- Sugar Ray Robinson has the most victories on the list with 174.
- Robinson, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Durán competed in the era during the 1970s.
- All boxing icons on the list have won multiple world titles in different divisions.
The welterweight boxing division is one of the most competitive weight classes in the sport due to the wealth of talent it has throughout its history. It graced several world champions who became dominant champions.
Currently, the division is ruled by Terence Crawford, the perpetual favourite by fans when placing bets through boxing odds, who unified all four major belts in 2023. But who among the past title holders has made it to the list of the top welterweight boxing champions of all time?
Top Welterweight Boxing Champions of All Time
| Boxer Name | Career Record | World Titles Won | Years as Champion |
| Sugar Ray Leonard | 36 wins, 3 losses, and 1 draw | WBA Weltweright title and WBC Welterweight title | 1979 to 1982 |
| Thomas Hearns | 61 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw | WBA Welterweight title | 1980 to 1981 |
| Roberto Duran | 103 wins and 16 losses | WBC Welterweigh title | 1980 |
| Sugar Ray Robinson | 174 wins, 19 losses, and 6 draws | World Welterweight title | 1946 to 1951 |
| Barney Ross | 72 wins, 4 losses, and 3 draws | World Welterweight title | 1934 to 1938 |
Sugar Ray Leonard
Due to his incredible power on his right hand, Sugar Ray Leonard became one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in history, but his most successful reign as a champion was when he was in the welterweight division, where he amassed a 7-1 record in championship fights.
Tried to mess up my hair. #SugarRayLeonard #Highlights #FightClips pic.twitter.com/lVOgb4hzfn
— Sugar Ray Leonard (@SugarRayLeonard) May 13, 2015
He defeated Wilfred Benitez in November 1979 to capture the WBC belt before adding the WBA title and six more wins to his record. The only loss he received in the 147-pound division was from Roberto Durán in June 1980; however, he was able to avenge it in their rematch.
Thomas Hearns
Before moving up in weight and becoming a four-division world champion, Thomas Hearns was a force to be reckoned with in the welterweight division, where he captured the WBA welterweight belt in 1980 with a second-round TKO victory over Pipino Cuevas.
The rematch between Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns was an INSTANT classic 🍿 #BlackHistoryMonth pic.twitter.com/Nn8JGb4ubA
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) February 26, 2024
Hearns added six more title wins in his tenure in the weight class to cement his place in the all-time list of champions. The only defeats he suffered in the welterweight division were courtesy of Sugar Ray Leonard and Marvin Hagler.
Roberto Duran
Despite only having a brief stint in the welterweight division, Roberto Durán cracked a spot on the list because of his legendary victory over Sugar Ray Leonard in June 1980, which was Leonard’s first defeat of his career.
Duran was an unstoppable world champion in the lightweight division before he added a few more pounds and decided to compete in the welterweight division. After his short stay in the weight class, the Panamanian superstar eventually moved to the light middleweight and middleweight divisions.
Sugar Ray Robinson
Among the boxers on the list, Sugar Ray Robinson has collected the most victories with 174 wins, including 109 finishes. Although he only had three total fights in the 147-pound division because of his desire to compete in various divisions, he never lost a fight from those three matches.
Robinson captured the world welterweight title with a decision win over Charley Fusari in December 1946, and his reign lasted until 1951. Robinson was forced to vacate the title because he was too busy fighting in the middleweight division.
Barney Ross
Barney Ross is boxing’s first three-division world champion, and he accomplished this feat by securing the welterweight division in May 1934 when he eked out a split decision win over Jimmy McLarnin in front of 60,000 spectators.
Before he triumphed over McLarnin, Ross was a two-division world champion, ruling the lightweight and junior welterweight divisions. He had six total world title fights in the 147-pound division, where he tallied four wins and two losses.