For an evenly matched and fairer fight, weight classes originally split professional male boxers into eight categories: flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight.
These are the traditional eight weight divisions which have been added to during the last century. There is a list of 17 classes in all which are used today, with several newer divisions slotting between the above eight. The new categories mean that fighters are even more precisely matched in terms of weight. They also make it easier for fighters to move between the different divisions. The full list is below, from heaviest to lightest.
1. Heavyweight (over 200lb, 91kg)
2. Cruiserweight (200lb, 91kg)
3. Light heavyweight (175lb, 79kg)
4. Super middleweight (168lb, 76.2kg)
5. Middleweight (160lb, 72.5kg)
6. Light middleweight, also known as super welter (154lb, 70kg)
7. Welterweight (147lb, 66.7kg)
8. Light welterweight, also known as super light (140lb, 63.5kg)
9. Lightweight (135lb, 61.2kg)
10. Super featherweight, also known as junior light (130lb, 59kg)
11. Featherweight (126lb, 57.1kg)
12. Super bantamweight, also known as junior feather (122lb, 55.3kg)
13. Bantamweight (118lb, 53.5kg)
14. Super flyweight, also known as junior bantam (115lb, 52.1kg)
15. Flyweight (112lb, 51kg)
16. Light flyweight (108lb, 49kg)
17. Straw weight, also known as mini fly (105lb, 47.6kg)
Taking into account the difference between male and female boxers, the weight divisions for professional women boxers are as follows:
Amateur weight divisions differ again. These are the divisions to look at if you are considering taking up the sport. The following are the weight categories amateur boxers are split into:
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