in the chart below.
| Professional Boxing Weight Class | Weight Limit in Kilograms | Weight Limit in Pounds |
|---|---|---|
| Minimumweight | 48 kg | 105 lbs |
| Light flyweight | 49 kg | 108 lbs |
| Flyweight, | 51 kg | 112 lbs |
| Super flyweight | 52 kg | 115 lbs |
| Bantamweight | 53.5 kg | 118 lbs |
| Super bantamweight | 55 kg | 122 lbs |
| Featherweight | 57 kg | 126 lbs |
| Super featherweight | 59 kg | 130 lbs |
| Lightweight | 61 kg | 135 lbs |
| Super lightweight | 63.5 kg | 140 lbs |
| Welterweight | 67 kg | 147 lbs |
| Super welterweight | 70 kg | 154 lbs |
| Middleweight | 72.5 kg | 160 lbs |
| Super middleweight | 76 kg | 168 lbs |
| Light heavyweight | 79 kg | 175 lbs |
| Cruiserweight | 91 kg | 200 lbs |
| Heavyweight | + 91 kg | + 200 lbs |
Professional Boxing Weight Classes in Pounds
| Professional Boxing Weight Class | Weight Limit in Pounds |
| Minimumweight | 105 lbs |
| Light flyweight | 108 lbs |
| Flyweight, | 112 lbs |
| Super flyweight | 115 lbs |
| Bantamweight | 118 lbs |
| Super bantamweight | 122 lbs |
| Featherweight | 126 lbs |
| Super featherweight | 130 lbs |
| Lightweight | 135 lbs |
| Super lightweight | 140 lbs |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs |
| Super welterweight | 154 lbs |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs |
| Super middleweight | 168 lbs |
| Light heavyweight | 175 lbs |
| Cruiserweight | 200 lbs |
| Heavyweight | + 200 lbs |
Professional Boxing Weight Classes in Kilograms
| Professional Boxing Weight Class | Weight Limit in Kilograms |
| Minimumweight | 48 kg |
| Light flyweight | 49 kg |
| Flyweight, | 51 kg |
| Super flyweight | 52 kg |
| Bantamweight | 53.5 kg |
| Super bantamweight | 55 kg |
| Featherweight | 57 kg |
| Super featherweight | 59 kg |
| Lightweight | 61 kg |
| Super lightweight | 63.5 kg |
| Welterweight | 67 kg |
| Super welterweight | 70 kg |
| Middleweight | 72.5 kg |
| Super middleweight | 76 kg |
| Light heavyweight | 79 kg |
| Cruiserweight | 91 kg |
| Heavyweight | + 91 kg |
Related article: What Are the Weight Classes in UFC?
Is There Professional Boxing for Women?
For many years, women have competed in professional boxing, which has increased in popularity. Laila Ali, Christy Martin, and Ann Wolfe are some of the most well-known professional women’s boxers.
Here are some statists about those amazing professional women’s boxers:
Laila Ali (Muhammad Ali’s daughter) is one of the greatest female fighters in history, having won all 24 professional boxing bouts, 21 by knockout. She retired unbeaten in 2007, holding the WIBA, IWBF, WBC, IBA, and WBC female super middleweight titles and the IWBF light heavyweight title.
Christy Martin is one of the greatest female boxers in sports history. She had a successful professional boxing career from 1989 to 2012, winning 49 of her 56 matches, 31 by knockout. In 2009, Martin won the WBC female super welterweight belt.
Ann Wolfe is regarded as one of the finest female boxers in history. From 1998 through 2006, she had a tremendous professional boxing career, winning 24 of 26 bouts, 16 by knockout. In addition, Wolfe won world titles in three weight classes: super-welterweight, super-middleweight, and light-heavyweight.
These ladies had great boxing careers and served to pave the path for future generations of female fighters. But, Female boxers have found professional boxing to be as challenging.
Since 1990 and onwards, several sporting organizations have pushed female fighters. However, the talent level of most female boxers needed to be revised to match that required of professionals.
Related article: Discover the Different Weight Classes in Boxing
Conclusion
Professional boxing is a popular martial art sport that has millions of followers. Otherwise, there are over 20,000 current professional boxers worldwide who compete in a variety of weight classifications.
As indicated below, the major regulating professional boxing organizations assign 17 weight classes to their contestants.
- Minimumweight (105 lbs)
- Light flyweight (108 lbs)
- Flyweight (112 lbs)
- Super flyweight (115 lbs)
- Bantamweight (118 lbs)
- Super bantamweight (122 lbs)
- Featherweight (126 lbs)
- Super featherweight (130 lbs)
- Lightweight (135 lbs)
- Super lightweight (135 lbs)
- Welterweight (147 lbs)
- Super welterweight (154 lbs)
- Middleweight (160 lbs)
- Super middleweight (168 lbs)
- Light heavyweight (175 lbs)
- Cruiserweight (200 lbs)
- Heavyweight (+ 200 lbs)
We hope this post has helped you understand the various weight divisions in professional boxing.
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