Light Flyweight (also known as Junior Flyweight or Super Strawweight) is a weight class in professional boxing. Weight classes are categories in which competition is divided into to match competitors of the same size against each other. In professional boxing, 108 pounds (49 kg) is the limit that a flyweight boxer can weigh in at.
In 1920, when boxing was legalized in New York, the law stipulated a "Junior Flyweight" class, which had a weight limit of 99 pounds. When the formation of the National Boxing Academy (NBA) took place in 1921, the weight class was also recognized by it. But on January 19, 1922, the recognition of the Junior Flyweight division was withdrawn by the NBA. The New York State Athletic Commission also abolished the Junior Flyweight division on 31 December, 1929. Prior to its abolition, the division had not crowned a champion.
In the 1970s, the division was resurrected by the World Boxing Council (WBC). The first champion of the division, Franco Udella, was crowned in 1975. In the same year, the World Boxing Association (WBA) also had a match to crown its first champion. This bout was contested between Jamie Rios and Rigoberto Marcano, with Rios winning via fifteen-round decision. The first championship belt of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) was won by Dodie Boy Penalosa in 1983.
On 13 March 1993, the IBF Champion, Michael Carbajal faced off against the WBC Champion Humberto Gonzalez in the first ever Light Flyweight "superfight". The match saw Gonzalez knocked out by Carbajal which resulted in him becoming the unified champion of the division.
The record for the most consecutive title defenses in this division is held by Yuh Myung-woo, who has defended the WBA title 17 times.
The table below shows the list of all current champions
Sanctioning body | Reign began | Champion | Record | Defenses |
WBA | December 31, 2018 | Hiroto Kyoguchi | 16–0 (11 KO) | 4 |
WBC | March 19, 2022 | Kenshiro Teraji | 19–1 (11 KO) | 0 |
IBF | vacant | |||
WBO | October 16, 2021 | Jonathan González | 25–3–1–1 (14 KO) | 0 |