Professional boxing's middleweight division, which features fighters weighing between 154 and 160 pounds (70 and 73 kilograms), is renowned for its fierce competition. Over the years, middleweight fights have captivated audiences with their fast-paced action and technical skill.
Nonpareil Dempsey of the United States, who held the title from 1884 to 1891, and Bob Fitzsimmons of the United Kingdom, who reigned from 1891 to 1894, are notable champions in this weight class. These early champions helped to establish the middleweight division as a thrilling and fiercely competitive weight class in professional boxing, shaping its legacy.
As of August 2024, Erislandy Lara holds the WBA middleweight title, Carlos Adames is the WBC middleweight champion, and Janibek Alimkhanuly is the current WBO and IBO middleweight champion.
Boxing Middleweight Overview
In professional boxing, the middleweight division is a weight class that lies between super middleweight and Middleweight. The middleweight division in professional boxing features fights between 154 lb (70 kg) and 160 lb (73 kg).
Some of the most recognizable athletes in the sport have competed in this weight class throughout its long history. This weight class in professional boxing is extremely competitive and exciting because the competitors are known for their speed, agility, and power.
Middleweight bouts date back to the 1840s; it was officially established at 11 stone (154.0 lb; 69.9 kg) by NSC in 1909 and at 160 lb (73 kg) by Walker Law in 1920.
History of the Middleweight Class in Pro Boxing
The early boxing history is sketchy; the middleweight classification appears to have started in the 1840s. The first middleweight championship match in the bare-knuckle era took place in 1867 between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris.
After winning, Chandler earned the title of middleweight champion in America. It's possible that George Fulljames and Jack (Nonpareil) Dempsey's middleweight fight was the first to be conducted with gloves.
A few of the most prominent early champions of the professional boxing middleweight division are of USA’s Nonpareil Dempsey held the title from July 30, 1884, to January 14, 1891, with world recognition. United Kingdom's Bob Fitzsimmons became the champion on January 14, 1891, until September 26, 1894, when he vacated the title.
USA’s Kid McCoy held the title from March 2, 1896, to December 17, 1897, when he also vacated the title. And the United States' Stanley Ketchel became the champion from December 12, 1907, to September 7, 1908, with world recognition.
List of Pro Boxing Middleweight Champions 2024
| Division/ Weight | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO | IBO |
| Middleweight | Erislandy Lara | Carlos Adames | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Etinosa Oliha |
Latest Results from Middleweight Pro Boxing
On March 30, 2024, Erislandy Lara defeated Michael Zerafa and retained the WBA Middleweight title.
On June 15, 2024, Carlos Adames beat Terrell Gausha via a unanimous decision and retained the WBC Middleweight title.
Pro Boxing Middleweight Rankings 2024
| Rank | BoxRec | TBRB | The Ring | WBA | WBC | IBF | WBO |
| C | — | vacant | vacant | Erislandy Lara | Carlos Adames | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Janibek Alimkhanuly |
| 1 | Chris Eubank Jr | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Elijah Garcia | Meiirim Nursultanov | vacant | Gennady Golovkin |
| 2 | Liam Smith | Carlos Adames | Carlos Adames | Austin Williams | Hamzah Sheeraz | vacant | Liam Smith |
| 3 | Jermall Charlo | Erislandy Lara | Erislandy Lara | Thomas Lammana | Chris Eubank Jr | Andrei Mikhailovich | Jaime Munguía |
| 4 | Hamzah Sheeraz | Chris Eubank Jr. | Chris Eubank Jr. | Connor Coyle | Elijah Garcia | Hamzah Sheeraz | Meiirim Nursultanov |
| 5 | Meiirim Nursultanov | Liam Smith | Meiirim Nursultanov | Ian Green | Austin Williams | Elijah Garcia | Felix Cash |
| 6 | Janibek Alimkhanuly | Meiirim Nursultanov | Elijah Garcia | Shane Mosley Jr | Shane Mosley Jr | Chris Eubank Jr | Michael Zerafa |
| 7 | Carlos Adames | Anauel Ngamissengue | Hamzah Sheeraz | Nathan Heaney | Liam Smith | Shane Mosley Jr | Hamzah Sheeraz |
| 8 | Austin Williams | Elijah Garcia | Felix Cash | Michael Zerafa | Maciej Sulecki | Meiirim Nursultanov | Fiodor Zerkaszyn |
| 9 | Elijah Garcia | Austin Williams | Liam Smith | Francisco Daniel Veron | Vincent Feignbutz | Etinosa Oliha | Andrei Mikhailovich |
| 10 | Etinosa Oliha | Hamzah Sheeraz | Austin Williams | Chris Eubank Jr | Terrell Gausha | Alexander Pavlov | Shane Mosley Jr |
Pro-Boxing Weight Divisions
- Heavyweight
- Cruiserweight
- Light heavyweight
- Super middleweight
- Middleweight
- Super Welterweight
- Welterweight
- Super Lightweight
- Lightweight
FAQs On Pro-Boxing Middleweight
A. The middleweight division in professional boxing features fights between 154 lb (70 kg) and 160 lb (73 kg).
A. The current top-ranked middleweight boxers in 2024 include Carlos Adames, Janibek Alimkhanuly, and Erislandy Lara.
A. The history of middleweight professional boxing dates back to the 1840s, and Walker Law introduced the current format in 1920, with a weight restriction of 160 lbs.
A. Janibek Alimkhanuly is from Khazakstan.
