Light heavyweight

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Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports.

Boxing[]

Professional[]

In professional boxing, the division is above 168 pounds (76 kg) and up to 175 pounds (79 kg), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight.

The light-heavyweight class has produced some of boxing's greatest champions: Bernard Hopkins (who, upon becoming champion, broke the record for oldest man to win a world title), Tommy Loughran, Billy Conn, Joey Maxim, Archie Moore, Michael Moorer, Bob Foster, Ann Wolfe, Michael Spinks, Dariusz Michalczewski, Roy Jones, Jr., Sergey Kovalev and Zsolt Erdei.

Many light heavyweight champions unsuccessfully challenged for the heavyweight crown until Michael Spinks became the first reigning light heavyweight champion to win the heavyweight championship. Bob Fitzsimmons captured the light-heavyweight championship after losing his heavyweight championship. Two all-time great heavyweight champions, Ezzard Charles and Floyd Patterson, started out as light heavyweights. Charles defeated Archie Moore and Joey Maxim several times in non-title bouts before becoming heavyweight champion and Patterson lost an eight-round decision to Joey Maxim before becoming heavyweight champion himself. Evander Holyfield successfully moved up from the light-heavyweight division to the cruiserweight division and eventually the heavyweight division and became undisputed champion of the latter two.

Current world champions[]

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses	Beaten opponents
WBA	Sep 18, 2017	Dmitry Bivol	18–0 (11 KO)	7	7
WBC	Oct 18, 2019	Artur Beterbiev	16–0 (16 KO)	1	1
IBF	Nov 11, 2017	Artur Beterbiev	16–0 (16 KO)	4	4
WBO	Apr 10, 2021	Joe Smith Jr.	27���3 (21 KO)	0	0

Current interim champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses	Beaten opponents
WBA	Oct 10, 2020	Robin Krasniqi	51–6 (19 KO)	0	0

Current world rankings[]

The Ring[]

As of September 20, 2021.^[1]

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Rank	Name	Record (W–L–D)	Title(s)
C	vacant
1	Artur Beterbiev	16–0 (16 KO)	IBF, WBC
2	Dmitry Bivol	18–0 (11 KO)	WBA
3	Sergey Kovalev	34–4–1 (29 KO)
4	Joe Smith Jr.	27–3 (21 KO)	WBO
5	Jean Pascal	35–6–1 (20 KO)
6	Badou Jack	24–3–3 (14 KO)
7	Eleider Alvarez	25–2 (13 KO)
8	Marcus Browne	24–1 (16 KO)
9	Umar Salamov	26–1 (19 KO)
10	Lyndon Arthur	18–0 (12 KO)

BoxRec[]

As of September 20, 2021.^[2]

Rank	Name	Record (W–L–D)	Points	Title(s)
1	Sergey Kovalev	34–4–1 (29 KO)	306.7
2	Dmitry Bivol	18–0 (11 KO)	266.5	WBA
3	Artur Beterbiev	16–0 (16 KO)	250.0	IBF, WBC
4	Joe Smith Jr.	27–3 (21 KO)	160.8	WBO
5	Jesse Hart	26–3 (21 KO)	117.7
6	Maxim Vlasov	45–4 (26 KO)	103.8
7	Jean Pascal	35–6–1 (20 KO)	86.42
8	Badou Jack	24–3–3 (14 KO)	82.00
9	Gilberto Ramirez	42–0 (28 KO)	81.24
10	Eleider Alvarez	25–2 (13 KO)	80.80

Longest reigning world light heavyweight champions[]

Below is a list of longest reigning light heavyweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses	Beaten opponents	Fights
1.	Archie Moore	9 years, 4 months, 24 days	NYSAC, NBA	9	7	[3][4]
2.	/ Dariusz Michalczewski	9 years, 1 months, 8 days	IBF, WBA, WBO	23	20	[5]
3.	Bob Foster	6 years, 0 months, 23 days	WBC, WBA	14	13	[6]
4.	Zsolt Erdei	5 years, 9 months, 27 days	WBO	11	10	[7]
5.	Adonis Stevenson	5 years, 5 months, 24 days	WBC	9	9	[8]
6.	Charles Williams	5 years, 4 months, 21 days	IBF	8	8	[9]
7.	Roy Jones Jr	5 years, 2 months, 25 days	WBC, IBF, WBA (Super)	11	11	[10]
8.	Virgil Hill	4 years, 9 months, 15 days	WBA	10	10	[11]
9.	Michael Spinks	4 years, 2 months, 3 days	IBF, WBA, WBC	10	10	[12]
10.	Dmitry Bivol	4 years and 2 days	WBA	7	7	[13]
11.	Battling Levinsky	3 years, 11 months, 19 days	World	0	0	[14][15]
12.	Artur Beterbiev	3 years, 10 months, 1 week and 2 days	IBF, WBC	4	4	[16]
13.	Victor Galindez	3 years, 9 months, 8 days	WBA	10	7	[17][18]
14.	Sergey Kovalev	3 years, 3 months, 3 days	IBF, WBA, WBO	8	7	[19]

  Active Title Reign

  Reign has ended

^{[20] [21] [22]}

Amateur[]

In amateur boxing, light heavyweight is a weight division above 165 pounds (75 kg) and up to 178 pounds (81 kg), falling between middleweight and heavyweight.

Olympic champions[]

• 1928 –  Víctor Avendaño (ARG)
• 1932 –  David Carstens (RSA)
• 1936 –  Roger Michelot (FRA)
• 1948 –  George Hunter (RSA)
• 1952 –  Norvel Lee (USA)
• 1956 –  James Boyd (USA)
• 1960 –  Cassius Clay (USA)
• 1964 –  Cosimo Pinto (ITA)
• 1968 –  Danas Pozniakas (URS)
• 1972 –  Mate Parlov (YUG)
• 1976 –  Leon Spinks (USA)
• 1980 –  Slobodan Kacar (YUG)
• 1984 –  Anton Josipović (YUG)
• 1988 –  Andrew Maynard (USA)
• 1992 –  Torsten May (GER)
• 1996 –  Vassiliy Jirov (KAZ)
• 2000 –  Aleksandr Lebziak (RUS)
• 2004 –  Andre Ward (USA)
• 2008 –  Zhang Xiaoping (CHN)
• 2012 –  Egor Mekhontsev (RUS)
• 2016 –  Julio César La Cruz (CUB)

Kickboxing[]

• In kickboxing, a light heavyweight fighter generally weighs between 77 kg (171 lb) and 82 kg (180 lb).
• In International Kickboxing Federation (IKF), a light heavyweight division is 172.1 – 179 lb (78.3 – 81.4 kg).
• In Glory promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg (209 lb).^[23]
• In Bellator Kickboxing promotion, a light heavyweight division is up to 95 kg (209 lb).
• In ONE Championship, the light heavyweight division is up to 102.1 kg (225 lb).

Mixed martial arts[]

In MMA, the light heavyweight division is from 186 lb (84 kg) to 205 lb (93 kg).

References[]