Boxing Weight Classes
Posted by Admin
Boxing weight classes are a way of ensuring that boxers of similar size and weight are matched up. While one can argue that a true champion would fight anyone, fighting within one's weight class makes for better fights. Bigger boxers have more natural weight behind their punches. Heavyweights tend to inflict more knockouts but the fighters tend to be slower. Featherweights, on the other hand, are blindingly fast. Dividing up boxing into weight classes helped to reduce the number of lop sided victories and the ability of boxers to pick on smaller opponents.
It is not uncommon for boxers to move into and out of weight classes. As they grow older, they could move from middleweight to light heavyweight in order to challenge themselves more or to take a title in two different weight classes. Nothing says one has to stay in one class for one's entire career. If one can add or lose the weight, one can fight in whatever class one wants.
What are the Boxing Weight Classes?
Boxing weight classes vary depending on whether one is talking about professional boxing or amateur boxing. The below charts will give you the upper and lower limits for amateurs and professionals.
PROFESSIONAL BOXING
| Weight limit (lb / kg) |
WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | BoxRec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| unlimited | Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight | Heavyweight |
| 200 / 90.7 | Cruiserweight | Cruiserweight | Cruiserweight | Junior heavyweight | Cruiserweight |
| 175 / 79.4 | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight | Light heavyweight |
| 168 / 76.2 | Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight | Super middleweight |
| 160 / 72.6 | Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight | Middleweight |
| 154 / 69.9 | Super welterweight | Super welterweight | Junior middleweight | Junior middleweight | Light middleweight |
| 147 / 66.7 | Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight | Welterweight |
| 140 / 63.5 | Super lightweight | Super lightweight | Junior welterweight | Junior welterweight | Light welterweight |
| 135 / 61.2 | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight | Lightweight |
| 130 / 59.0 | Super featherweight | Super featherweight | Junior lightweight | Junior lightweight | Super featherweight |
| 126 / 57.2 | Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight | Featherweight |
| 122 / 55.3 | Super bantamweight | Super bantamweight | Junior featherweight | Junior featherweight | Super bantamweight |
| 118 / 53.5 | Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
| 115 / 52.2 | Super flyweight | Super flyweight | Junior bantamweight | Junior bantamweight | Super flyweight |
| 112 / 50.8 | Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight | Flyweight |
| 108 / 49.0 | Light flyweight | Light flyweight | Junior flyweight | Junior flyweight | Light flyweight |
| 105 / 47.6 | Minimumweight | Strawweight | Mini flyweight | Mini flyweight | Minimumweight |
AMATEUR BOXING
| Class name | Weight class limit (kg) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Men (old) | Men (new) | Women (old) | Women (new) | Junior | |
| Super heavyweight | Unlimited | Unlimited | — | — | — |
| Heavyweight | 81–91 | 81–91 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Light heavyweight | 75–81 | 75–81 | 75–81 | 75–81 | 75–80 |
| Middleweight | 69–75 | 69–75 | 69–75 | 69–75 | 70–75 |
| Light Middleweight | — | — | — | — | 66–70 |
| Welterweight | 64–69 | 64–69 | 64–69 | 64–69 | 63–66 |
| Light welterweight | 60–64 | 60–64 | 60–64 | 60–64 | 60–63 |
| Lightweight | 57–60 | 56–60 | 57–60 | 57–60 | 57–60 |
| Featherweight | 54–57 | — | 54–57 | 54–57 | 54–57 |
| Bantamweight | 51–54 | 52–56 | 51–54 | 51–54 | 52–54 |
| Light Bantamweight | — | — | — | — | 50–52 |
| Flyweight | 48–51 | 49–52 | 48–51 | 48–51 | 48–50 |
| Light flyweight | 46–48 | 46–49 | 46-48 | 45-48 | 46-48 |
| Pinweight | — | — | 44–46 | — | 44–46 |
Charts courtesy of Wikipedia.
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Comments
I just wanted to ask how do you know which weight class you are best in and how do you gain weight without adding fat.
If you want to gain weight without fat you need to hit the gym alot with protien shakes after (no creatine or weight gainer). But in Boxing you would want to lose weight unless youre up in the heavyweight division.
how do you lose the weight if your a bigger person
Im 150lbs, will i still be in the welterweight class when i do amateur?
Yeah welterweight is 152 max in the amateurs.
http://boxrec.com/media/index.php/Weight_divisions
I am of 5 feet and 2 inches and wanna make my career in pro boxing. i am of 50 Kg in weight. that weight should be all right for me or i have to loose me weight??
Read this article on how to determine your ideal weight - should answer your question.
is the a weight limit on heavy weight? if so what is it because im 6' 6" and about 285lbs
Hey DHReid - it actually depends if you're talking professional or amateur boxing. Your weight isn't an issue - there's a class for you. Professionally you're a heavyweight, amateur - super heavyweight.
Anyways, I've updated the tables to make the distinction, so they should give you a better idea now. Cheers.
ok thank you for the clarification
I am a female in my 30's weight 115 height 5'7 so I'm very thin. I am considering taking a women's course for begginers in boxing. I want to get my weight to about 125 which is a challenge with such a high metabolism what advice can u share for diet as well as the need to knows for ppl like myself considering the arena of boxing?
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