Super lightweight is 140 pounds. Welterweight is 147. Seven pounds separate them, which sounds trivial and is not: it is the gap between two of the deepest divisions in boxing, and fighters spend years deciding whether to cross it.
| Division | Limit | Also called | Jump from previous |
|---|---|---|---|
| Minimumweight | 105 lbs | Strawweight, mini flyweight | Lowest |
| Light flyweight | 108 lbs | Junior flyweight | 3 lbs |
| Flyweight | 112 lbs | — | 4 lbs |
| Super flyweight | 115 lbs | Junior bantamweight | 3 lbs |
| Bantamweight | 118 lbs | — | 3 lbs |
| Super bantamweight | 122 lbs | Junior featherweight | 4 lbs |
| Featherweight | 126 lbs | — | 4 lbs |
| Super featherweight | 130 lbs | Junior lightweight | 4 lbs |
| Lightweight | 135 lbs | — | 5 lbs |
| Super lightweight | 140 lbs | Junior welterweight, light welterweight | 5 lbs |
| Welterweight | 147 lbs | No alternate name | 7 lbs |
| Super welterweight | 154 lbs | Junior middleweight | 7 lbs |
| Middleweight | 160 lbs | — | 6 lbs |
| Super middleweight | 168 lbs | — | 8 lbs |
| Light heavyweight | 175 lbs | — | 7 lbs |
| Cruiserweight | 200 lbs | Junior heavyweight | 25 lbs |
| Heavyweight | No limit | — | Unlimited |
The WBC also recognizes bridgerweight at 224 pounds, between cruiserweight and heavyweight. The other major sanctioning bodies do not, so you will rarely see it outside WBC coverage.
| 140 vs. 147 | What actually changes |
|---|---|
| Share of body weight | Seven pounds is about five percent at this size, a real difference |
| Frame and reach | Welterweights are usually taller and longer, which punishes short pressure fighters |
| Punching power | Absorbing a 147-pound puncher is a different proposition from a 140 |
| The weight cut | A fighter draining himself to make 140 may be stronger at 147 despite facing bigger men |
| Naming confusion | Super lightweight, junior welterweight and light welterweight are all the same 140-pound division |
Why the Names Are a Mess and Why It Matters
Most of the confusion in boxing weight classes comes from the alternate names. Super lightweight, junior welterweight and light welterweight are one division at one weight, and which term you hear depends on the sanctioning body or the broadcaster. The WBC and WBA lean toward super lightweight while junior welterweight is common in American coverage. The increments themselves also tell a story: three and four pounds at the bottom of the sport, seven and eight in the middle, twenty five between cruiserweight and an unlimited heavyweight class. That is because a few pounds mean far more to a 112-pound fighter than to a 200-pound one. Isaac Cruz is a useful case study for the 140 to 147 question specifically. He fought at lightweight, moved up to super lightweight, won a WBA title there in 2024 and has held the WBC interim belt since 2025, all at 5 foot 4 with a 63 and a half inch reach. He is already undersized for 140; another seven pounds would widen the gap further. More on him in our Pitbull explainer. Official division limits are published at wbcboxing.com.
The Bottom Line
Super lightweight is 140 pounds and also goes by junior welterweight and light welterweight. Welterweight is 147. There are 17 divisions in all, and the seven pound gap between these two is large enough that crossing it is a genuine career decision.