# List of world lightweight boxing champions

This is a list of world lightweight boxing champions by organization, as recognized by four of the better-known sanctioning organizations:
* The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA),
* The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963,
* The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983,
* The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988

## World

| Reign began | Reign ended | Champion | Recognition |
| 29 October 1886 | 9 June 1893 | Jack McAuliffe | Universal |
| After McAuliffe's retirement the title remained inactive until 1896 when the title was won by George "Kid" Lavigne in a 17 Round KO against Dick Burge. Lavigne's victory, the first fought under the Marquess of Queensberry rules, was considered by boxing promoters of the time as the first officially recognized world Lightweight Champion. ||||
| 1 June 1896 | 3 July 1899 | George "Kid" Lavigne | Universal |
| 3 July 1899 | 12 May 1902 | Frank Erne | Universal |
| 12 May 1902 | 4 July 1908 | Joe Gans | Universal |
| 4 July 1908 | 22 February 1910 | Oscar "Battling" Nelson | Universal |
| 22 February 1910 | 28 November 1912 | Adolph "Ad" Wolgast | Universal |
| 28 November 1912 | 7 July 1914 | Willie Ritchie | Universal |
| 7 July 1914 | 28 May 1917 | Freddie Welsh | Universal |
| 28 May 1917 | 15 January 1925 | Benny Leonard | Universal |
| Following Leonard's retirement the vacant undisputed NBA and NYSAC lightweight title was filled when Jimmy Goodrich defeated Stanislaus Loayza. ||||
| 13 July 1925 | 7 December 1925 | Jimmy Goodrich | Universal |
| 7 December 1925 | 3 July 1926 | Rocky Kansas | Universal |
| 3 July 1926 | 17 July 1930 | Sammy Mandel | NBA |
| 17 July 1930 | 14 November 1930 | Al Singer | Universal |
| 14 November 1930 | 23 June 1933 | Tony Canzoneri | Universal |
| 23 June 1933 | 15 Apr 1935 | Barney Ross | Universal |
| Ross vacated the title and campaigned as a light welterweight and welterweight. The vacant undisputed NBA and NYSAC lightweight title was filled when Tony Canzoneri defeated Lou Ambers ||||
| 10 May 1935 | 3 September 1936 | Tony Canzoneri | Universal |
| 3 September 1936 | 17 July? 1938 | Lou Ambers | Universal |
| 17 August? 1938 | 22 August 1939 | Henry Armstrong | Universal |
| 22 August 1939 | 10 May 1940 | Lou Ambers | NBA |
| 10 May 1940 | 19 December 1941 | Lew Jenkins | Universal |
| 19 December 1941 | 13 November 1942 | Sammy Angott | Universal |
| Following Angott's retirement the NBA and NYSAC titles were disputed between Beau Jack, Bob Montgomery, and Juan Zurita as well as Agnott, who later came out of retirement. Ike Williams defeats over Zurita and Montgomery, in 1945 and 1947 respectively, would become recognized as the undisputed Lightweight Champion. ||||
| 18 December 1942 | 21 May 1943 | Beau Jack | NYSAC |
| 21 May 1943 | 19 November 1943 | Bob Montgomery | NYSAC |
| 19 November 1943 | 3 March 1944 | Beau Jack | NYSAC |
| 3 March 1944 | 4 August 1947 | Bob Montgomery | NYSAC |
| 27 October 1943 | 8 March 1944 | Sammy Angott | NBA |
| Angott won the vacant NBA lightweight title versus Slugger White. ||||
| 8 March 1944 | 18 April 1945 | Juan Zurita | NBA |
| 18 April 1945 | 25 May 1951 | Ike Williams | Universal |
| Ike Williams became the undisputed champion on the 4th of August, 1947 when he knocked out Bob Montgomery, retaining his NBA title and winning Montgomery's NYSAC title. ||||
| 25 May 1951 | 1 April 1952 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
| 14 May 1952 | 15 October 1952 | Lauro Salas | Universal |
| 15 October 1952 | 6 February 1954 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
| 5 March 1954 | 17 November 1954 | Paddy DeMarco | Universal |
| 17 November 1954 | 29 June 1955 | Jimmy Carter | Universal |
| 29 June 1955 | 24 August 1956 | Wallace "Bud" Smith | Universal |
| 24 August 1956 | 21 April 1962 | Joe Brown | Universal |
| 1963-04-07 | 1965-04-10 | Carlos Ortiz | WBA/WBC |
| 1965-04-10 | 1965-11-13 | Ismael Laguna | WBA/WBC |
| 1965-11-13 | 1968-06-29 | Carlos Ortiz | WBA/WBC |
| 1968-06-29 | 1969-02-18 | Carlos Teo Cruz | WBA/WBC |
| 1969-02-18 | 1970-03-03 | Mando Ramos | WBA/WBC |
| 1970-03-03 | 1970-09-15 | Ismael Laguna | WBA/WBC |
| 1971-02-12 | 1971-06-25 | Ken Buchanan | WBA/WBC |

## WBC

| Reign began | Reign ended | Champion | Recognition |
| 1963-04-07 | 1965-04-10 | Carlos Ortiz | WBC |
| 1965-04-10 | 1965-11-13 | Ismael Laguna | WBC |
| 1965-11-13 | 1968-06-29 | Carlos Ortiz | WBC |
| 1968-06-29 | 1969-02-18 | Carlos Teo Cruz | WBC |
| 1969-02-18 | 1970-03-03 | Mando Ramos | WBC |
| 1970-03-03 | 1970-09-15-Stripped | Ismael Laguna | WBC |
| 1971-02-12 | 1971-06-25-Stripped | Ken Buchanan | WBC |
| 1971-11-05 | 1972-02-18 | Pedro Carrasco | WBC |
| 1972-02-18 | 1972-09-15 | Mando Ramos | WBC |
| 1972-09-15 | 1972-11-10 | Chango Carmona | WBC |
| 1972-11-10 | 1974-04-11 | Rodolfo Gato González | WBC |
| 1974-04-11 | 1976-05-08 | Guts Ishimatsu | WBC |
| 1976-05-08 | 1978-01-21 | Esteban De Jesús | WBC |
| 1978-01-21 | 1979-01-31 | Roberto Durán | WBC |
| Durán became WBA champion in 1972 by defeating Ken Buchanan. He unified the titles on January 21, 1978, by defeating Esteban De Jesús. ||||
| 1979-04-17 | 1981-06-20 | Jim Watt | WBC |
| 1981-06-20 | 1983-Vacated | Alexis Argüello | WBC |
| 1983-05-01 | 1984-11-03 | Edwin Rosario | WBC |
| 1984-11-03 | 1985-08-10 | José Luis Ramírez | WBC |
| 1985-08-10 | 1987-Vacated | Héctor Camacho | WBC |
| 1987-07-19 | 1988-10-29 | José Luis Ramírez | WBC |
| 1988-10-29 | 1989 | Julio César Chávez | WBC |
| 1989-08-20 | 1991-10-05 | Pernell Whitaker | WBC |
| 1992-08-24 | 1995-08-19 | Miguel Ángel González | WBC |
| 1996-04-20 | 1997-03-01 | Jean Baptiste Mendy | WBC |
| 1997-03-01 | 1998-06-13 | Stevie Johnston | WBC |
| 1998-06-13 | 1999-02-27 | Cesar Bazan | WBC |
| 1999-02-27 | 2000-06-17 | Stevie Johnston | WBC |
| 2000-06-17 | 2002-04-20 | José Luis Castillo | WBC |
| 2002-04-20 | 2003-11-01 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | WBC |
| 2004-06-05 | 2005-05-07 | José Luis Castillo | WBC |
| 2005-05-07 | 2006-10-06-Stripped | Diego Corrales | WBC |
| 2006-10-07 | 2007-02-01 | Joel Casamayor | WBC |
| 2007-02-01 | 2008-06-28 | David Díaz | WBC |
| 2008-06-28 | 2009-02-24-Vacated | Manny Pacquiao | WBC |
| 2009-04-04 | 2010-02-09-Vacated | Edwin Valero | WBC |
| 2010-03-17 | 2011-07-01-Vacated | Humberto Soto | WBC |
| 2011-10-15 | 2012-11-17 | Antonio DeMarco | WBC |
| 2012-11-17 | 2014-01-27-Stripped | Adrien Broner | WBC |
| 2014-01-27 | 2014-11-10-Stripped | Omar Figueroa Jr. | WBC |
| 2014-12-30 | 2016-06-12 | Jorge Linares | WBC |
| 2016-06-12 | 2017-01-28 | Dejan Zlatičanin | WBC |
| 2017-01-28 | 2019-04-25-Vacated | Mikey Garcia | WBC |
| 2019-08-31 | 2020-10-17 | Vasyl Lomachenko | WBC Franchise |
| 2019-11-09 | 2023-08-01-Champion in recess | Devin Haney | WBC |
| 2023-11-16 | Present | Shakur Stevenson | WBC |

## WBA

| Reign began | Reign ended | Champion | Recognition |
| 1962-04-21 | 1965-04-10 | Carlos Ortiz | WBA |
| 1965-04-10 | 1965-11-13 | Ismael Laguna | WBA |
| 1965-11-13 | 1968-06-29 | Carlos Ortiz | WBA |
| 1968-06-29 | 1969-02-18 | Carlos Teo Cruz | WBA |
| 1969-02-18 | 1970-03-03 | Mando Ramos | WBA |
| 1970-03-03 | 1970-09-26 | Ismael Laguna | WBA |
| 1970-09-26 | 1972-06-26 | Ken Buchanan | WBA |
| 1972-06-26 | 1979-01-31 | Roberto Durán | WBA |
| 1979-06-16 | 1980-03-02 | Ernesto España | WBA |
| 1980-03-02 | 1981-04-12 | Hilmer Kenty | WBA |
| 1981-04-12 | 1981-04-12 | Sean O'Grady | WBA |
| 1981-09-12 | 1981-12-05 | Claude Noel | WBA |
| 1981-12-05 | 1982-05-08 | Arturo Frias | WBA |
| 1982-05-08 | 1984-06-01 | Ray Mancini | WBA |
| 1984-06-01 | 1986-09-26 | Livingstone Bramble | WBA |
| 1986-09-26 | 1987-11-21 | Edwin Rosario | WBA |
| 1987-11-21 | 1988-10-29 | Julio César Chávez | WBA |
| 1989-07-09 | 1990-04-04 | Edwin Rosario | WBA |
| 1990-04-04 | 1990-08-11 | Juan Nazario | WBA |
| 1990-08-11 | 1991-10-05 | Pernell Whitaker | WBA |
| 1992-06-13 | 1992-10-24 | Joey Gamache | WBA |
| 1992-10-24 | 1993-06-26 | Tony Lopez | WBA |
| 1993-06-26 | 1993-10-30 | Dingaan Thobela | WBA |
| 1993-10-30 | 1998-05-16 | Orzubek Nazarov | WBA |
| 1998-05-16 | 1999-04-10 | Jean Baptiste Mendy | WBA |
| 1999-04-10 | 1999-08-07 | Julien Lorcy | WBA |
| 1999-08-07 | 1999-11-13 | Stefano Zoff | WBA |
| 1999-11-13 | 2000-06-11 | Gilberto Serrano | WBA |
| 2000-06-11 | 2001-07-01 | Takanori Hatakeyama | WBA |
| 2001-07-01 | 2001-10-08 | Julien Lorcy | WBA |
| 2001-10-08 | 2002-01-05 | Raul Horacio Balbi | WBA |
| 2002-01-05 | 2003-05-17 | Leonard Doroftei | WBA |
| 2004-04-10 | 2004-07-17 | Lakva Sim | WBA |
| 2004-07-17 | 2008-03-08 | Juan Díaz | WBA Super Champion |
| 2007-12-29 | 2008-05-19 | José Alfaro | WBA Regular Champion |
| 2008-03-08 | 2009-01-10-Vacated | Nate Campbell | WBA Super Champion |
| 2008-05-19 | 2009-01-03 | Yusuke Kobori | WBA Regular Champion |
| 2009-01-03 | 2010-05-29 | Paulus Moses | WBA Regular Champion |
| 2009-02-28 | 2012-01-05-Stripped | Juan Manuel Márquez | WBA Super Champion |
| 2010-05-29 | 2011-02-26 | Miguel Acosta | WBA Regular Champion |
| 2011-02-26 | 2011-12-02-Stripped | Brandon Rios | WBA Regular Champion |
| 2013-02-28 | 2015-04-09-Stripped | Richar Abril | WBA |
| 2015-04-09 | 2015-11-21 | Darleys Perez | WBA |
| 2015-11-21 | 2016-09-25 | Anthony Crolla | WBA |
| 2016-09-25 | 2018-05-12 | Jorge Linares | WBA |
| 2018-05-12 | 2020-10-17 | Vasyl Lomachenko | WBA |
| 2020-10-17 | 2021-11-27 | Teófimo López | WBA |
| 2021-11-27 | 2022-06-05 | George Kambosos Jr. | WBA |
| 2022-06-05 | 2023-11-29-Vacated | Devin Haney | WBA |
| 2023-11-29 | Present | Gervonta Davis | WBA |

## IBF

| Reign began | Reign ended | Champion | Recognition |
| 1984-01-30 | 1984-04-15 | Charlie Brown | IBF |
| 1984-04-15 | 1985-04-06 | Harry Arroyo | IBF |
| 1985-04-06 | 1986-12-05 | Jimmy Paul | IBF |
| 1986-12-05 | 1987-06-07 | Greg Haugen | IBF |
| 1987-06-07 | 1988-02-06 | Vinny Pazienza | IBF |
| 1988-02-06 | 1989-02-18 | Greg Haugen | IBF |
| 1989-02-18 | 1992-Vacated | Pernell Whitaker | IBF |
| Pernell Whitaker becomes the undisputed champion of the lightweight division by winning the IBF title in February, 1989, and then defeating José Luis Ramírez for the vacant WBC title on August 20, 1989, and Juan Nazario for the WBA title on August 11, 1990. ||||
| 1993-01-10 | 1994-02-19 | Freddie Pendleton | IBF |
| 1994-02-19 | 1995-05-06 | Rafael Ruelas | IBF |
| 1995-05-06 | 1995-07 | Oscar De La Hoya | IBF |
| 1995-08-19 | 1997-08-02 | Philip Holiday | IBF |
| 1997-08-02 | 1999-04-17 | Shane Mosley | IBF |
| 1999-08-20 | 2003-06-Vacated | Paul Spadafora | IBF |
| 2003-11-22 | 2004-05-13 | Javier Jáuregui | IBF |
| 2004-05-13 | 2005-03-01 | Julio Díaz | IBF |
| 2005-06-17 | 2005-09-17 | Leavander Johnson | IBF |
| 2005-09-17 | 2007-02-03 | Jesús Chávez | IBF |
| 2008-02-03 | 2007-10-19 | Julio Díaz | IBF |
| 2007-10-19 | 2008-03-08 | Juan Díaz | IBF |
| 2008-03-08 | 2009-02-13-Stripped | Nate Campbell | IBF |
| 2010-08-14 | 2014-09-13 | Miguel Vazquez | IBF |
| 2014-09-13 | 2015-06-26-Vacated | Mickey Bey | IBF |
| 2015-12-18 | 2016-06-03-Vacated | Rances Barthelemy | IBF |
| 2018-07-28 | 2018-10-30-Vacated | Mikey Garcia | IBF |
| 2019-02-02 | 2019-12-14 | Richard Commey | IBF |
| 2019-12-14 | 2021-11-27 | Teófimo López | IBF |
| 2021-11-27 | 2022-06-05 | George Kambosos Jr. | IBF |
| 2022-06-05 | 2023-11-29-Vacated | Devin Haney | IBF |
| 2024-05-12 | Present | Vasyl Lomachenko | IBF |

## WBO

| Reign began | Reign ended | Champion | Recognition |
| 1989-05-06 | 1990-09-22 | Mauricio Aceves | WBO |
| 1990-09-22 | 1991-09-14 | Dingaan Thobela | WBO |
| 1992-09-25 | 1994 | Giovanni Parisi | WBO |
| 1994-07-29 | 1996 | Oscar De La Hoya | WBO |
| 1996-04-13 | 2004-01-03 | Artur Grigorian | WBO |
| 2004-01-03 | 2004-08-07 | Acelino Freitas | WBO |
| 2004-08-07 | 2005 | Diego Corrales | WBO |
| 2006-04-29 | 2007-04-28 | Acelino Freitas | WBO |
| 2007-04-28 | 2008-03-08 | Juan Díaz | WBO |
| 2008-03-08 | 2009-02-13-Stripped | Nate Campbell | WBO |
| 2010-02-28 | 2012-01-06-Stripped | Juan Manuel Márquez | WBO |
| 2012-01-06 | 2014-03-01 | Ricky Burns | WBO |
| 2014-03-01 | 2015-03-24-Vacated | Terence Crawford | WBO |
| 2015-07-11 | 2017-08-26-Vacated | Terry Flanagan | WBO |
| 2018-02-16 | 2018-08-25 | Ray Beltrán | WBO |
| 2018-08-25 | 2018-12-08 | Jose Pedraza | WBO |
| 2018-12-08 | 2020-10-17 | Vasyl Lomachenko | WBO |
| 2020-10-17 | 2021-11-27 | Teófimo López | WBO |
| 2021-11-27 | 2022-06-05 | George Kambosos Jr. | WBO |
| 2022-06-05 | 2023-11-29-Vacated | Devin Haney | WBO |
| 2024-05-18 | 2025-02-14 | Denys Berinchyk | WBO |
| 2025-02-14 | Present | Keyshawn Davis | WBO |