The welterweight division has always been a big hit with boxing fans as it has featured some of the sport’s most dynamic champions. The division is contested for fighters weighing between 140 and 147lbs and sits between the lightweight and middleweight divisions. This list features the 10 longest reigning welterweight boxing champions in history. It deals with single reigns rather than combined reigns for those who held the title more than once.
The current champions as of July 10th 2017 are Keith Thurman (WBA Super and WBC), Lamont Peterson (WBA Regular) and Errol Spence (IBF) of the USA and Jeff Horn (WBO) of Australia. Some of the most popular past champions include Floyd Mayweather Jr., Jose Napoles, Sugar Ray Robinson, Henry Armstrong, Sugar Ray Leonard, Wilfredo Benitez, Roberto Duran, Tommy Hearns, Oscar De La Hoya, Emile Griffith and Manny Pacquiao.
10. Simon Brown
He may not be recognized as one of the all-time greats, but Simon Brown of Jamaica was a solid welterweight champ, who defended the IBF Title nine times during his reign of three years, five months and 11 days. He was actually a two-division belt holder as Brown also won a junior middleweight title. Brown, who was nicknamed Mantequilla, was pretty active during his pro career from 1982 to 2000 as he fought 59 times with a record of 47-12 with 34 Kos while losing his final six fights. Brown started his career at 21-0 and then managed to win the vacant IBF Championship in 1988 with a 14th-round TKO over Tyrone Trice. Brown added the WBC Title when he beat Maurice Blocker in 1991, but lost his belts to Buddy McGirt in his next fight. He stopped Terry Norris two years later for the WBC Jr. Middleweight crown and defended it once against Troy Waters before losing to Norris in their rematch.
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