History
There was only one world boxing champion until the 1850s, when John Moneghan of Liverpool, England, began calling himself a lightweight and claimed to be the world champion.
The idea of a lightweight division was soon generally accepted and there were several bareknuckle champions in the class, though the weight limit was poorly defined, ranging anywhere from 130 to 150 pounds.
The last bareknuckle lightweight champion was Jack McAuliffe, who also became the first titlist under Marquis of Queensberry rules in 1886.
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
Jack McAuliffe 1886-94George (Kid) Lavigne 1896-99
Frank Erne 1899-02
Joe Gans 1902-04
Jimmy Britt 1904-05
Battling Nelson 1905-06
Joe Gans 1906-08
Battling Nelson 1908-10
Ad Wolgast 1910-12
Willie Ritchie 1912-14
Freddie Welsh 1915-17
Benny Leonard 1917-25
Jimmy Goodrich 1925
Rocky Kansas 1925-26
Sammy Mandell 1926-30
Al Singer 1930
Tony Canzoneri 1930-33
Barney Ross 1933-35
Tony Canzoneri 1935-36
Lou Ambers 1936-38
Henry Armstrong 1938-39
Lou Ambers 1939-40
Sammy Angott (NBA) 1940-41
Lew Jenkins 1940-41
Sammy Angott 1941-42
Beau Jack (NY) 1942-43
Slugger White (Md.) 1943
Bob Montgomery (NY) 1943
Sammy Angott (NBA) 1943-44
Beau Jack (NY) 1943-44
Bob Montgomery (NY) 1944-47
Juan Zurita (NBA) 1944-45
Ike Williams 1947-51
James Carter 1951-52
Lauro Salas 1952
James Carter 1952-54
Paddy Demarco 1954
James Carter 1954-55
Wallace (Bud) Smith 1955-56
Joe Brown 1956-62
Carlos Ortiz 1962-65
Kenny Lane (Mich.) 1963-64
Ismael Laguna 1965
Carlos Ortiz 1965-68
Carlos Teo Cruz 1968-69
Mando Ramos 1969-70
Ismael Laguna 1970
Ken Buchanan 1970-72
Pedro Carrasco (WBC) 1971-72
Mando Ramos (WBC) 1972
Roberto Duran 1972-79
Chango Carmona (WBC) 1972
Rodolfo Gonzalez (WBC) 1972-74
Ishimatsu Suzuki (WBC) 1974-76
Esteban De Jesus (WBC) 1976-78
Jim Watt (WBC) 1979-81
Ernesto Espana (WBA) 1979-80
Hilmer Kenty (WBA) 1980-81
Sean O'Grady (WBA) 1981
Alexis Arguello (WBC) 1981-82
Claude Noel (WBA) 1981
Andrew Ganigan (Waa) 1981-82
Arturo Frias (WBA) 1981-82
Ray Mancini (WBA) 1982-84
Alexis Arguello 1982-83
Edwin Rosario (WBC) 1983-84
Choo Choo Brown (IBF) 1984
Livingstone Bramble (WBA) 1984-86
Harry Arroyo (IBF) 1984-85
Jose Luis Ramirez (WBC) 1984-85
Jimmy Paul (IBF) 1985-86
Hector Camacho (WBC) 1985-86
Edwin Rosario (WBA) 1986-87
Greg Haugen (IBF) 1986-87
Julio Cesar Chavez (WBA) 1987-88
Jose Luis Ramirez (WBC) 1987-88
Julio Cesar Chavez (WBC, WBA) 1988-89
Vinny Pazienza (IBF) 1987-88
Greg Haugen (IBF) 1988-89
Pernell Whitaker (IBF, WBC) 1989-90
Edwin Rosario (WBA) 1989-90
Juan Nazario (WBA) 1990
Pernell Whitaker (IBF, WBC, WBA) 1990-92
Joey Gamache (WBA) 1992
Miguel A. Gonzalez (WBC) 1992-96
Tony Lopez (WBA) 1992-93
Dingaan Thobela (WBA) 1993
Fred Pendleton (IBF) 1993-94
Orzubek Nazarov (WBA) 1993-98
Rafael Ruelas (IBF) 1994-95
Oscar De La Hoya (IBF) 1995
Phillip Holiday (IBF) 1995-97
Jean-Baptiste Mendy (WBC) 1996-97
Stevie Johnston (WBC) 1997-98
Shane Mosley (IBF) 1997-99
Cesar Bazan (WBC) 1998-99
Jean-Baptiste Mendy (WBA) 1998-99
Julien Lorcy (WBA) 1999
Stevie Johnston (WBC) 1999-2000
Stefano Zoff (WBA) 1999
Israel Cardona (IBF) 1999
Paul Spadafora (IBF) 1999-
Gilberto Serrano (WBA) 1999-2000
Takanori Hatakeyama (WBA) 2000-01
Jose Luis Castillo (WBC) 2000-02
Julien Lorcy (WBA) 2001
Raul Balbi (WBA) 2001-02
Leonard Dorin (WBA) 2002-
Floyd Mayweather (WBC) 2002-
Javier Jauregui (IBF) 2003-