The light-heavyweight division was created in 1903, when Chicago journalist Lou Houseman who was also a boxing manager and promoter decided he needed a way to manufacture his own champion. He matched his fighter Jack Root with Kid McCoy and announced the fight as being for the light-heavyweight championship of the world.

The boxing press accepted the new weight division and Root was accepted as the inaugural world champion. Jack Root was defeated in his first title defense against George Gardner (boxer), who was considered the most thrilling fighter in the division, and the first undisputed Light - Heavyweight Champion of the World.

During the 1980s, however, some boxing historians found records indicating that Joe Choynski won a twenty-round decision over Jimmy Ryan on August 18, 1899, in a fight billed as being for the light heavyweight championship. Choynski never seems to have made any claim to be the first light heavyweight champion.

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Since the proliferation of the various Alphabet Organizations, the light-heavyweight was quickly accepted as a bonifide weight class.  The Light Heavyweight Division spawned some of boxing's best fighters from its origin until the present day.  Billy Conn,  John Conteh, Bob Foster Victor Galindez, Virgil Hill, Michael Moorer, and Michael Spinks are just some of the fighters who made their mark in the light heavyweight division.

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Unfortunately, the division as a whole has never reached the status of many of its individual fighters were able to do. Part of it surely has to do with the lure of boxing's glamor division, the heavyweights. Ezzard Charles, perhaps the greatest light heavyweight in the history of the division, earned his recognition after moving up to the heavies. Likewise, Michael Moorer did the same thing, Billy Conn is best remembered for his heavyweight title bout against Joe Louis. The list goes on and on. 

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Not every outstanding light heavyweight found success by moving up in class. Bob Foster, an excellent light heavyweight tried over and over to take his deadly punching power with him to the heavyweights but ended up on his back, more often than not. And while the lure of making 'big money" convinced other light heavyweight champions to try their luck, more of them failed to find the success in among the true heavyweights even though they had flourished in the 175-pound class.