The beginnings of the lightweight division can be traced back to 1738, introduced by a boxer who became known as the father of English boxing, Jack Broughton. At that time, any fighter weighing less than 160 lbs was considered a lightweight. In 1909, lightweight fighters upper limit was set at 135 pounds. The world’s first lightweight champion could have been Englishman John Moneghan in 1850.

The WBA was the first of the modern sanctioning bodies to give the belt to Carlos Ortiz after he beat Joe Brown in 1962. The WBC would sanction Ortiz' contest against Doug Vaillant one year later as their inaugural world lightweight championship fight. The IBF followed suit annointing their own champion in 1984, with the WBO following in 1989. 

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It's interesting to note that while the Welterweight Division was unquestionably popular, it was the Lightweight Division that moved into the "third spot" among fan favorites, behind the heavyweights and middleweight.

A perusal of the boxers who legitimized the division and its popularity explains why the lightweights gained recognition among the original eight divisions in boxing

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1.  Benny Leonard: A dominant champion who held the title for 7 years, 7 months, and 17 days with 6 successful defenses, Leonard was clearly the best all-time lightweight until the arrival of a guy named Duran.

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2.  Roberto Durán: A fierce competitor, Durán held the WBA lightweight title for 6 years, 7 months, and 5 days, with 12 successful defenses. Many consider Duran to be the best fighter in the division's history.

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3.  Artur Grigorian: His reign as the WBO lightweight champion lasted an impressive 7 years, 6 months, and 20 days, defending his title 17 times. 

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4.  Joe Gans: Another legendary lightweight, Gans reigned for 6 years, defending his title 15 times. Gans is often considered the master fighter whose brilliant boxing skills set the standard for lightweights who followed him.

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5.  Arturo Gatti, Mr. Excitement, became notorious for his incredible ability to come back to win fights that appeared lost. His bouts frequently featured unbelievable last-minute wins . . . and blood. Lots of blood.

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6.  Esteban DeJesus, another outstanding lightweight, would be a much more recognizable name if he hadn't had the misfortune to fight during the reign of Roberto Duran. Although, Duran bested DeJesus two out of three times, it was DeJesus who first beat "manos de piedra".

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