Professional boxing, kickboxing, mixed martial arts, and Greco-Roman wrestling all use "featherweight" to describe a weight division in their respective combat sports.
In 1963, Sugar Ramos won the modern WBA and WBC belts for the first time by defeating Davey Moore. Two days after the fight, Davey Moore passed away from an in-ring injury. Boxer Eusebio Pedroza from Panama holds the record for the longest title reign in modern history with 19 title defenses.
In the featherweight division, the current champions are Nick Ball (WBA), Rey Vargas (WBC), Angelo Leo (IBF), Rafael Espinoza (WBO), and Hector Andres Sosa (IBO).
History of the Featherweight Class in Pro Boxing
The featherweight division was established in 1860 by the London Prize Ring Rules, setting a weight limit of 118 pounds (53.52 kg). It was later set by the English ABA at 126 lb (57.15 kg). While the American weight limit was initially 114 pounds, the British have generally always recognized the limit as 126 pounds.
George Dixon, a former champion, raised it to 120 pounds before increasing it to 122 pounds. Finally, the United States set the cap at 126 pounds in 1920. Ike Weir, an Irishman, is regarded as the first featherweight champion in history after defeating Frank Murphy on January 13, 1890, to claim the title.
The historical featherweight champions George Dixon, Kid Chocolate, Willie Pep, Eusebio Pedroza, Salvador Sanchez, Jeff Fenech, Jorge Paez, Rafael Marquez, Steven Luevano, Naseem Hamed, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Manny Pacquiao are notable examples.
List of Current Pro Boxing Featherweight Champions
| Division/ Weight | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | IBO |
| Featherweight | Nick Ball | Rey Vargas | Angelo Leo | Rafael Espinoza | Hector Andres Sosa |
Latest Results from Featherweight Pro Boxing
On August 10, 2024, Angelo Leo defeated Luis Alberto Lopez and won the IBF Featherweight Title.
On March 8, 2024, the fight between Rey Vargas and Nick Ball ended in a draw.
Pro Boxing Featherweight Rankings 2024
| Rank | BoxRec | TBRB | The Ring | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO |
| C | — | vacant | vacant | Nick Ball | Rey VargasBrandon Figueroa (I) | Angelo Leo | Rafael Espinoza |
| 1 | Brandon Figueroa | Mauricio Lara | Luis Alberto Lopez | Stephen Fulton | Ruben Villa | vacant | Arnold Khegai |
| 2 | Luis Alberto Lopez | Emanuel Navarrete | Leigh Wood | Luis Nery | Robeisy Ramírez | Lerato Dlamini | Sergio Chirino Sanchez |
| 3 | Leigh Wood | Rey Vargas | Rey Vargas | Mirco Cuello | Carlos Castro | Arnold Khegai | Robeisy Ramírez |
| 4 | Rafael Espinoza | Mark Magsayo | Nick Ball | Otabek Kholmatov | Nathaniel Collins | Tomoki Kameda | Bruce Carrington |
| 5 | Nick Ball | Gary Russell Jr. | Brandon Figueroa | Hayato Tsutsumi | Josh Warrington | Hector Andres Sosa | Ruben Villa |
| 6 | Robeisy Ramírez | Leigh Wood | Rafael Espinoza | Victor Morales | Joet Gonzalez | Jonathan Lopez | Brandon Leon Benitez |
| 7 | Raymond Ford | Luis Alberto Lopez | Raymond Ford | Angelo Leo | Bruce Carrington | Reiya Abe | Luis Nery |
| 8 | Angelo Leo | Brandon Figueroa | Robeisy Ramírez | Luis Reynaldo Nunez | Angelo Leo | Brandon Leon Benitez | Stephen Fulton |
| 9 | Ruben Villa | Josh Warrington | Josh Warrington | Edward Vazquez | Mauro Forte | Ruben Villa | Tomoki Kameda |
| 10 | Rey Vargas | Kiko Martinez | Ruben Villa | Dominique Jamar Francis | Reiya Abe | Keisuke Matsumoto | Mauro Forte |
FAQs On Pro-Boxing Featherweight Rankings and Champion
A. Nick Ball (WBA), Rey Vargas (WBC), Angelo Leo (IBF), Rafael Espinoza (WBO), and Hector Andres Sosa (IBO).
A. The featherweight division was established in 1860 under the London Prize Ring Rules.
A. Ike Weir is considered the first featherweight champion after defeating Frank Murphy on January 13, 1890.
A. Angelo Leo is 30 years old as of August 2024.
