History
The junior welterweight class was established by New York's Walker Law in 1920. Several fighters claimed the title, but there were no championship matches.
In 1922, Boxing Blade magazine polled its readers as to who should be the champion, and Pinkey Mitchell won. He was generally accepted as the champion until he lost the title to another fighter with a colorful name, Red Herring, in 1925.
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) 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.
Champions
Pinkey Mitchell 1922-25Red Herring 1925
Mushy Callahan 1926-30
Jack (Kid) Berg 1930-31
Tony Canzoneri 1931-32
Johnny Jadick 1932-33
Sammy Fuller 1932-33
Battling Shaw 1933
Tony Canzoneri 1933
Barney Ross 1933-35
Tippy Larkin 1946
Carlos Ortiz 1959-60
Duilio Loi 1960-62
Eddie Perkins 1962
Duilio Loi 1962-63
Roberto Cruz 1963
Eddie Perkins 1963-65
Carlos Hernandez 1965-66
Sandro Lopopolo 1966-67
Paul Fujii 1967-68
Nicolino Loche 1968-72
Pedro Adigue (WBC) 1968-70
Bruno Arcari (WBC) 1970-74
Alfonso Frazer 1972
Antonio Cervantes 1972-76
Perico Fernandez (WBC) 1974-75
Saensak Muangsurin (WBC) 1975-76
Wilfred Benitez 1976-79
Miguel Velasquez (WBC) 1976
Saensak Muangsurin (WBC) 1976-78
Antonio Cervantes (WBA) 1977-80
Sang-Hyun Kim (WBC) 1978-80
Saoul Mamby (WBC) 1980-82
Aaron Pryor (WBA) 1980-83
Leroy Haley (WBC) 1982-83
Aaron Pryor (IBF) 1983-85
Bruce Curry (WBC) 1983-84
Johnny Bumphus (WBA) 1984
Bill Costello (WBC) 1984-85
Gene Hatcher (WBA) 1984-85
Ubaldo Sacco (WBA) 1985-86
Lonnie Smith (WBC) 1985-86
Patrizio Oliva (WBA) 1986-87
Gary Hinton (IBF) 1986
Rene Arredondo (WBC) 1986
Tsuyoshi Hamada (WBC) 1986-87
Joe Louis Manley (IBF) 1986-87
Terry Marsh (IBF) 1987
Juan Coggi (WBA) 1987-90
Rene Arredondo (WBC) 1987
Roger Mayweather (WBC) 1987-89
James Mcgirt (IBF) 1988
Meldrick Taylor (IBF) 1988-90
Julio Cesar Chavez (WBC) 1989-94
Julio Cesar Chavez (IBF) 1990-91
Loreto Garza (WBA) 1990-91
Juan Coggi (WBA) 1991
Edwin Rosario (WBA) 1991-92
Rafael Pineda (IBF) 1991-92
Akinobu Hiranaka (WBA) 1992
Pernell Whitaker (IBF) 1992-93
Charles Murray (IBF) 1993-94
Jake Rodriguez (IBF) 1994-95
Juan Coggi (WBA) 1993-94
Frankie Randall (WBC) 1994
Frankie Randall (WBA) 1994-96
Juan Coggi (WBA) 1996
Julio Cesar Chavez (WBC) 1994-96
Kostya Tszyu (IBF) 1995-97
Frankie Randall (WBA) 1996-97
Oscar De La Hoya (WBC) 1996-97
Khalid Rahilou (WBA) 1997-98
Sharmba Mitchell (WBA) 1998-2001
Vincent Phillips (IBF) 1997-99
Terronn Millet (IBF) 1999-2000
Kostya Tszyu (WBC) 1999-2000
Zab Judah (IBF) 2000-01
Kostya Tszyu (IBF, WBA, WBC) 2001-