Super bantamweight is a weight division in professional boxing

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

. The maximum weight for this division is 122 pounds, or roughly 55.34 kilograms.

There were attempts by boxing promoters in the 1920s to establish this weight class, but few sanctioning organizations or state athletic commissions would recognize it. Jack Wolf won recognition as champion when he beat Joe Lynch at Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden

Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...

 on September 21, 1922, but afterwards the weight division fell into disuse.

The division was revived in the 1970s and the first title fight took place in 1976 when the World Boxing Council

World Boxing Council

The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...

 recognized Rigoberto Riasco as its champion when he defeated Waruinge Nakayama in eight rounds. The World Boxing Association

World Boxing Association

The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...

 crowned its first champion in 1977 when Soo Hwan Hong

Soo Hwan Hong

Hong Soo-hwan is a retired boxer from South Korea.-Pro career:Hong turned pro in 1969 and in 1974 captured the WBA bantamweight title with a decision win over Arnold Taylor, a fight in which Taylor was down in the 1st, 5th, and 14th rounds. He lost his title in his 2nd defense to Alfonso Zamora...

 knocked out Hector Carasquilla in three rounds to win the inaugural WBA championship. In 1983 the International Boxing Federation

International Boxing Federation

The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...

 sanctioned the bout between Bobby Berna and Seung-In Suh for its first title. Berna won in the eleventh round.

Notable fighters to hold championship titles at this weight have been Wilfredo Gómez

Wilfredo Gómez

Wilfredo Gómez , sometimes referred to as Bazooka Gómez, is a former boxer and three time world champion.-Biography:...

, Lupe Pintor

Lupe Pintor

Jose Guadalupe Pintor Guzman , better known as Lupe Pintor, is a former world boxing champion from Cuajimalpa, Mexico. Nicknamed El Indio De Cuajimalpa or The Indian From Cuajimalpa, he started boxing professionally in 1974...

, Jeff Fenech

Jeff Fenech

Jeff Fenech is a retired Australian boxer and a three-time world champion who is now a boxing trainer.-Boxing career:...

, Fabrice Benichou

Fabrice Benichou

-Amateur career:In 1984 Benichou made it to the finals for the French National Bantamweight championship, but lost.-Pro Boxing career:Benichou won the IBF World Super Bantamweight championship in 1989. He lost it the following year to Welcome Ncita....

, Daniel Zaragoza

Daniel Zaragoza

Daniel Zaragoza was a Mexican professional boxer. Known as "The Mouse," Zaragoza a popular champion in the Super Bantamweight division throughout the 1980s and 1990s.-Amateur career:...

, Kennedy McKinney

Kennedy McKinney

Kennedy McKinney is a former professional boxer, who won the bantamweight gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics...

, Érik Morales

Erik Morales

Érik Isaac Morales Elvira is a Mexican professional boxer. He is the first Mexican born boxer in history to win a world title in four weight classes and is the current WBC Light Welterweight Champion...

, Marco Antonio Barrera

Marco Antonio Barrera

Marco Antonio Barrera Tapia is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He has won numerous world titles in three different weight classes; he is a former two-time WBO super bantamweight , WBC, Lineal, & The Ring featherweight , and WBC & IBF super featherweight champion...

, Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

Emmanuel "Manny" Dapidran Pacquiao, PLH is a Filipino professional boxer and politician. He is the first eight-division world champion; having won six world titles, as well as the first to win the lineal championship in four different weight classes. He was named "Fighter of the Decade" for the...

, Rafael Márquez

Rafael Márquez (boxer)

Rafael Márquez Méndez is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former world champion at the IBF / IBO Bantamweight and WBC Super Bantamweight divisions....

 and Israel Vázquez

Israel Vázquez

Israel Vázquez Castañeda is a Mexican professional boxer. He is a former Super Bantamweight world champion, having held titles at this weight from 2004 to 2008...

. Gómez holds the record for longest title reign, at five years and ten months. He also holds the record for most title defenses, at seventeen.

Current champions

Sanctioning Body	Reign Began	Champion	Record	Defenses
WBA World Boxing Association The World Boxing Association is a boxing organization that sanctions official matches, and awards the WBA world championship title at the professional level. It was previously known as the National Boxing Association before changing its name in 1962...	July 9, 2011	Rico Ramos Rico Ramos Rico Dashon Ramos is an American Super Bantamweight boxer of Puerto Rican descent. He is the current WBA world super bantamweight champion.-Amateur career:...	20-0 (11 KO)	0
WBC World Boxing Council The World Boxing Council was initially established by 11 countries: the United States, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Mexico, Philippines, Panama, Chile, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil plus Puerto Rico, met in Mexico City on February 14, 1963, upon invitation of the then President of Mexico, Adolfo...	December 18, 2008	Toshiaki Nishioka Toshiaki Nishioka is a Japanese professional boxer who is the current WBC super bantamweight champion. Nishioka is currently ranked as the #1 super bantamweight in the world by The Ring and ESPN. Unlike most other Japan's world champions, Nishioka has been willing to fight outside of his own country.- 1976 to 1990s...	39-4-3 (24 KO)	7
IBF International Boxing Federation The International Boxing Federation or IBF is one of four major organizations recognized by IBHOF which sanction world championship boxing bouts, alongside the WBA, WBC and WBO.- History :...	March 26, 2011	Takalani Ndlovu Takalani Ndlovu Takalani Ndlovu , is a South African professional boxer with orthodox stance who goes by the nickname of "Panther". His professional record includes 38 fights: 32 wins , and 6 losses...	33-6 (18 KO)	1
WBO World Boxing Organization The World Boxing Organization is a sanctioning organization currently recognizing professional boxing world champions. The organization is recognized as one of the four major world championship groups by the IBHOF alongside the International Boxing Federation, the World Boxing Council and the...		Vacant

For a full list, see List of super bantamweight boxing champions