Open Boxing

WBC featherweight world title

Covers world title bouts since 1963. Current champion: Bruce Carrington, since 31st Jan 2026.

World title bouts
135
Champions
47
Longest reign (Gary Russell Jr, 2015–2022)
6 years, 9 months
Most successful defences in one reign (Salvador Sanchez, 1980–1982)
9

Current champion

Bruce CarringtonSince 31st Jan 2026 · 9 months · 1 successful defence

Reigns and world title bouts

Jan 2022 – Jan 2027

WBC
Mark MagsayoRey VargasStephen FultonBruce Carrington
AprJulOct2023AprJulOct2024AprJulOct2025AprJulOct2026AprJulOct2027
197019801990200020102020

World title bout

Reigns by length

  1. 1Gary Russell JrWBC2015–20226 years, 9 months · 5 successful defences
  2. 2Luisito EspinosaWBC1995–19993 years, 5 months · 7 successful defences
  3. 3Danny LopezWBC1976–19803 years, 2 months · 8 successful defences
  4. 4Azumah NelsonWBC1984–19883 years · 6 successful defences
  5. 5Vicente SaldivarWBC1964–19673 years · 6 successful defences
  6. 6Salvador SanchezWBC1980–19822 years, 6 months · 9 successful defences
  7. 7Rey VargasWBC2022–20242 years, 3 months · 0 successful defences
  8. 8Chi In-jinWBC2004–20061 year, 9 months · 2 successful defences
  9. 9Jhonny GonzalezWBC2013–20151 year, 7 months · 2 successful defences
  10. 10Juan LaporteWBC1982–19841 year, 6 months · 2 successful defences
  11. 11Sugar RamosWBC1963–19641 year, 6 months · 3 successful defences
  12. 12Paul HodkinsonWBC1991–19931 year, 5 months · 3 successful defences
  13. 13Marcos VillasanaWBC1990–19911 year, 5 months · 3 successful defences
  14. 14Jhonny GonzalezWBC2011–20121 year, 5 months · 4 successful defences
  15. 15Kuniaki ShibataWBC1970–19721 year, 5 months · 1 successful defence
  16. 16Erik MoralesWBC2001–20021 year, 4 months · 1 successful defence
  17. 17Johnny FamechonWBC1969–19701 year, 3 months · 2 successful defences
  18. 18David KoteyWBC1975–19761 year, 1 month · 2 successful defences
  19. 19Eder JofreWBC1973–19741 year, 1 month · 1 successful defence
  20. 20Elio RojasWBC2009–20101 year, 1 month · 1 successful defence
  21. 21Kevin KelleyWBC1993–19951 year, 1 month · 2 successful defences
  22. 22Jorge LinaresWBC2007–20081 year · 1 successful defence
  23. 23Erik MoralesWBC2002–200310 months · 2 successful defences
  24. 24Stephen FultonWBC2025–202510 months · 0 successful defences
  25. 25Guty Espadas JrWBC2000–200110 months · 1 successful defence
  26. 26Jeff FenechWBC1988–19899 months · 2 successful defences
  27. 27Bruce CarringtonWBC2026–present9 months · 1 successful defence
  28. 28Bobby ChaconWBC1974–19759 months · 1 successful defence
  29. 29Alejandro GonzalezWBC1995–19958 months · 2 successful defences
  30. 30Wilfredo GomezWBC1984–19848 months · 0 successful defences
  31. 31Daniel Ponce de LeonWBC2012–20137 months · 0 successful defences
  32. 32Gregorio VargasWBC1993–19937 months · 0 successful defences
  33. 33Vicente SaldivarWBC1970–19707 months · 0 successful defences
  34. 34Clemente SanchezWBC1972–19726 months · 0 successful defences
  35. 35Oscar LariosWBC2008–20096 months · 1 successful defence
  36. 36Chi In-jinWBC2006–20076 months · 0 successful defences
  37. 37Howard WinstoneWBC1968–19686 months · 0 successful defences
  38. 38Takashi KoshimotoWBC2006–20066 months · 0 successful defences
  39. 39Jose LegraWBC1968–19695 months · 0 successful defences
  40. 40Mark MagsayoWBC2022–20225 months · 0 successful defences
  41. 41Cesar SotoWBC1999–19995 months · 0 successful defences
  42. 42Jose LegraWBC1972–19734 months · 0 successful defences
  43. 43Rodolfo LopezWBC2006–20064 months · 0 successful defences
  44. 44Hozumi HasegawaWBC2010–20114 months · 0 successful defences
  45. 45Takahiro AoWBC2009–20094 months · 0 successful defences
  46. 46Abner MaresWBC2013–20133 months · 0 successful defences
  47. 47Brandon FigueroaWBC2024–20253 months · 0 successful defences
  48. 48Ruben OlivaresWBC1975–19753 months · 0 successful defences
  49. 49Manuel MedinaWBC1995–19952 months · 0 successful defences
  50. 50Naseem HamedWBC1999–20002 months · 0 successful defences
  51. 51David MooreWBC1963–19631 month · 0 successful defences
  52. 52Marco Antonio BarreraWBC2002–20020 days · 0 successful defences

Timeline of world title events

  1. 1963

  2. David Moore becomes the WBC featherweight world champion

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  3. Sugar Ramos beats David Moore via corner retirement 10/15

    Featherweight · NYSAC, WBA, WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  4. Sugar Ramos beats Rafiu King via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  5. 1964

  6. Sugar Ramos beats Mitsunori Seki via knockout 6/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  7. Sugar Ramos beats Floyd Robertson via split decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  8. Vicente Saldivar beats Sugar Ramos via corner retirement 12/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  9. 1965

  10. Vicente Saldivar beats Raul Rojas via knockout 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  11. Vicente Saldivar beats Howard Winstone via points decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  12. 1966

  13. Vicente Saldivar beats Floyd Robertson via knockout 2/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  14. Vicente Saldivar beats Mitsunori Seki via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  15. 1967

  16. Vicente Saldivar beats Mitsunori Seki via knockout 7/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  17. Vicente Saldivar beats Howard Winstone via points decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  18. Vicente Saldivar’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  19. Vicente Saldivar beats Howard Winstone via knockout 12/15

    Featherweight · WBA, WBC and The Ring

  20. 1968

  21. Howard Winstone beats Mitsunori Seki via knockout 9/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  22. Jose Legra beats Howard Winstone via knockout 5/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  23. 1969

  24. Johnny Famechon beats Jose Legra via points decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  25. Johnny Famechon beats Fighting Harada via points decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  1. 1970

  2. Johnny Famechon beats Fighting Harada via knockout 14/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  3. Vicente Saldivar beats Johnny Famechon via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  4. Kuniaki Shibata beats Vicente Saldivar via corner retirement 12/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  5. 1971

  6. Kuniaki Shibata beats Raul Cruz via knockout 1/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  7. Kuniaki Shibata and Ernesto Marcel draw via split decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  8. 1972

  9. Clemente Sanchez beats Kuniaki Shibata via knockout 3/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  10. Jose Legra beats Clemente Sanchez via knockout 10/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  11. 1973

  12. Eder Jofre beats Jose Legra via majority decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  13. Eder Jofre beats Vicente Saldivar via knockout 4/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  14. 1974

  15. Eder Jofre’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  16. Bobby Chacon beats Alfredo Marcano via knockout 9/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  17. 1975

  18. Bobby Chacon beats Jesus Estrada via knockout 2/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  19. Ruben Olivares beats Bobby Chacon via knockout 2/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  20. David Kotey beats Ruben Olivares via split decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  21. 1976

  22. David Kotey beats Flipper Uehara via corner retirement 11/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  23. David Kotey beats Shig Fukuyama via knockout 3/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  24. Danny Lopez beats David Kotey via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  25. 1977

  26. Danny Lopez beats Jose Torres via corner retirement 7/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  27. 1978

  28. Danny Lopez beats David Kotey via knockout 6/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  29. Danny Lopez beats Jose de Paula via knockout 6/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  30. Danny Lopez beats Juan Domingo Malvarez via knockout 2/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  31. Danny Lopez beats Fel Clemente via disqualification 4/15

    Featherweight · WBC

  32. 1979

  33. Danny Lopez beats Roberto Castanon via knockout 2/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  34. Danny Lopez beats Mike Ayala via knockout 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  35. Danny Lopez beats Jose Caba via knockout 3/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  1. 1980

  2. Salvador Sanchez beats Danny Lopez via knockout 13/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  3. Salvador Sanchez beats Ruben Castillo via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  4. Salvador Sanchez beats Danny Lopez via knockout 14/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  5. Salvador Sanchez beats Pat Ford via majority decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  6. Salvador Sanchez beats Juan Laporte via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  7. 1981

  8. Salvador Sanchez beats Roberto Castanon via knockout 10/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  9. Salvador Sanchez beats Wilfredo Gomez via knockout 8/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  10. Salvador Sanchez beats Pat Cowdell via split decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  11. 1982

  12. Salvador Sanchez beats Rocky Garcia via unanimous decision 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  13. Salvador Sanchez beats Azumah Nelson via knockout 15/15

    Featherweight · WBC and The Ring

  14. Salvador Sanchez’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  15. Juan Laporte beats Mario Miranda via corner retirement 10/15

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  16. 1983

  17. Juan Laporte beats Ruben Castillo via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  18. Juan Laporte beats Johnny De La Rosa via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  19. 1984

  20. Wilfredo Gomez beats Juan Laporte via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  21. Azumah Nelson beats Wilfredo Gomez via knockout 11/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  22. 1985

  23. Azumah Nelson beats Juvenal Ordenes via knockout 5/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  24. Azumah Nelson beats Pat Cowdell via knockout 1/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  25. 1986

  26. Azumah Nelson beats Marcos Villasana via majority decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  27. Azumah Nelson beats Danilo Cabrera via knockout 10/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  28. 1987

  29. Azumah Nelson beats Mauro Gutierrez via knockout 6/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  30. Azumah Nelson beats Marcos Villasana via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  31. 1988

  32. Azumah Nelson’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  33. Jeff Fenech beats Victor Callejas via knockout 10/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  34. Jeff Fenech beats Tyrone Downes via knockout 5/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  35. Jeff Fenech beats Georgie Navarro via knockout 5/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  36. 1989

  37. Jeff Fenech’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  38. Jeff Fenech beats Marcos Villasana via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  1. 1990

  2. Marcos Villasana beats Paul Hodkinson via knockout 8/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  3. Marcos Villasana beats Javier Marquez via knockout 8/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  4. 1991

  5. Marcos Villasana beats Rafael Zuniga via knockout 6/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  6. Marcos Villasana beats Ricardo Cepeda via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  7. Paul Hodkinson beats Marcos Villasana via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  8. 1992

  9. Paul Hodkinson beats Steve Cruz via knockout 3/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  10. Paul Hodkinson beats Fabrice Benichou via knockout 10/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  11. 1993

  12. Paul Hodkinson beats Ricardo Cepeda via knockout 4/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  13. Gregorio Vargas beats Paul Hodkinson via knockout 7/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  14. Kevin Kelley beats Gregorio Vargas via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  15. 1994

  16. Kevin Kelley beats Jesse Benavides via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  17. Kevin Kelley beats Jose Vida Ramos via knockout 2/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  18. 1995

  19. Alejandro Gonzalez beats Kevin Kelley via corner retirement 10/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  20. Alejandro Gonzalez beats Louie Espinoza via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  21. Alejandro Gonzalez beats Tony Green via knockout 9/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  22. Manuel Medina beats Alejandro Gonzalez via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  23. Luisito Espinosa beats Manuel Medina via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  24. 1996

  25. Luisito Espinosa beats Alejandro Gonzalez via knockout 4/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  26. Luisito Espinosa beats Cesar Soto via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  27. Luisito Espinosa beats Nobutoshi Hiranaka via knockout 8/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  28. 1997

  29. Luisito Espinosa beats Manuel Medina via technical decision 8/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  30. Luisito Espinosa beats Carlos Rios via knockout 6/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  31. 1998

  32. Luisito Espinosa beats Juan Carlos Ramirez via technical decision 11/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  33. Luisito Espinosa beats Kennedy McKinney via knockout 2/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  34. 1999

  35. Cesar Soto beats Luisito Espinosa via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  36. Naseem Hamed beats Cesar Soto via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC and WBONew WBC champion

  1. 2000

  2. Naseem Hamed’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  3. Guty Espadas Jr beats Luisito Espinosa via technical decision 11/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  4. Guty Espadas Jr beats Foijan Prawet via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  5. 2001

  6. Erik Morales beats Guty Espadas Jr via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  7. Erik Morales beats Chi In-jin via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  8. 2002

  9. Marco Antonio Barrera beats Erik Morales via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC and The RingNew WBC champion

  10. Erik Morales beats Paulie Ayala via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  11. 2003

  12. Erik Morales beats Eddie Croft via knockout 3/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  13. Erik Morales beats Fernando Velardez via knockout 5/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  14. Erik Morales’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  15. Chi In-jin and Michael Brodie draw via majority decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  16. 2004

  17. Chi In-jin beats Michael Brodie via knockout 7/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  18. Chi In-jin beats Eiichi Sugama via knockout 10/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  19. 2005

  20. Chi In-jin beats Tommy Browne via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  21. 2006

  22. Takashi Koshimoto beats Chi In-jin via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  23. Rodolfo Lopez beats Takashi Koshimoto via knockout 7/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  24. Chi In-jin beats Rodolfo Lopez via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  25. 2007

  26. Chi In-jin’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  27. Jorge Linares beats Oscar Larios via knockout 10/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  28. Jorge Linares beats Gamaliel Diaz via knockout 8/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  29. 2008

  30. Jorge Linares’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

    Oscar Larios becomes the WBC featherweight world champion

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  31. Oscar Larios beats Takahiro Ao via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  32. 2009

  33. Takahiro Ao beats Oscar Larios via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  34. Elio Rojas beats Takahiro Ao via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  1. 2010

  2. Elio Rojas beats Guty Espadas Jr via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  3. Elio Rojas’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

  4. Hozumi Hasegawa beats Juan Carlos Burgos via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  5. 2011

  6. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Hozumi Hasegawa via knockout 4/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  7. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Tomas Villa via knockout 4/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  8. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Rogers Mtagwa via knockout 2/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  9. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Roinet Caballero via knockout 2/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  10. 2012

  11. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Elio Rojas via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  12. Daniel Ponce de Leon beats Jhonny Gonzalez via technical decision 8/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  13. 2013

  14. Abner Mares beats Daniel Ponce de Leon via knockout 9/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  15. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Abner Mares via knockout 1/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  16. 2014

  17. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Clive Atwell via technical decision 10/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  18. Jhonny Gonzalez beats Jorge Arce via knockout 11/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  19. 2015

  20. Gary Russell Jr beats Jhonny Gonzalez via knockout 4/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  21. 2016

  22. Gary Russell Jr beats Patrick Hyland via knockout 2/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  23. 2017

  24. Gary Russell Jr beats Oscar Escandon via knockout 7/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  25. 2018

  26. Gary Russell Jr beats Joseph Diaz via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  27. 2019

  28. Gary Russell Jr beats Kiko Martinez via knockout 5/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  1. 2020

  2. Gary Russell Jr beats Tugstsogt Nyambayar via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  3. 2022

  4. Mark Magsayo beats Gary Russell Jr via majority decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  5. Rey Vargas beats Mark Magsayo via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  6. 2024

  7. Rey Vargas and Nick Ball draw via split decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

  8. Rey Vargas’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

    Brandon Figueroa becomes the WBC featherweight world champion

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  9. 2025

  10. Stephen Fulton beats Brandon Figueroa via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

  11. Stephen Fulton’s reign as the WBC featherweight world champion ends

    Featherweight · WBC

    Source: WBC Upgrades Jan 31 Title Fight After Stephen Fulton Fiasco(opens in a new tab), Sports Illustrated, Jaren Kawada,

  12. 2026

  13. Bruce Carrington beats Carlos Castro via knockout 9/12

    Featherweight · WBCNew champion

    Source: Boxing Results: Bruce Carrington Scores Ninth-Round KO Over Castro(opens in a new tab), Boxing News 24, Dan Ambrose,

  14. Bruce Carrington beats Rene Palacios via unanimous decision 12/12

    Featherweight · WBC

    Source: Carrington makes successful first defense of WBC title(opens in a new tab), The Ring, Nate Pardo-Marrero,