History
The junior lightweight class was one of the divisions established in 1920, when the Walker Law was passed to legalize and regulate boxing in New York State.
Johnny Dundee became the first champion by beating George KO Chaney in 1921. The title became inactive after champion Frankie Klick moved up to the lightweight division in 1934. Although Sandy Saddler claimed the title in 1949, there was no generally recognized junior lightweight champion until Harold Gomes beat Paul Jorgensen in a 1959 title fight.
The lists below include generally recognized champions, as well as champions of the National Boxing Association/World Boxing Association (NBA/WBA), World Boxing Council (WBC), World Boxing Organization (WB0) and International Boxing Federation (IBF).
Some other champions recognized by New York (NY), Great Britain (GBR), Europe and the European Boxing Union (EBU) are also included, if they seemed to be genuine claimants and/or later won recognition from an international body.
Only those bouts are included in which the championship changed hands or the championships of two or more governing bodies was unified.
