The welterweight world champions listed from Mysterious Billy Smith to Harry Lewis are claimants who were not widely accepted outside of the USA as world champions, and are thus not traditionally included in the list of world champions in the welterweight division. Starting with Paddy Duffy follows a more widely accepted chronological List of World Welterweight Boxing Champions, as recognized by four of the major sanctioning bodies:

The World Boxing Association (WBA), founded in 1921 as the National Boxing Association (NBA) The World Boxing Council (WBC), founded in 1963 The International Boxing Federation (IBF), founded in 1983 The World Boxing Organization (WBO), founded in 1988

Lists of Champions

World claimants Date won Date lost Name 14 December 189226 July 1894Mysterious Billy SmithWorld claimContinued to claim title after losing to Mike "Twin" Sullivan1 November 1907William "Honey" MellodyWorld claim1 November 190723 Jan 1908 Frank MantellWorld claim23 Jan 1908March 1911-vacated Harry LewisWorld claim

World/Undisputed Date won Date lost Name 30 October 188810 July 1890 (died)Paddy DuffyWorld17 February 189120 December 1897 (vacated)Tommy Ryan World25 August 189817 April 1900Mysterious Billy SmithWorld17 April 19005 June 1900Matty MatthewsWorld5 June 190013 August 1900Eddie ConnollyWorld13 August 190016 October 1900Rube FernsWorld16 October 190024 May 1901Matty MatthewsWorld24 May 190118 December 1901Rube FernsWorld18 December 190116 October 1906Barbados Joe WalcottWorld16 October 190623 April 1907William "Honey" MellodyWorld23 April 19071908 (vacated)Mike "Twin" SullivanWorld1 April 19121 January 1914Ray BronsonWorld1 January 191424 January 1914Waldemar HolbergWorld24 January 191421 March 1914Tom McCormickWorld21 March 19141 June 1915Matt WellsWorld1 June 191522 June 1915Mike GloverWorld22 June 191531 August 1915Jack BrittonWorld31 August 191524 April 1916Ted Kid LewisWorld24 April 191625 June 1917Jack BrittonWorld25 June 191717 March 1919Ted Kid LewisWorld17 March 19191 November 1922Jack BrittonWorld/NYSAC/NBA1 November 1922 20 May 1926Mickey WalkerNBA/NYSACWalker was stripped of his NYSAC title 6 June 1923 for failing to fight Dave Shade in six months. He would eventually be reinstated 31 October 1923.6 June 192327 July 1923Dave ShadeNYSAC27 July 19238 October 1923 (Stripped)Jimmy JonesNYSAC20 May 19263 June 1927Pete LatzoNBA/NYSAC3 June 192725 July 1929Joe DundeeNBA/NYSAC25 July 19299 May 1930Jackie FieldsNBA/NYSAC9 May 19305 September 1930Jack ThompsonNBA/NYSAC5 September 193014 April 1931Tommy FreemanNBA/NYSAC14 April 193123 October 1931Jack ThompsonNBA/NYSAC23 October 193128 January 1932Lou BrouillardNBA/NYSAC28 January 193222 February 1933Jackie FieldsNBA/NYSAC22 February 193329 May 1933Young Corbett IIINBA/NYSAC29 May 193328 May 1934Jimmy McLarninNBA/NYSAC28 May 193417 September 1934Barney RossNBA/NYSAC17 September 193428 May 1935Jimmy McLarninNBA/NYSAC28 May 193531 May 1938Barney RossNBA/NYSAC31 May 19384 October 1940Henry ArmstrongNBA/NYSAC4 October 194029 July 1941Fritzie ZivicNBA/NYSAC29 July 19411 February 1946Freddie 'Red' CochraneNBA/NYSAC1 February 194625 September 1946 (vacated)Marty ServoNBA/NYSAC20 December 19469 August 1950 (vacated)Sugar Ray RobinsonNBA/NYSAC14 March 195118 May 1951Johnny BrattonNBA18 May 195129 August 1951Kid GavilánNBA/NYSAC4 February 195220 October 1954Kid GavilánNBA/NYSAC20 October 19541 April 1955Johnny SaxtonNBA/NYSAC1 April 195510 June 1955Tony DeMarcoNBA/NYSAC10 June 195514 March 1956Carmen BasilioNBA/NYSAC14 March 195612 September 1956Johnny SaxtonNBA/NYSAC12 September 195622 February 1957 (vacated)Carmen BasilioNBA/NYSAC6 June 19585 December 1958Virgil AkinsNBA/NYSAC5 December 195827 May 1960Don JordanNBA/NYSAC27 May 19601 April 1961Benny 'Kid' ParetNBA/NYSAC1 April 196130 September 1961Emile GriffithNBA/NYSAC30 September 196124 March 1962Benny 'Kid' ParetNBA/NYSAC24 March 196221 March 1963Emile GriffithNBA/NYSAC—WBA/WBCTitle Splits into WBA and WBC Belts during Griffith's reign21 March 19638 June 1963Luis Manuel RodríguezWBA/WBC8 June 196310 December 1965 (vacated)Emile GriffithWBA/WBC28 November 196618 April 1969Curtis CokesWBA/WBC18 April 19693 December 1970José NápolesWBA/WBC3 December 19704 June 1971Billy BackusWBA/WBC4 June 19716 December 1975José NápolesWBA/WBC16 September 19819 November 1982 (retires)Sugar Ray LeonardWBA/WBCTitle Split into WBA, WBC, and IBF Belts6 December 198527 September 1986Donald CurryWBA/WBC/IBF27 September 198622 August 1987Lloyd HoneyghanWBA/WBC/IBF13 December 20035 February 2005Cory SpinksWBA/WBC/IBF5 February 20057 January 2006Zab JudahWBA/WBC/IBF29 July 20239 November 2023 Terence CrawfordWBO/WBA (Super)/WBC/IBF

WBC

Date won Date lost NameSeparate WBA and WBC champions began when José Nápoles gives up WBA title8 December 196221 March 1963 Emile GriffithWBC21 March 19638 June 1963 Luis Manuel RodriguezWBC8 June 196325 April 1966-Vacated Emile GriffithWBC24 August 196618 April 1969 Curtis CokesWBC18 April 19693 December 1970 José NapolesWBC3 December 19704 June 1971 Billy BackusWBC4 June 19716 December 1975 José NapolesWBC6 December 197522 June 1976 John H StraceyWBC22 June 197614 January 1979 Carlos PalominoWBC14 January 197930 November 1979 Wilfred BenítezWBC30 November 197920 June 1980 Sugar Ray LeonardWBC20 June 198025 November 1980 Roberto DuránWBC25 November 19809 November 1982-Retired Sugar Ray LeonardWBC13 August 19836 December 1985 Milton McCroryWBC6 December 198527 September 1986 Donald CurryWBC27 September 198628 October 1987 Lloyd HoneyghanWBC28 October 198729 March 1988 Jorge VacaWBC29 March 19884 February 1989 Lloyd HoneyghanWBC4 February 198919 August 1990 Marlon StarlingWBC19 August 199018 March 1991 Maurice BlockerWBC18 March 199129 November 1991 Simon BrownWBC29 November 19916 March 1993 James McGirtWBC6 March 199312 April 1997 Pernell WhitakerWBC12 April 199718 September 1999 Oscar De La HoyaWBC18 September 19993 March 2000- Vacated Félix TrinidadWBC4 March 200017 June 2000 Oscar De La HoyaWBC17 June 200026 January 2002 Shane MosleyWBC26 January 200225 January 2003 Vernon ForrestWBC25 January 200313 December 2003 Ricardo MayorgaWBC13 December 20035 February 2005 Cory SpinksWBC5 February 20057 January 2006 Zab JudahWBC7 January 20064 November 2006 Carlos Manuel BaldomirWBC4 November 20066 June 2008- Retired Floyd Mayweather Jr.WBC21 June 200816 April 2011 Andre BertoWBC16 April 201117 September 2011 Victor OrtizWBC17 September 201112 September 2015- Retired Floyd Mayweather Jr.WBC23 January 20164 March 2017 Danny GarcíaWBC4 March 201724 April 2018- Vacated Keith ThurmanWBC8 September 201828 September 2019 Shawn PorterWBC28 September 201929 July 2023 Errol Spence Jr. WBC 29 July 202318 June 2024-Stripped Terence CrawfordWBC18 June 202421 February 2026 Mario BarriosWBC21 February 2026Present Ryan GarciaWBC

WBA Date won Date lost Name8 December 196221 March 1963Emile GriffithWBA21 March 19638 June 1963 Luis Manuel RodriguezWBA8 June 196325 April 1966-Vacated Emile GriffithWBA24 August 196618 April 1969 Curtis CokesWBA18 April 19693 December 1970 Jose NapolesWBA3 December 19704 June 1971 Billy BackusWBA4 June 19711975-Stripped Jose NapolesWBA28 June 197517 July 1976 Ángel EspadaWBA17 July 19762 August 1980 Pipino CuevasWBA2 August 198016 September 1981 Thomas HearnsWBA16 September 19819 November 1982-Retired Sugar Ray LeonardWBA13 February 198327 September 1986 Donald CurryWBA27 September 19861987-Vacated Lloyd HoneyghanWBA6 February 198722 August 1987 Mark BrelandWBA22 August 198729 July 1988 Marlon StarlingWBA29 July 198812 December 1988-Vacated Tomas MolinaresWBA4 February 19898 July 1990 Mark BrelandWBA8 July 199019 January 1991 Aaron DavisWBA19 January 199131 October 1992 Meldrick TaylorWBA31 October 19924 June 1994 Crisanto EspañaWBA4 June 199417 October 1997-Vacated Ike QuarteyWBA10 October 19982000-Stripped James PageWBA17 February 200130 March 2002 Andrew LewisWBA30 March 200213 December 2003 Ricardo MayorgaWBA Super Champion12 September 20032 April 2005 Jose Antonio RiveraWBA Regular Champion13 December 20035 February 2005 Cory SpinksWBA Super Champion5 February 20057 January 2006-Stripped Zab JudahWBA Super Champion2 April 200513 May 2006 Luis CollazoWBA Regular Champion13 May 200631 August 2006-Vacated Ricky HattonWBA2 December 200626 July 2008 Miguel CottoWBA26 July 200824 January 2009 Antonio MargaritoWBA Super Champion3 October 200810 April 2009 Yuriy NuzhnenkoWBA Regular Champion24 January 200922 May 2010-Stripped Shane MosleyWBA Super Champion10 April 200929 April 2012 Vyacheslav SenchenkoWBA Regular Champion29 April 201222 June 2013 Paul MalignaggiWBA22 June 201314 December 2013 Adrien BronerWBA14 December 20133 May 2014 Marcos MaidanaWBA3 May 201411 January 2016-Retired Floyd Mayweather Jr.WBA Super ChampionFebruary 20157 November 2016 Keith ThurmanWBA Regular Champion7 November 201620 July 2019 Keith ThurmanWBA Super Champion7 November 201618 February 2017 David AvanesyanWBA Regular Champion18 February 20173 October 2017-Vacated Lamont PetersonWBA Regular Champion27 January 201815 July 2018 Lucas MatthysseWBA Regular Champion15 July 201820 July 2019 Manny PacquiaoWBA Regular Champion20 July 201929 January 2021-Stripped Manny PacquiaoWBA Super Champion6 September 202029 January 2021-Elevated Yordenis UgásWBA Regular Champion29 January 202116 April 2022 Yordenis UgásWBA Super Champion30 October 202116 April 2022 Radzhab ButaevWBA Regular Champion16 April 202230 August 2024-Elevated Eimantas StanionisWBA Regular Champion16 April 202229 July 2023 Errol Spence Jr.WBA Super Champion29 July 202330 August 2024 Terence CrawfordWBA Super Champion30 August 202412 April 2025 Eimantas StanionisWBA Champion12 April 20251 August 2025-Vacated Jaron EnnisWBA Champion/WBA Super Champion2 May 20251 August 2025-Elevated Rolly RomeroWBA Regular Champion1 August 202522 August 2026 Rolly RomeroWBA Champion22 August 2026Present Teofimo LopezWBA Super Champion

IBF Date won Date lost NameTitle inaugurated4 February 198427 September 1986 Donald CurryIBF27 September 198628 October 1987-Stripped Lloyd HoneyghanIBF23 April 19884 October 1991-Vacated Simon BrownIBF4 October 199119 June 1993 Maurice BlockerIBF19 June 19933 March 2000-Vacated Félix TrinidadIBF12 May 200112 December 2001-Vacated Vernon ForrestIBF13 April 200222 March 2003 Michele PiccirilloIBF22 March 20035 February 2005 Cory SpinksIBF5 February 20058 April 2006 Zab JudahIBF8 April 200620 June 2006-Vacated Floyd Mayweather Jr.IBF28 October 200612 April 2008 Kermit CintronIBF12 April 200823 May 2008-Vacated Antonio MargaritoIBF2 August 200816 April 2009-Vacated Joshua ClotteyIBF1 August 200911 December 2009 Isaac HlatshwayoIBF11 December 20093 September 2011 Dejan ZavecIBF3 September 20118 November 2011-Vacated Andre BertoIBF9 June 201220 October 2012 Randall BaileyIBF20 October 20127 December 2013 Devon AlexanderIBF7 December 201316 August 2014 Shawn PorterIBF16 August 201427 May 2017 Kell BrookIBF27 May 201729 July 2023 Errol Spence Jr.IBF29 July 20239 November 2023-Stripped Terence CrawfordIBF9 November 20237 July 2025-Vacated Jaron EnnisIBF13 Sep 202524 Jun 2026 Lewis CrockerIBF24 Jun 2026Present Liam ParoIBF

WBO