Boxing Weight Classes: Amateur, Professional, Male & Female

When it comes to testing the mettle of a man or a woman, you can’t get more brutal and primal than boxing. Two dudes duking it out till both of them run out of time, or until one of them is knocked out or the final bell rings. Yeah, sure, a few rules too. That brings us to a rule that is often not understood by newer or sometimes even older fans: boxing weight classes. The thing is, weight matters a lot in combat sports, and just like every other combat sport, boxing has some weight classes too. Okay, it has a lot of damn weight classes. And it gets even crazier once you get to know that amateur and professional weight classes are different, and so are male and female. Let’s just cut to the chase and get started, shall we?

What Do Boxing Weight Classes Mean?

Let’s keep it simple. At its core, weight classes are divisions or categories fighters compete in. They don’t mean what you weigh, per se. Suppose you weigh 69 kg, or 154 pounds. That doesn’t mean you will compete in that weight class. In general, a boxer weighing 154 pounds usually fights between 130 and 147. They cut weight by shedding extra fat throughout the camp and water weight a week before the fight. This takes the weight to 135 or 145, whatever the fighter is comfortable with.

Major Boxing Weight Classes in All Facets of the Game

To keep it as simple as possible, listing by competition and gender seems like the best approach.

Men’s Professional Boxing Weight Classes

Below is a list of all the weight classes in professional men’s boxing. The list also includes some of the best male boxers in the world has ever seen, like Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather.

Weight Class	Weight(Pounds & Kg)	Greatest Champion
Strawweight	105 lbs or 47.63 Kg	Ricardo Lopez
Light flyweight	108 lbs or 48.99 Kg	Michael Carbajal
Flyweight	112 lbs or 50.80 Kg	Jimmy Wilde
Super flyweight	115 lbs or 52.16 Kg	Román González
Bantamweight	118 lbs or 53.52 Kg	Éder Jofre
Super bantamweight	122 lbs or 55.34 Kg	Naoya Inoue
Featherweight	126 lbs or 57.15 Kg	Willie Pep
Super featherweight	130 lbs or 58.97 Kg	Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Lightweight	135 lbs or 61.24 Kg	Roberto Durán
Super lightweight	140 lbs or 63.50 Kg	Aaron Pryor
Welterweight	147 lbs or 66.68 Kg	Sugar Ray Robinson
Super welterweight	154 lbs or 69.85 Kg	Thomas Hearns
Middleweight	160 lbs or 72.57 Kg	Marvin Hagler
Super Middleweight	168 lbs or 76.20 Kg	Andre Ward
Light Heavyweight	175 lbs or 79.38 Kg	Roy Jones Jr.
Cruiserweight	200 lbs or 90.72 Kg	Evander Holyfield
Bridgerweight	224 lbs(WBC) or 101.60 Kg	Oscar Rivas
Heavyweight	>200 or 225 lbs or 120 Kg	Muhammad Ali

* The Bridgerweight is only recognised by WBC, as of October 2026.

Women’s Professional Boxing Weight Classes

Now that we’ve covered professional men’s boxing weight classes, it’s time to look at how women’s boxing weight classes are structured.

Weight Class	Weight(Pounds & Kg)	Greatest Champion
Light minimumweight /Atomweight	102 or 46.27	Momo Koseki
Minimumweight/Strawweight	105 lbs or 47.63 Kg	Yokasta Valle
Junior flyweight	108 lbs or 48.99 Kg	Yukari Ishikawa
Flyweight	112 lbs or 50.80 Kg	Gabriela Fundora
Junior Bantamweight	115 lbs or 52.16 Kg	Ava Knight
Bantamweight	118 lbs or 53.52 Kg	Dina Thorslund
Junior Featherweight	122 lbs or 55.34 Kg	Jackie Nava
Featherweight	126 lbs or 57.15 Kg	Amanda Serrano
Junior Lightweight	130 lbs or 58.97 Kg	Alycia Baumgardner
Lightweight	135 lbs or 61.24 Kg	Katie Taylor
Junior Welterweight	140 lbs or 63.50 Kg	Katie Taylor
Welterweight	147 lbs or 66.68 Kg	Cecilia Brækhus
Junior Middleweight	154 lbs or 69.85 Kg	Christy Martin
Middleweight	160 lbs or 72.57 Kg	Claressa Shields
Super Middleweight	168 lbs or 76.20 Kg	Laila Ali
Light Heavyweight	175 lbs or 79.38 Kg	Claressa Shields
Heavyweight	>175 lbs or 79.38 Kg	Claressa Shields

Amateur Boxing Weight Classes(Men and Women Combined)

Ok. So we are finally clear of the professional weight classes in boxing. But what about the amateur ones? Because the landscape looks a lot different there. Moreover, amateur boxing weight classes often vary by event. So for this list, we will only include the amateur boxing weight classes in the Olympics, the LA Olympics 2028, to be precise. So what are the weight classes in the LA28 Olympics? This time, the IOC has shortlisted 7 weight classes for men and women. They are as follows:

Gender	Weight Classes	Greatest Ever	Gold Tally
Male	55 Kg	Guillermo Rigondeaux 🇨🇺	2
Male	60 Kg	Mario Kindelán 🇨🇺	2
Male	65 Kg	Roniel Iglesias 🇨🇺	2
Male	70 Kg	Jerzy Kulej 🇵🇱	2
Male	80 Kg	Félix Savón 🇨🇺	3
Male	90 Kg	László Papp 🇭🇺	3
Male	Over 90 Kg	Teófilo Stevenson 🇨🇺	3
Female	51 Kg	Nicola Adams 🇬🇧	2
Female	54 Kg	Claressa Shields 🇺🇸	2
Female	57 Kg	Kellie Harrington 🇮🇪	2
Female	60 Kg	Katie Taylor 🇮🇪	1
Female	65 Kg	Claressa Shields 🇺🇸	2
Female	70 Kg	Claressa Shields 🇺🇸	2
Female	75 Kg	Claressa Shields 🇺🇸	2

Why Do These Boxing Weight Classes Even Matter?

We now know what all the weight classes are in boxing. However, anything without meaning is of no use whatsoever. So that brings us to the reason why weight classes exist in the first place. Boxing, or all combat sports, are, at least in theory or in purists’ minds, the most apt simulation of a real-life, on-the-fly altercation. So it does make sense to just remove the weight classes. But simply simulating a real fight environment is not what those sports are about. They are, inherently and by definition, sports. As a result, a set of rules is needed to formalise them. On top of that, it is entertainment, and tickets only sell when there is bad blood or the element of surprise- who knows what might happen. A 100 kg man fighting a 60 kg guy wouldn’t end in a surprise 9 out of 10 times.

FAQs

1. How many Weight Classes are there in Boxing?

Professional men’s boxing has 17 traditional weight classes, running from strawweight (105 lbs or 47.63 kg) up to heavyweight. The WBC also recognises bridgerweight, which takes its scale to 18 divisions. Women’s boxing has a similar number, though the limits can vary a little between sanctioning bodies.

2. What are the Original Eight Weight Classes in Boxing?

Flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, middleweight, light heavyweight and heavyweight. These are known as the “traditional” or “glamour” divisions. Every other class was added later in between them to fill the gaps, which is why you see all the “super” and “junior” divisions today.

3. Is there a Weight Limit for Heavyweight Boxers?

No. Heavyweight is the one division with no upper limit. It starts just above cruiserweight (200 lbs or 90.72 kg) and goes up from there. In the WBC, it starts above 224 lbs because of the bridgerweight. So a 230 lb fighter can fight a 280 lb fighter and can legally share a ring.

4. When do Boxers Weigh in, and do they Gain Weight After?

Pro boxers, generally, weigh in the day before the fight. This gives them plenty of time to rehydrate and eat afterwards, with many stepping into the ring several pounds heavier. Bigger fighters are known to sometimes add 10 lbs, or even more. Some contracts include a rehydration clause. This means both fighters are allowed only a certain amount of fluids after the weigh-ins.

5. What Happens if a Boxer Misses Weight?

Usually, they get a short window to lose the extra weight and step on the scale again. If they still miss, the fight can go ahead only if the opponent agrees, and the fighter who missed often has to hand over a chunk of their purse. In a title fight, the fighter who missed can’t win the belt, while the opponent still can. The exact rules depend on the commission and the contract.