Also known as the junior welterweight and light welterweight division, the super lightweight class from 135 to 140 lbs has consisted of some excellent boxers over the years. The WBC, WBA, WBO and IBF each has its own champion with Terence Crawford being the reigning WBC and WBO champ and Julius Indongo holding the WBA and IBF versions. Fans will get what everybody wants though, which is just one champion, when Crawford and Indongo square off against each other in a title unification bout on August 19th.
Julio César Chavez may have been the best super lightweight champion in history. He was a two-time champ who defended his title a record 12 straight times during his first reign and then defended it another four times after regaining the belt. There have been several excellent super lightweight titleholders including Floyd Mayweather Jr., Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. However, this list features 10 of the division’s best who were stripped of the title for one reason or another.
10. Jessie Vargas
Jessie Vargas of Los Angeles is a two-division world champion since turning pro in 2008. Vargas had a great amateur career at 120-20 and represented Mexico at the 2008 Olympics. The 28-year-old is currently 29-2 as a pro with 10 Kos. Vargas won the IBO and WBA Super Lightweight Titles in April, 2014 via a unanimous decision over Khabib Allakhverdiev. He defended both belts twice against Anton Novikov and Antonio DeMarco. However, he then decided to meet Timothy Bradley in a welterweight bout for the interim WBO Championship. The WBA wanted Vargas to pay the organization $40,000 to allow him to fight at a heavier weight, but Vargas refused to pay the sanctioning fee and some say he technically vacated the title. He lost on points to Bradley, but then won the vacant WBO Title by stopping Sadam Ali in March of 2016. Vargas’ reign lasted just eight months though as Manny Pacquiao beat him by decision. Vargas hasn’t fought since, but should be back in the ring soon.
http://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1538917/jessie-vargas.jpg Source: ibtimes.co.uk