Boxing Weight Classes: Pounds, Kilograms, and Amateur vs Pro

Boxing weight classes depend on the sanctioning body, competition category and rule version. A professional division name is not a substitute for the kilogram category in an amateur event notice. Use the two labeled tables below as references, then confirm your event's own technical rules.

The direct answer

There is no single universal list. The World Boxing Council publishes 18 professional divisions, adding bridgerweight up to 224 lb before heavyweight. The WBA eliminated bridgerweight effective June 30, 2026, so its heavyweights start above 200 lb like the traditional 17-division model. For amateur boxing, the exact World Boxing elite rules effective January 1, 2025, use kilogram limits for men and women. Check the rule version for your specific event before you register.

WBC Men's Professional Weight Classes

This table uses the men's official-weight column in the official WBC weight limits PDF, checked August 31, 2026. Pounds are the official professional unit. The kg column is each lb limit multiplied by 0.45359237 and rounded to one decimal place, so treat it as approximate.

Division	Upper limit (lb)	Approximate upper limit (kg)
Strawweight	105	47.6
Light flyweight	108	49.0
Flyweight	112	50.8
Super flyweight	115	52.2
Bantamweight	118	53.5
Super bantamweight	122	55.3
Featherweight	126	57.2
Super featherweight	130	59.0
Lightweight	135	61.2
Super lightweight	140	63.5
Welterweight	147	66.7
Super welterweight	154	69.9
Middleweight	160	72.6
Super middleweight	168	76.2
Light heavyweight	175	79.4
Cruiserweight	200	90.7
Bridgerweight	224	101.6
Heavyweight	No upper limit	No upper limit

A traditional 17-division list ends at cruiserweight 200 lb, then heavyweight above 200 lb. The WBA eliminated bridgerweight effective June 30, 2026, so if your event is WBA sanctioned, heavyweight starts above 200 lb. Always confirm the current list for your specific sanctioning body and date.

World Boxing amateur weight classes verified

World Boxing's approved competition rules section 2.2.2 set elite upper limits in kilograms effective January 1, 2025. A 2026 World Boxing event invitation confirms these categories. This table is elite men and women only; Olympic, youth, and national federation tables may differ.

Division	Men upper (kg)	Women upper (kg)
1	50	48
2	55	51
3	60	54
4	65	57
5	70	60
6	75	65
7	80	70
8	85	75
9	90	80
10	Over 90	Over 80

Always verify the exact rule version, category, weight limits, and weigh-in schedule for your specific competition before you register.

What to Check About the Weigh-In

The technical rules and event notice determine when officials weigh participants, which scale they use, which eligibility conditions apply, and what happens if someone does not meet a limit. Do not assume that a professional event's schedule applies to an amateur tournament. Do not interpret an approximate kilogram conversion in a blog as an official allowance.

Ask the organizer for the relevant document and section. If a published notice differs from a general federation page, ask which document controls that event before you register. This article does not recommend a division, a target body weight or a weight-change plan. A limit in a table is a rule reference, not a personal health recommendation.

Worked Example: Why 65 kg Does Not Mean the Same Thing in Every Table

Consider a fictional reader comparing two documents, not selecting a division. One document lists a World Boxing elite men's category with a 65 kg upper limit. The other lists WBC men's professional welterweight with a 147 lb upper limit.

To convert kilograms to pounds, divide by 0.45359237:

• 65 kg ÷ 0.45359237 ≈ 143.3 lb.
• 147 lb × 0.45359237 ≈ 66.7 kg.

The two upper limits differ. Calling both entries “welterweight” would hide that difference, even if an informal article happens to use the same name. The reader records the governing body, category and unit instead of transferring a label between tables. This arithmetic does not establish anyone's eligibility to compete.

For another simple check, 200 lb × 0.45359237 is approximately 90.7 kg, not 100 kg. Keep the original official unit alongside any rounded conversion so another reader can audit the calculation.

Resolve These Common Table Confusions

One Professional List Has 17 Divisions and Another Has 18

Check the sanctioning body and publication date before declaring either list wrong. The WBC document includes bridgerweight. The WBA announcement linked above removes that division from its structure. Do not combine the WBC name column with a different body's heavyweight boundary.

An Olympic Graphic Has Fewer Categories

An Olympic competition program is not necessarily the complete elite competition table. Use the rules and technical information for that particular Games edition. An old Olympic graphic does not replace a current World Boxing tournament notice.

A Youth Event Uses a Different Table

The elite table here does not establish youth eligibility. Age group, competition category and organizing federation can change which entries apply. Ask for the youth event's actual technical rules rather than resizing an adult list.

You Only Have a Screenshot

Find the original document. A screenshot can omit the heading that identifies men, women, elite, youth or a proposed future version. It can also omit a lower boundary or a note about implementation. Save the full source URL and document date in your own event record.

Copyable Event-Rule Worksheet

Use this to check a document, not to monitor weight or plan a cut.

Question	Your verified answer
What is the event and competition date?
Who sanctions or organizes it?
Which age and competition category applies?
What is the rule document title and version?
Where does it list the relevant categories?
Which unit and limits does the official table use?
When and where do officials hold the weigh-in?
What remains unclear, and who will answer?

Keep an organizer's clarification with the source document. If you cannot answer a row, write “not confirmed” rather than filling the gap from a search snippet. Bring unresolved eligibility questions to your coach and the event organizer.

Keep Technical Training Separate From Category Research

After checking the event documents, choose one technical training question for your next coached session. In Boxing AI: Ring Coach, you can review recorded boxing technique and keep your training sessions organized. Record an agreed practice round, review a visible stance or footwork question, and note what you want your coach to check. The app does not choose a weight class or determine competition eligibility.

Limitations of tables you see online

A table is a snapshot. Governing bodies update rules, and the WBC's 18 divisions or World Boxing's elite categories may change. Screenshots from forums can be years old. Always check the dated rule page from the sanctioning body or federation. The conversion to kilograms is arithmetic, not a standard; professional records use pounds, and amateur records use the unit in that federation's rules.

Next Action

Open the technical notice for the event you actually mean. Record its organizer, date, category and source link in the worksheet. Confirm any mismatch with the organizer before treating an online table as your registration rules.