Top 10 Welterweight Boxing Champions with the Longest Title Reigns in History

Boxing enthusiasts have long been captivated by the welterweight division, which showcases some of the sport’s most exciting fighters. This weight class, ranging from 140 to 147 pounds, lies between lightweight and middleweight. Here, we highlight the 10 welterweight champions who enjoyed the longest uninterrupted reigns, focusing on individual title periods rather than cumulative ones.

As of July 10, 2017, the reigning champions were Keith Thurman (WBA Super and WBC), Lamont Peterson (WBA Regular), and Errol Spence (IBF) from the USA, along with Jeff Horn (WBO) from Australia. Legendary past champions include Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jose Napoles, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfredo Benitez, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Emile Griffith, and Manny Pacquiao.

10. Simon Brown

Though not often hailed as one of boxing’s greatest legends, Jamaica’s Simon Brown was a dependable welterweight champion, successfully defending his IBF Title nine times over a reign lasting three years, five months, and 11 days. Brown also achieved success in the junior middleweight division, making him a two-division titleholder. Known as Mantequilla, Brown maintained an active professional career from 1982 to 2000, competing in 59 fights with a record of 47-12, including 34 knockouts, though he ended his career with six consecutive losses. Starting his career with an impressive 21-0 streak, Brown claimed the vacant IBF Championship in 1988 with a 14th-round TKO victory over Tyrone Trice. He later added the WBC Title by defeating Maurice Blocker in 1991 but lost both belts to Buddy McGirt in his next fight. Two years later, Brown secured the WBC Jr. Middleweight crown by stopping Terry Norris, defending it once against Troy Waters before losing the rematch to Norris.

9. Mickey Walker

Mickey Walker, nicknamed the Toy Bulldog, hailed from Elizabeth, New Jersey, and made his mark as a world champion in both the welterweight and middleweight divisions. He even ventured into light heavyweight and heavyweight bouts during his career, which spanned from 1919 to 1935. Walker’s official record stands at 94-19-4, with 60 knockouts. He captured the World Welterweight Championship in November 1922 with a 15-round unanimous decision over Jack Britton at Madison Square Garden. Walker held the title for three years, five months, and 20 days, defending it five times while also engaging in numerous non-title fights. He lost the welterweight belt to Pete Latzo in May 1926 and soon after moved up to middleweight, where he won the title just seven months later in a controversial 10-round points victory over Tiger Flowers. Walker reigned as middleweight champion for five years, defending the title three times before transitioning to heavier weight classes. Post-retirement, he gained fame as a celebrated artist.

8. Jack Britton

Jack ‘Boxing Marvel’ Britton, an American fighter from Clinton, New York, was a prominent figure in boxing’s early era. Competing professionally from 1904 to 1930, he amassed an impressive record of 104-29-20, with 30 knockouts. Britton held the World Welterweight Championship three times, with his longest reign lasting three years, seven months, and 13 days. He first claimed the title in June 1915 with a 12-round decision over Mike Glover but lost it two months later to Ted ‘Kid’ Lewis. Britton regained the crown in a rematch with Lewis seven months later, only to lose it again to Lewis the following year. In March 1919, Britton secured the title for the third time by knocking out Lewis in the ninth round, defending it four times before losing to Mickey Walker in November 1922.

7. Donald Curry

Donald Curry, known as the Lone Star Cobra, was one of the most skilled welterweights of the 1980s and 90s. Hailing from Fort Worth, Texas, Curry had a stellar amateur career and earned a spot on the 1980 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team, though he never competed due to the boycott. Turning pro in 1980, Curry compiled a record of 34-6 with 25 knockouts. He won the vacant WBA Welterweight Championship in February 1983 with a unanimous decision over Jun-Suk Hwang. Alongside his brother Bruce, who held the WBC Jr. Welterweight Title, the Currys became the first siblings to simultaneously hold world titles. Curry added the IBF Welterweight Title in 1984 and later unified the WBC and Lineal Belts by defeating Milton McCrory. However, he lost all his titles to Lloyd Honeyghan in September 1986. Curry held the WBA Title for three years, seven months, and 14 days, defending it seven times. He later won the WBC Jr. Middleweight Title but fell short in three attempts at a middleweight championship.

6. Sugar Ray Robinson

Sugar Ray Robinson, often regarded as the greatest boxer in history, hailed from Ailey, Georgia, and competed across multiple weight classes from featherweight to light heavyweight between 1940 and 1965. With a professional record of 173-19-6 and 108 knockouts, Robinson also boasted an 85-0 amateur record with 69 knockouts. He holds the record for the longest unbeaten streak in professional boxing, with 91 consecutive wins from 1943 to 1951. Robinson won the World Welterweight Championship in December 1946 with a 15-round unanimous decision over Tommy Bell, holding the title for three years, seven months, and 19 days while defending it five times. He later moved up to middleweight, becoming a five-time champion in the division. After retiring, Robinson explored acting but remains best known for his legendary bouts against fighters like Jake LaMotta, Henry Armstrong, Kid Gavilan, Bobo Olson, Randy Turpin, Gene Fullmer, and Carmen Basilio.

5. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

At 49-0 with 26 knockouts since turning professional, 40-year-old Floyd Mayweather Jr. from Grand Rapids, Michigan, is set to return to the ring to face UFC fighter Conor McGregor on August 26th. As a boxer, Mayweather has secured world titles in five weight divisions, earning four Lineal Titles and a total of 15 world championship belts. He held the Welterweight Championship for four years, defending it five times before being stripped of the title. The 1996 Olympic bronze medalist at featherweight claimed the IBF and vacant IBO Welterweight Titles with a unanimous decision over Zab Judah in April 2006. He later added the WBA, IBC, and Lineal Titles by defeating Carlos Baldomir. Mayweather relinquished the IBF belt and occasionally fought at catch-weights, eventually winning the WBO Welterweight Crown by defeating Manny Pacquiao in 2015. However, he was stripped of the title for failing to pay a $200,000 sanctioning fee.

4. Pernell Whitaker

Pernell ‘Sweet Pea’ Whitaker, hailing from Norfolk, Virginia, is celebrated as one of the finest defensive boxers in history. He won world titles in four weight classes and defended the WBC Welterweight Championship eight times during his four-year, one-month, and six-day reign. Whitaker also earned a gold medal as a lightweight at the 1984 Olympics. His professional career, spanning from 1984 to 2001, ended with a record of 40-4-1, including 17 knockouts and one no contest. After capturing titles in the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions, Whitaker secured the WBC and Lineal Welterweight Titles with a unanimous decision over Buddy McGirt in September 1993. He later won the WBA Super Welterweight Championship in 1995 and retained his welterweight belts until losing to Oscar De La Hoya in April 1997. Whitaker retired after losing his final three bouts.

3. Jose Napoles

Cuba has a rich history of producing world-class boxers, and Jose ‘Mantequilla’ Napoles stands out as a shining example, even though he later became a Mexican citizen and fought under that flag. Napoles competed in 88 professional bouts from 1958 to 1975, finishing with a record of 81-7, including 54 knockouts. He claimed the WBA and WBC Welterweight Titles in 1969 by stopping Curtis Cokes in the 13th round. After defending the belts three times, he lost them to Billy Backus in December 1970 but regained the titles by stopping Backus in their rematch the following year. Napoles held the titles for four years, six months, and two days. He challenged middleweight champion Carlos Monzon in February 1974 but was stopped. Returning to welterweight, Napoles continued his reign until his final fight in December 1975, where he was defeated by John Stracey in his 15th title defense.

2. Antonio Margarito

Antonio Margarito of Mexico is often remembered for the controversy surrounding his hand wraps against Shane Mosley in 2009. However, he successfully defended the WBO Welterweight Championship seven times during his reign of five years, three months, and 28 days. Margarito is a three-time welterweight champion, having also won the WBA and IBF Titles. With a professional record of 40-8-1, including 27 knockouts and one no-contest, Margarito turned pro in 1994. He won the vacant WBO Title in March 2002 with a 10th-round TKO over Antonio Diaz but lost it in his eighth defense to Paul Williams in July 2007. Margarito later claimed the IBF Belt by defeating Kermit Cintron and the WBA Title by beating Miguel Cotto in 2008. After losing to Mosley and Cotto in a rematch, Margarito retired in 2011 but returned in 2016, winning two fights since.

1. Felix Trinidad

Puerto Rico’s Felix Trinidad holds the record as the longest-reigning Welterweight Champion in history, having held the IBF Title for six years, eight months, and 14 days. Trinidad turned pro at 17 after a stellar amateur career and competed from 1990 to 2008, winning world titles in three weight divisions. He finished with a professional record of 42-3, including 35 knockouts, with all three losses coming in his final five fights. Trinidad won the welterweight crown in June 1993 by stopping Maurice Blocker in the second round and defended it 15 times against notable opponents like Luis Garcia, Hector Camacho, Oba Carr, Pernell Whitaker, and Oscar De La Hoya. He also secured the WBC and Lineal Welterweight Titles by defeating De La Hoya in September 1999. Trinidad vacated his titles in 2000 to compete as a junior middleweight and middleweight, winning championships in both divisions.