Super Middleweight is a 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...

 and Muay Thai

Muay Thai

Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese kickboxing systems, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and muay Lao from Laos...

 weight division that has a weight limit of 168 pounds (76.2 kilograms).

1960s–1983

There was interest in a division between Middleweight

Middleweight

Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...

 (160 pounds) and Light Heavyweight

Light heavyweight

In boxing, the light heavyweight is a weight division above 168 pounds [12 Stone or 76.204 kilograms] and up to 175 pounds [12.5 stone or 79.38 kilograms]), falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight...

 (175 pounds) 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

World Athletic Association

Pat O'Grady, a Maverick boxing promoter, formed the World Athletic Association in Oklahoma, after the World Boxing Association withdrew recognition as world lightweight champion from his son, Sean O'Grady, in July 1981....

 (WAA) later inaugurated a "Super Middleweight" division at 168. On April 3, 1967, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Don Fullmer

Don Fullmer

Don Fullmer is a former boxer and brother of former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer.Eight years younger than his more famous brother, Don followed Gene into the gym in West Jordan, Utah, to learn how to box. He fought as an amateur for four years and did not lose in sixty-five fights...

, a brother of former world middleweight champion Gene Fullmer

Gene Fullmer

Gene Fullmer is a former American middleweight boxer and world champion.-Professional career:Fullmer began his professional career in 1951 and won his first 29 fights, 19 by knockout...

 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

Murray Sutherland

Murray Sutherland was a Scottish boxer in the middleweight division.Murry Sutherland turned professional in 1977 and in 1981 challenged WBC Light Heavyweight Title holder Matthew Saad Muhammad, but lost by KO in the 9th round. Matthew Saad Muhammad was later quoted as saying that Sutherland was...

 defeated Ernie Singletary for 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 :...

 version of the title. 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...

 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

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...

 crowned its first champion in 1988 when Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard

Sugar Ray Leonard is an American retired professional boxer and occasional actor. He was named Ray Charles Leonard, after his mother's favorite singer, Ray Charles...

 defeated Donny Lalonde

Donny Lalonde

Donny Lalonde is a retired professionalboxer. His nickname is "Golden Boy," after the Golden Boy statue atop the Manitoba Legislative Building in his boxing home town of Winnipeg. Lalonde held the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship from 1987 to 1988.-Early life:Lalonde was one of four children...

 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

Nigel Benn

Nigel Benn , known as "The Dark Destroyer", is a British former boxer who held world titles in the middleweight and super middleweight divisions....

, Chris Eubank

Chris Eubank

Chris Eubank, Lord of the Manor of Brighton is a retired British boxer who held world titles at middleweight and super middleweight...

, and Michael Watson

Michael Watson

Michael Watson, MBE is a retired British boxer whose career ended prematurely as a result of near-fatal injury sustained in a WBO super-middleweight title fight defeat by Chris Eubank in September 1991....

, which included two memorable fights and the tragic injury to Watson, followed by the emergence of Steve Collins

Steve Collins

Stephen Collins, more commonly known as Steve Collins, is a former professional boxer. Known as the "The Celtic Warrior", Collins is the former WBO middleweight and super middleweight champion....

, who defeated Benn and Eubank, before retiring and vacating the title, and the ongoing 10-year reign of Joe Calzaghe

Joe Calzaghe

Joseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....

. In addition, fellow Brits Richie Woodhall

Richie Woodhall

Richie Woodhall is a former English World Champion super-middleweight boxer. He lost his last fight to his friend Joe Calzaghe in 2000, and subsequently retired in 2002....

 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

Mikkel Kessler

Mikkel Kessler is a Danish professional boxer and former two time WBA & WBC Super Middleweight champion. In his professional career he has a record of 44–2 with 33 knockouts...

, had a title unification fight which Calzaghe won by a unanimous decision to become the undisputed champion of the division.

2008–present (Golden Age)

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

Lucian Bute

Lucian Bute is a Romanian-Canadian professional boxer, currently based in Montreal, Canada. Bute is the current IBF Super Middleweight champion...

, Andre Ward

Andre Ward

Andre Ward is an American professional boxer and the current WBA super middleweight champion.Currently, Ward is rated among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He is rated #6, #7 and #10 by Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, and The Ring...

, Andre Dirrell

Andre Dirrell

Andre Dirrell is an American boxer, who won the middleweight bronze medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.-Amateur career:...

, Carl Froch

Carl Froch

Carl Froch is an English professional boxer and is a two-time and reigning WBC super middleweight champion. He previously held the British, Commonwealth, & English titles at super middleweight.-Amateur:...

, Mikkel Kessler

Mikkel Kessler

Mikkel Kessler is a Danish professional boxer and former two time WBA & WBC Super Middleweight champion. In his professional career he has a record of 44–2 with 33 knockouts...

, Anthony Mundine

Anthony Mundine

Anthony Mundine is an Australian professional boxer and former rugby league footballer.He is the current interim WBA Light Middleweight Champion boxer, former two-time WBA Super Middleweight Champion, former IBO Middleweight Champion and New South Wales State of Origin representative footballer....

, Arthur Abraham

Arthur Abraham

Arthur Abraham is an Armenian-German professional boxer HyeFighter residing in Berlin, Germany. He was IBF world middleweight champion from 2005 to 2009, making ten successful defences of his title...

, Robert Stieglitz

Robert Stieglitz

Robert Stieglitz is a German boxer and the current WBO Super Middleweight world champion...

, Sakio Bika

Sakio Bika

Sakio "The Scorpion" Bika , is a professional boxer in the super middleweight division. He is the former IBO super middleweight world champion.-Amateur career:...

, Allan Green

Allan Green

Allan Lamar Green is a professional boxer of the super middleweight division. A notable contender, Green has a current record of 30 wins with 21 knockouts, and three losses.-Amateur career:...

, Jesse Brinkley

Jesse Brinkley

Jesse Lee Brinkley is a professional super middleweight American boxer. He holds the WBC USNBC Super Middleweight Title as of February 22, 2008.-Personal life:...

, Librado Andrade

Librado Andrade

Librado Andrade Ornelas is a Mexican boxer in the super middleweight division. His brother is fellow boxer Enrique Ornelas.-Personal:...

, Edison Miranda and Jermain Taylor

Jermain Taylor

Jermain Taylor is an American professional boxer and former undisputed middleweight champion. He made his professional boxing debut in 2001 and won his first 25 bouts, which included victories over former champions Raúl Márquez and William Joppy...

. This was showcased with Showtime's, Super Six World Boxing Classic

Super Six World Boxing Classic

The Super Six World Boxing Classic is a boxing super middleweight tournament organized by Showtime in co-operation with Sauerland Event. The winner of the tournament will hold the Ring, WBA, and WBC super middleweight titles....

 that sought out to find the best Super Middleweight in the world at the time.

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...  Super	November 21, 2009	Andre Ward Andre Ward Andre Ward is an American professional boxer and the current WBA super middleweight champion.Currently, Ward is rated among the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. He is rated #6, #7 and #10 by Yahoo! Sports, Sports Illustrated, and The Ring...	24-0 (13 KO)	3
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...  Regular	August 26, 2011	Karoly Balzsay Károly Balzsay Károly Balzsay is a Hungarian boxer and the current WBA super middleweight champion. He is also a former WBO super middleweight champion...	24-2 (17 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...	November 27, 2010	Carl Froch Carl Froch Carl Froch is an English professional boxer and is a two-time and reigning WBC super middleweight champion. He previously held the British, Commonwealth, & English titles at super middleweight.-Amateur:...	28-1 (20 KO)	1
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 :...	October 19, 2007	Lucian Bute Lucian Bute Lucian Bute is a Romanian-Canadian professional boxer, currently based in Montreal, Canada. Bute is the current IBF Super Middleweight champion...	30-0 (24 KO)	9
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...	January 10, 2009	Robert Stieglitz Robert Stieglitz Robert Stieglitz is a German boxer and the current WBO Super Middleweight world champion...	40-2 (23 KO)	4

• List of super middleweight boxing champions