Open Boxing

IBU lightweight world title

Covers world title bouts since 1913. Last held in 1938; no longer contested.

World title bouts
49
Champions
10
Longest reign (Benny Leonard, 1917–1925)
7 years, 7 months
Most successful defences in one reign (Freddie Welsh, 1914–1917)
11

Last champion

Lou Ambers1936–1938

Reigns and world title bouts

Jun 1933 – Jun 1938

IBU
Barney RossTony CanzoneriLou Ambers
JulOct1934AprJulOct1935AprJulOct1936AprJulOct1937AprJulOct1938Apr
19201930

World title bout

Reigns by length

  1. 1Benny LeonardIBU1917–19257 years, 7 months · 8 successful defences
  2. 2Sammy MandellIBU1926–19304 years · 5 successful defences
  3. 3Freddie WelshIBU1914–19172 years, 10 months · 11 successful defences
  4. 4Tony CanzoneriIBU1930–19332 years, 7 months · 4 successful defences
  5. 5Barney RossIBU1933–19351 year, 9 months · 1 successful defence
  6. 6Lou AmbersIBU1936–19381 year, 7 months · 2 successful defences
  7. 7Tony CanzoneriIBU1935–19361 year, 3 months · 1 successful defence
  8. 8Willie RitchieIBU1913–19141 year, 2 months · 3 successful defences
  9. 9Rocky KansasIBU1925–19266 months · 0 successful defences
  10. 10Jimmy GoodrichIBU1925–19254 months · 0 successful defences
  11. 11Al SingerIBU1930–19303 months · 0 successful defences

From the archive

Timeline of world title events

  1. 1913

  2. Willie Ritchie becomes the IBU lightweight world champion

    Lightweight · IBUNew champion

  3. Willie Ritchie beats Mexican Joe Rivers via knockout 11/20

    Lightweight · IBU

  4. 1914

  5. Willie Ritchie beats Ad Wolgast via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  6. Willie Ritchie beats Harlem Tommy Murphy via points decision 20/20

    Lightweight · IBU

  7. Charley White beats Willie Ritchie via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  8. Freddie Welsh beats Willie Ritchie via points decision 20/20

    Lightweight · IBUNew champion

  9. Freddie Welsh beats Matty Baldwin via points decision 12/12

    Lightweight · IBU

  10. Freddie Welsh beats Young Abe Brown via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  11. 1915

  12. Freddie Welsh beats Jimmy Anderson via newspaper decision 6/6

    Lightweight · IBU

  13. Freddie Welsh beats Charley White via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  14. Willie Ritchie beats Freddie Welsh via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  15. Freddie Welsh beats Billy Wagner via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  16. Freddie Welsh beats Frankie Fleming via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  17. Charley White beats Freddie Welsh via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  18. Freddie Welsh beats Johnny O'Leary via newspaper decision 12/12

    Lightweight · IBU

  19. 1916

  20. Benny Leonard beats Freddie Welsh via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  21. Freddie Welsh beats Ad Wolgast via disqualification 11/15

    Lightweight · IBU

  22. Freddie Welsh beats Charley White via points decision 20/20

    Lightweight · IBU

  23. Freddie Welsh beats Harry Anderson via points decision 4/4

    Lightweight · IBU

  24. 1917

  25. Freddie Welsh beats Battling Nelson via newspaper decision 12/12

    Lightweight · IBU

  26. Benny Leonard beats Freddie Welsh via knockout 9/10

    Lightweight · IBU and NYSACNew IBU champion

  27. Benny Leonard beats Leo Johnson via knockout 1/10

    Lightweight · IBU and NYSAC

  28. 1919

  29. Benny Leonard beats Lockport Jimmy Duffy via knockout 2/15

    Lightweight · IBU

  1. 1920

  2. Benny Leonard beats Joe Welling via knockout 14/15

    Lightweight · IBU and NYSAC

  3. 1921

  4. Benny Leonard beats Richie Mitchell via knockout 6/15

    Lightweight · IBU, NYSAC and WBA

  5. Benny Leonard beats Rocky Kansas via newspaper decision 12/12

    Lightweight · IBU, NYSAC and WBA

  6. 1922

  7. Benny Leonard beats Rocky Kansas via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA and IBU

  8. Benny Leonard beats Lew Tendler via newspaper decision 12/12

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA and IBURead 3 articles

  9. 1923

  10. Benny Leonard beats Lew Tendler via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA and IBU

  11. 1925

  12. Benny Leonard’s reign as the IBU lightweight world champion ends

    Lightweight · IBU

  13. Jimmy Goodrich beats Stanislaus Loayza via knockout 2/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  14. Rocky Kansas beats Jimmy Goodrich via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  15. 1926

  16. Sammy Mandell beats Rocky Kansas via points decision 10/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  17. Sammy Mandell beats Joe Jawson via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  18. Sammy Mandell beats Clausine Vincent via newspaper decision 10/10

    Lightweight · IBU

  19. 1927

  20. Sammy Mandell beats Phil McGraw via points decision 10/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  21. 1928

  22. Sammy Mandell beats Jimmy McLarnin via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  23. 1929

  24. Sammy Mandell beats Tony Canzoneri via split decision 10/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  1. 1930

  2. Al Singer beats Sammy Mandell via knockout 1/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  3. Tony Canzoneri beats Al Singer via knockout 1/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  4. 1931

  5. Tony Canzoneri beats Jack Kid Berg via knockout 3/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  6. Tony Canzoneri beats Jack Kid Berg via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  7. Tony Canzoneri beats Kid Chocolate via split decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  8. 1932

  9. Tony Canzoneri beats Billy Petrolle via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  10. 1933

  11. Barney Ross beats Tony Canzoneri via majority decision 10/10

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  12. Barney Ross beats Tony Canzoneri via split decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  13. 1935

  14. Barney Ross’s reign as the IBU lightweight world champion ends

    Lightweight · IBU

  15. Tony Canzoneri beats Lou Ambers via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  16. Tony Canzoneri beats Al Roth via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  17. 1936

  18. Lou Ambers beats Tony Canzoneri via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The RingNew IBU champion

  19. 1937

  20. Lou Ambers beats Tony Canzoneri via unanimous decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  21. Lou Ambers beats Pedro Montanez via majority decision 15/15

    Lightweight · NYSAC, WBA, IBU and The Ring

  22. 1938

  23. Lou Ambers’s reign as the IBU lightweight world champion ends

    Lightweight · IBU