Super middleweight

Super Middleweight is a boxing and Muay Thai weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds (76.2 kilograms). The class first appeared in 1967.

History

1960s–1983

There was interest in a division between Middleweight (160 pounds or 72.57 kilograms) and Light Heavyweight (175 pounds or 79.38 kilograms) in the late 1960s, the mid-1970s, and the early 1980s. A few states briefly recognized a "Junior Light Heavyweight" division at 167 pounds and the fringe World Athletic Association (WAA) later inaugurated a "Super Middleweight" division at 168. On April 3, 1967, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Don Fullmer, a brother of former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer won the first version by stopping previously unbeaten Joe Hopkins in six rounds. He never defended it. On November 25, 1974, in Columbus, Ohio, Billy Douglas, the father of future world heavyweight champion James "Buster" Douglas halted Danny Brewer in two rounds to win the Ohio Commission's version of the world junior light heavyweight title. He too never made a defense of the title. Then, on April 3, 1982, in Denver, Colorado, Jerry "Wimpy" Halstead stopped Ron Brown in six rounds to win the WAA's inaugural super middleweight title bout. Halstead made one defense, knocking out Darren Encline in one round on May 29. 1982 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Following that fight, Halstead moved up to the light heavyweight class and eventually campaigned as a heavyweight. The media and most commissions did not recognize Fullmer's, Douglas', or Halstead's titles. Nor did they recognize the division during this period.

1984–1989

The current super middleweight division traces its beginning to 1984, when Murray Sutherland defeated Ernie Singletary for the International Boxing Federation version of the title. The World Boxing Association created its version of the super middleweight title when Chong Pal Park defeated Jesus Gallardo in 1987 (Park had been IBF champion before relinquishing the title to fight for the WBA version). The World Boxing Council crowned its first champion in 1988 when Sugar Ray Leonard defeated Donny Lalonde in a fight that was also for its version of the light heavyweight title.

1990–2007

Since the early 1990s, there has been a highly competitive super middleweight division in Britain and Ireland, including the rivalry between Nigel Benn, Chris Eubank, and Michael Watson, which included two memorable fights and the tragic injury to Watson, followed by the emergence of Steve Collins, who defeated Benn and Eubank, before retiring and vacating the title, as well as the 10-year reign of Joe Calzaghe. In addition, fellow Brits Richie Woodhall and Robin Reid also held versions of the title between 1996-97 and 1997-98. In 2007, two champions of the division, the undefeated Calzaghe and the likewise undefeated Mikkel Kessler, had a title unification fight which Calzaghe won by a unanimous decision to become the undisputed super middleweight champion of the world.

2008–present

At the end of the 2000s and start of the 2010s the division was one of the most active in boxing with the likes of Lucian Bute, Andre Ward, Andre Dirrell, Carl Froch, Mikkel Kessler, Anthony Mundine, Arthur Abraham, Robert Stieglitz, Sakio Bika, Allan Green, Jesse Brinkley, Librado Andrade, Edison Miranda and Jermain Taylor. This was showcased with Showtime's, Super Six World Boxing Classic that sought out to find the best Super Middleweight in the world at the time. Andre Ward went on to defeat Carl Froch by unanimous decision and win the tournament in late 2011.

Professional champions

Current champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA Super	November 21, 2009	Andre Ward	26-0 (14 KO)	5
WBA Regular	December 8, 2012	Mikkel Kessler	46-2 (35 KO)	0
WBC		Vacant
IBF	May 26, 2012	Carl Froch	30-2 (22 KO)	1
WBO	March 23, 2013	Robert Stieglitz	44-3 (25 KO)	0

• List of super middleweight boxing champions

Longest reigning super middleweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning super middleweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

	Name	Title Reign	Title Recognition	Successful Defenses
1.	Joe Calzaghe	10 years, 11 months, 15 days	IBF, WBA, WBO, WBC, The Ring	21
2.	Sven Ottke	5 years, 5 months, 3 days	IBF, WBA (Super)	21
3.	Frankie Liles	4 years, 10 months, 0 days	WBA	8
4.	Lucian Bute	4 years, 7 months, 7 days	IBF	9
5.	Chris Eubank	4 years, 4 months, 0 days	WBO	14
6.	Chong-Pal Park	3 years, 7 months, 17 days	IBF, WBA	10
7.	Nigel Benn	3 years, 4 months, 28 days	WBC	9
8.	Robert Stieglitz	3 years, 0 months, 3 days	WBO	6
9.	Mikkel Kessler	2 years, 11 months, 23 days	WBA (Super)	4
10.	Sugar Ray Leonard	2 years, 1 months, 8 days	WBC	2

Current BoxRec Super middleweight rankings

Updated 17 April 2013

Rank	Name	Record	Title(s)
1	Andre Ward	26–0 (14 KO)	WBA (Super), The Ring
2	Carl Froch	30–2 (22 KO)	IBF
3	Robert Stieglitz	44–3 (25 KO)	WBO
4	Mikkel Kessler	25–0 (18 KO)	WBA (Regular)
5	Thomas Oosthuizen	21–0–1 (13 KO)
6	George Groves	18–0 (14 KO)
7	Edwin Rodriguez	23–2 (15 KO)
8	Andre Dirrell	21–1 (14 KO)
9	Sakio Bika	31–5–2 (21 KO)
10	Arthur Abraham	36–4 (28 KO)
11	James DeGale	14–1 (9 KO)
12	Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna	19–1 (13 KO)
13	Peter Manfredo Jr.	39–7 (20 KO)
14	Marco Antonio Periban	20–0 (13 KO)
15	Maxim Vlasov	25–1 (12 KO)