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Add FightsATW on GoogleWhen historians and true aficionados of the sweet science describe the sport’s golden age, they fondly recall 15-round championship fights, fighters who fought in the ring more often than outside it, and boxing’s eight original weight classes. These divisions are considered the most prestigious in boxing. Although the current 17-weight-class system is often criticized, not all weight classes that emerged after the foundational eight are created equal.
The 130-pound weight class, known as the junior lightweight or super featherweight division, first gained prominence in the early 1920s, then disappeared in the mid-1930s. Featherweight all-time great Sandy Saddler held and captured the junior lightweight crown in 1949 before focusing his efforts back down to 126 pounds. Filipino legend Flash Elorde became the first Ring Magazine world junior lightweight champion in 1962. Despite its turbulent start, junior lightweight has been the home to some of the greatest fights and fighters in boxing history. Though it’s not one of the aforementioned original eight weight classes, junior lightweight’s rich history can go head-to-head with almost any weight class.
Fighters such as Alexis Arguello, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez, Azumah Nelson, and Kid Chocolate are among the great fighters who built Hall-of-Fame careers at 130 pounds.
On October 24 in San Antonio, Mexico’s Emanuel Navarette (40-2-1, 33 KOs) and O’Shaquie Foster (25-3, 12 KOs) will stamp their names in junior lightweight history. The two champions will meet in a unification bout for three of the four major titles in the division, crowning a new Ring Magazine champion. The winner will be considered undoubtedly the best 130-pound fighter in the world. While there’s no guarantee Navarrete-Foster will produce a memorable encounter, the fight’s historical value is significant.
With Navarrete-Foster on the horizon, we’ll take a stroll down memory lane and look back at some of the most unforgettable and laudable junior lightweight championship fights in the division’s history, in no particular order
FLOYD MAYWEATHER (26-0, 19 KOs) AGE 24 VS. JESUS CHAVEZ (35-1, 24 KOs) AGE 28
WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
NOVEMBER 10, 2001
BILL GRAHAM CIVIC AUDITORIUM, SAN FRANCISCO, CA
By the time Floyd Mayweather Jr. was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in the summer of 2022, he had left the professional ranks as a five-division, 11-time world champion and boxing’s undisputed pay-per-view king. Perhaps just as important, he is recognized as one of boxing’s all-time greats. While fantasy matchups against fighters like Ray Leonard at welterweight have long fueled debate, Mayweather’s legacy was forged in the junior lightweight division. More than half of his fights came at 130 pounds, and most historians consider him one of the top three fighters in the division’s history.
Most will point to Mayweather’s virtuoso performance against Diego Corrales as the highlight of his time at junior lightweight and rightfully so. But his final match in the weight class is an often-forgotten elite showing from the defensive wizard, where he displayed his full skill set.
In Mayweather’s eighth and final defense of his WBC junior lightweight title, he faced Jesus Chavez. The bout took place in San Francisco, CA, marking the first world title contest in the city since 1962, when Dick Tiger defeated Gene Fullmer for the middleweight championship. The event in general is widely remembered for featuring Mayweather’s future rival, Manny Pacquiao, on the undercard against Agapito Sanchez.
In Mayweather’s previous match against Carlos Hernandez, he suffered the first and only official knockdown of his career, dropping to take a knee after landing a left hook that left him with a fractured hand. Despite Mayweather’s pressing hand issues, which he would deal with for the rest of his professional career, the WBC champion battled Chavez on all fronts.
Chavez was the WBC’s number one ranked contender for three years before facing Mayweather. Chavez, much like Marcos Maidana after him, was willing to put forth an extraordinary effort to land on Mayweather, throwing over 100 punches a round. Mayweather moved when he needed to and strategically battled toe-to-toe with Chavez, letting him throw barrages of punches to tire him out. Chavez rarely slowed down, and on the judges’ scorecards, the fight was closer than most of Mayweather’s fights. After eight rounds, HBO’s Harold Lederman had the fight even, four rounds a piece.
Starting in the seventh round, Mayweather made an astounding adjustment, landing clean uppercuts in between exchanges with Chavez. While the durable Mexican-American never dropped, Mayweather landed over 50 percent of his power punches and seemed more willing to stand and trade blows as the rounds went by. The crowd gave both fighters a standing ovation at the end of the ninth round, but Chavez’s trainer, Ronnie Shields, had seen his fighter take enough clean shots and stopped the fight. The famed trainer saw his fighter give everything he had against one of boxing’s best.
“I gave the best fighter in the world the best fight he’s ever had,” Chavez stated after the fight. “My corner stopped the fight.”
Mayweather led on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage. In his swan song at 130 pounds, Mayweather landed 197 of 456 punches (43%), and Chavez landed 182 of 925 (20%).
When fans refer to critics and skeptics of Mayweather and speak about his prime, it’s performances like the one against Chavez that give doubters reverence and proof. Undoubtedly, Mayweather’s peak was at junior lightweight.
MARCO ANTONIO BARRERA (63-4, 42 KOs) AGE 33 VS JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ AGE 33 (46-3-1, 35 KOs)
WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
MARCH 17, 2007
MANDALAY BAY RESORT AND CASINO, LAS VEGAS, NV
The four uncrowned kings of the lower weight classes in the 2000s—Manny Pacquiao, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Juan Manuel Marquez—were a gift to boxing. They fought 16 times, with seven bouts at junior lightweight. The entire Pacquiao-Morales trilogy was at 130 pounds; the third Barrera-Morales fight, which earned Fight of the Year honors in 2004, was at junior lightweight. And, arguably, the best fight in the Pacquiao-Marquez four-fight series occurred at junior lightweight when they met for the second time in March 2008.
Of those 16 encounters, the one that is often overlooked and had no rematch was Barrera-Marquez in March 2007. At the time, Barrera was already a legend in Mexican boxing history. He had won titles in three weight classes, fought a classic series with rival countryman Morales, and, as an underdog, delivered a memorable, generation-defining boxing lesson to Naseem Hamed. Barrera also showed fortitude and unmatched resilience in returning to elite prominence after devastating losses to Junior Jones and Pacquiao at different stages of his career.
Marquez was in the rebuilding chapter of his story. After multiple failed negotiations and a loss to Chris John in Indonesia, the former unified featherweight champion adjusted his style to be more offensively minded. Before fighting Barrera, Marquez scored two stoppages in action fights against Jimrex Jaca and Terdsak Jandaeng. Barrera was making the fifth defense of his WBC junior lightweight title when he faced Marquez.
Fitting the mold of James Toney’s first two fights with Mike McCallum in the early 1990s, bouts where the skill matched the action and intensity, Barrera-Marquez followed suit.
The fight was competitive from the opening bell. Both fighters landed counter punches, at times countering the counter. Each round featured ebbs and flows of momentum shifts, with both fighters finding pockets of success. Barrera’s jab and faster hands let him respond almost immediately whenever he was caught with a solid blow. Marquez seemed to be landing the heavier blows at times as he controlled the pace with his right-hand counters and work to the body.
The seventh round was a controversial turning point in the fight. Marquez landed a hard straight right hand that stunned Barrera and sent him back to the ropes. The former unified featherweight titleholder unleashed punches in combination on Barrera. But the three-division champion was no stranger to being hurt and being in a war. Barrera waited for his opportunity as Marquez became more desperate to make a statement. Near the end of the round, Barrera landed a right hand in between an exchange, dropping Marquez. However, referee Jay Nady failed to get in position in time, as Barrera landed another right hand while Marquez was down. Perhaps Nady didn’t see the right hand land, but only a point was taken from Barrera with no additional credit for a knockdown.
The remainder of the fight maintained its intense competitive nature. Nady’s missed knockdown was a crucial mistake; however, the sequence highlighted Marquez’s advantage throughout. Marquez kept his composure and poise, no matter what happened. Barrera, perhaps, in a moment of anger or inability to show self-restraint, put himself in a position to commit an egregious foul in a close fight.
Those in attendance and watching at home witnessed a great competitive match that warranted a rematch. But the judges saw a much more lopsided affair, with Marquez walking away with two 116-111 scores and one 118-109. The virtually even CompuBox numbers closely aligned with most of the viewing public, with Barrera landing 262 of 737 total punches and Marquez landing 255 of 663.
Despite the fight’s action-packed nature and competitiveness, a rematch never came to fruition. Marquez continued his journey to establish himself as one of the greatest Mexican fighters of all time. He arguably surpassed his contemporaries, Barrera and Morales, though not without sparking debate.
Years later, after both Mexican legends retired, Barrera admitted Marquez was a great fighter.
“Juan Manuel, to me, was the best of our era,” Barrera said on his Un Round Mas Podcast in 2023.
ARTURO GATTI (24-1, 20 KOs) AGE 23 VS WILSON RODRIGUEZ (43-7-3, 24 KOs) AGE 30
IBF JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
MARCH 23, 1996
THEATER AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
It’s strange and shocking to think a fighter who participated in so many classic, unforgettable fights would go largely unappreciated by today’s boxing fans. When Arturo Gatti’s name comes up, many use it as cannon fodder, as an example of a fighter who is borderline in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. However, Gatti was a two-division world champion with nine wins over former world champions, and he produced magic almost every time he stepped inside the squared circle.
Gatti’s legend and reputation for stealing the show and delivering the best fight of the night or year began with his first title defense. After defeating Tracy Harris Patterson for the IBF junior lightweight title in December 1995, Gatti defended his title three months later against veteran boxer Wilson Rodriguez. A fighter with over 50 fights and one who wasn’t afraid to travel, having fought in 11 countries.
From the start, Gatti’s first title defense tested his limits. The swelling around Gatti’s right eye, caused by Rodriguez’s jab, was apparent in the first round. With his eye visibly bothering him, Gatti was dropped in the second round by a series of punches while Rodriguez was against the ropes. Gatti was in real trouble, and it was early.
With his eye swelling shut and potential star status on the line, Gatti didn’t hide from the pressure or play it safe; he kept coming at Rodriguez. The third and fourth rounds featured relentless action. The end of the fourth round was a microcosm of the fight: Rodriguez hurt Gatti and battered him against the ropes, only for Gatti to fire back and stun him with left hooks in exchanges. Rodriguez landed more often, but Gatti landed harder.
In the fifth round, Gatti focused heavily on Rodriguez’s body. Many of Gatti’s shots strayed below the waistline, forcing referee Wayne Kelly to take a point. But Gatti kept going to the body and scored a knockdown with a hard left hook late in the round. Not going down without a fight, Rodriguez returned fire in a combination before the bell rang, landing multiple blows.
In the sixth and final round, Rodriguez and Gatti continued to battle. Gatti took two shots for every one he landed. Whenever they exchanged, Rodriguez’s fast hands gave the Dominican Republic veteran a false sense of security. Then, with one minute left in the round, Gatti landed a left hook that sent Rodriguez crashing to the canvas.
With two swollen eyes nearly shut, Gatti celebrated a well-earned victory after digging deep. He was down on two of three judges’ scorecards when the fight was stopped.
“How about that!” HBO’s Larry Merchant yelled in excitement following the knockout.
Gatti’s battle with Rodriguez aired on HBO’s Boxing After Dark as the co-feature to Orlando Canizales’ fight with Junior Jones. The Rodriguez fight marked the first of many memorable performances for Gatti. The following year, he faced Gabriel Ruelas in the 1997 Fight of the Year, defending his IBF junior lightweight title for the third time.
Gatti drew comparisons to the movie character Rocky Balboa throughout his career. However, there was no comparison: Gatti was real, and his fights will forever be etched in boxing fans’ memories.
JOEL CASAMAYOR (29-1, 18 KOs) AGE 32 VS DIEGO CORRALES (37-1, 32 KOs) AGE 26
IBA JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE
IBF TITLE ELIMINATOR
OCTOBER 04, 2003
MANDALAY BAY RESORT AND CASINO – LAS VEGAS, NV
Technically, the first meeting between Cuba’s Joel Casamayor and the late Diego Corrales was not for a major world title. But it’s an often-forgotten battle between two of the best former and future junior lightweight champions of the 2000s and one of the best pay-per-view undercard bouts of the era.
Casamayor missed the chance to potentially fight Floyd Mayweather for the undisputed junior lightweight championship, with the three major titles at the time on the line. In a unification bout in January 2002, Casamayor lost a razor-close decision to Acelino Freitas for the WBA and WBO junior lightweight titles. Mayweather moved up to lightweight in 2002, while Casamayor stayed at 130 for a few more years.
Following his loss to Mayweather in January 2001, Corrales served a 14-month prison sentence and was released in 2003. Wasting no time getting back in the ring, Corrales hit the ground running and got back into fighting shape. He fought four times in 2003 before facing Casamayor in October.
On the undercard of James Toney’s foray into the heavyweight division against Evander Holyfield, Casamayor and Corrales battled to see who was the best at 130 pounds. Each fighter’s game plan was clear from the start. Casamayor used his southpaw stance to his advantage, landing straight left-hand counters and tying up the taller Corrales after exchanges. The 1992 Olympic gold medalist meant business with Corrales and used every trick in his arsenal.
Corrales, who had one of the best left hooks in the sport, applied non-stop pressure on Casamayor. In the third round, a left hand from the southpaw Cuban sent Corrales down with a smirk on his face. Casamayor, a bit overzealous, was deducted a point after a few warnings by referee Tony Weeks for holding and hitting. Eager to finish his opponent, Casamayor kept attacking Corrales but was stunned by a left hook on the inside.
Casamayor wasted no time in the fourth round, dropping Corrales again with a straight left hand. The Cuban gold medalist didn’t learn his lesson from the previous round and was then dropped by Corrales with a left hook. The fight was becoming a test of who could last the longest while taking the other’s best shot.
Casamayor’s vaunted left hand rarely missed and was causing damage and cuts to Corrales’ mouth. Despite corner protests and Corrales hurting Casamayor again at the end of the sixth round, the Cuban’s left hand had done enough damage to stop the fight.
“Give me one more round!” Corrales was heard yelling at the doctors before and after the fight was stopped.
Casamayor led on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
Thankfully for fans and both fighters, they fought a rematch only a few months later, in March 2004, ultimately leading to a trilogy that settled any unfinished business.
ALFREDO ESCALERA (40-7-2, 26 KOs) VS ALEXIS ARGUELLO (52-4, 42 KOs) 1
WBC JUNIOR LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
JANUARY 28, 1978
JUAN RAMON LOUBRIEL STADIUM, BAYAMON, PUERTO RICO
Nicaragua’s Alexis Arguello is usually one of the first names mentioned when discussing the greatest junior lightweights of all time.
The fight known as “The Bloody Battle of Bayamon” is one of the most famous junior lightweight fights and a chapter in the story of one of boxing’s all-time greats. The 1970s were a much different era than today, when fighters often fought in both title and non-title bouts.
By the time Arguello faced Puerto Rico’s Alfredo Escalera, he was a former featherweight world champion, having stopped Mexican great Ruben Olivares and considered one of the best fighters in the world pound-for-pound. Many were already clamoring for him to fight Roberto Duran at lightweight.
Escalera is one of Puerto Rico’s forgotten and less celebrated champions. He was a showman before Hector Camacho, entering the ring with a salsa band playing and holding a boa constrictor. He made 10 defenses of his WBC title before facing Arguello, but not without controversy. One defense ended in a draw, and Escalera’s 1976 defense against Tyrone Everett in Philadelphia is often cited as one of boxing’s worst decisions.
Salsa music echoed through the arena in Bayamon throughout the contest and grew louder whenever Escalera seemed to need more energy. Arguello was the more technical of the two fighters; his punches and counters were precise and perfectly timed. When describing Escalera’s performance, the word effort comes to mind, as he never backed off and stayed unwavering in his attack on Arguello.
Arguello’s punches caused multiple injuries to Escalera, such as cuts, a closed eye, a broken nose, and an injured ear. The Puerto Rican took a beating at times, yet bounced back in the final stanza and over the last three rounds, landing damaging blows on Arguello. The Nicaraguan also started to bleed, but was in a much better position than his opponent.
In the 13th round, Escalera’s cuts worsened, and the bleeding was nonstop. Arguello forced referee Arthur Mercante Sr. to intervene after landing an onslaught of blows on the Puerto Rican. Round 13 ended the match, and Arguello became the WBC 130-pound champion. Escalera was taken to the hospital after the fight, having suffered multiple injuries.
The fights aforementioned only scratch the surface of great junior lightweight bouts. Bobby Chacon’s back-to-back Fights of the Year against Bazooka Limon and Cornelius Boza Edwards in 1982 and 1983 are etched in history as some of the greatest fights ever. The fourth fight between Chacon and Limon stands out, as it won Fight of the Year honors the same year Arguello-Aaron Pryor I and Wilfredo Gomez-Lupe Pintor took place. The point is simple: 130-pound has always been a weight class worth celebrating, and these fights prove it.
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