Following the name of the champion(s): Indicates the number of times the competitor has held that title at that point.
[...]
Indicates a gap in the listing where title changes are not known.
<
Title was held or changed hands no later than this. In these cases, it is known that a competitor held the title at a certain time but not when he/she won it.
@
Order uncertain. Different titleholders may be known for the same year, for example, but it is not known who held the title before whom.
#
Unofficial or disputable claims. These are usually matches that certainly took place, but where there is doubt that the competitor shown should be recognized as a true title holder. These listings are also italicized.
World Boxing Council
World Lightweight Title (as of 2025-09-14)
* Bolded letters in the competitor's name, if any, indicate the surname/family name.
Carlos Ortiz
1963-02-14
San Juan, PR, USA
Defeats Douglas Vaillant to become the first champion.
Ismael Laguna
1965-04-10
Panama City, PAN
Carlos Ortiz
1965-11-13
San Juan, PR, USA
Carlos Cruz
1968-06-29
Santo Domingo, DOM
Mando Ramos
1969-02-18
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Ismael Laguna
1970-03-03
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Stripped of the title on 70-09-15.
Ken Buchanan
1971-02-12
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Defeats Rubén Navarro; stripped of the title on 71-06-25.
Pedro Carrasco
1971-11-05
Madrid, ESP
Defeats Mando Ramos.
Mando Ramos
1972-02-18
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Chango Carmona
1972-09-15
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Rodolfo González
1972-11-10
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Guts Ishimatsu
1974-04-11
Tōkyō, JPN
Esteban de Jesús
1976-05-08
Bayamon, PR, USA
Roberto Durán
1978-01-21
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Vacant in 79-01.
Jim Watt
1979-04-17
Glasgow, SCT, GBR
Defeats Alfredo Pitalua.
Alexis Argüello
1981-06-20
London, ENG, GBR
Defeats Jim Watt; vacates on 83-02-15.
Edwin Rosario
1983-05-01
San Juan, PR, USA
Defeats José Luis Ramírez.
José Luis Ramírez
1984-11-03
San Juan, PR, USA
Héctor Camacho
1985-08-10
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Vacant in 87.
José Luis Ramírez
1987-07-19
Saint-Tropez, FRA
Defeats Terrence Alli.
Julio César Chávez
1988-10-29
Winchester, NV, USA
Vacant on 89-05-13.
Pernell Whitaker
1989-08-20
Norfolk, VA, USA
Defeats José Luis Ramírez; vacates on 92-05-22.
Miguel Ángel González
1992-08-24
Mexico City, DF, MEX
Defeats Wilfrido Rocha; vacant on 95-08-19.
Jean Baptiste Mendy
1996-04-20
Levallois-Perret, FRA
Defeats Lamar Murphy.
Stevie Johnston
1997-03-01
Paris, FRA
César Bazán
1998-06-13
El Paso, TX, USA
Stevie Johnston
1999-02-27
Miami, FL, USA
José Luis Castillo
2000-06-17
Bell Gardens, CA, USA
Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2002-04-20
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Vacant on 04-05-22.
José Luis Castillo
2004-06-05
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Defeats Juan Lazcano.
Diego Corrales
2005-05-07
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Stripped of the title on 06-10-07.
Joel Casamayor
2006-10-07
Paradise, NV, USA
Defeats Diego Corrales; stripped of the title on 07-02-01.
David Díaz
2007-02-01
Interim champion since defeating José Armando Santa Cruz on 06-08-12 in Las Vegas, NV, USA; status promoted on 07-02-01.
Manny Pacquiao
2008-06-28
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Vacant on 09-02-24.
Edwin Valero
2009-04-04
Austin, TX, USA
Defeats Antonio Pitalúa; vacant on 10-02-09.
Humberto Soto
2010-03-13
Defeats David Díaz; vacant on 11-07-01.
Antonio DeMarco
2011-10-15
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Defeats Jorge Linares.
Adrien Broner
2012-11-17
Atlantic City, NJ, USA
Stripped of the title on 14-01-29.
Omar Figueroa Jr.
2014-01-29
Interim champion since defeating Arakawa Nihito on 13-07-27 in San Antonio, TX, USA; status promoted on 14-01-29; declared Champion in Recess on 14-11-10.
Jorge Linares
2014-12-30
Tōkyō, JPN
Defeats Javier Prieto; declared Champion in Recess on 16-02-22.
Dejan Zlatičanin
2016-06-11
Verona, NY, USA
Defeats Franklin Mamani.
Mikey Garcia
2017-01-28
Las Vegas, NV, USA
Vacates the title on 19-04-25.
Vasiliy Lomachenko
2019-08-31
London, GBR
Defeats Luke Campbell; named "Franchise" champion on 19-10-23.
Davin Haney
2019-10-23
Interim champion since defeating Zaur Abdullaev on 19-09-13 in New York, NY, USA; status promoted on 19-10-23; declared Champion in Recess on 19-12-12; reinstated as the champion on 20-04-22 after recovery from injury; also wins WBA, IBF, and WBO world titles on 22-06-05; named champion in recess on 23-08-01.
