The featherweight division originated in the 1860s under the London Prize Ring Rules, with a set weight limit of 118 lbs. However, the English ABA established the weight at 126 lbs, followed by a few more changes until the NSC officially modified it back in America to 126 lbs. The first featherweight champ in the world is considered Irishman Ike Weir, who defeated Frank Murphy on January 13th, 1890.

One of boxing’s oldest and most established weight classes, bantamweight has been the division which where many legendary fighters have reigned. It’s believed to have first circulated around 1860 with a lower weight limit during the London Prize Ring Rules of that era. The 118 pounds limit was brought into effect in 1909 as the popularity of the weight classes continued to grow.

Talented, young, and seemingly with a world of greatness in front of him, a tragic auto accident ended Sanchez’s life at age 23. The Mexican ring genius won his first eighteen contests before losing a split decision to Antonio Becerra for the Mexican bantamweight division boxing rankings title in 1977. Three fights later, he drew in his American debut versus Juan Escobar. There would be no more blemishes for Sanchez. Thirteen wins in a row, including a fifth round stop of Felix Trinidad Sr. for trivia buffs, led up a title clash with the rugged Danny "Little Red" Lopez in February 1980. Winning almost every round, Sanchez exploded onto the world scene behind his sharp jab, tight high handed defense and power before stopping Lopez in 13. He followed with a unanimous verdict over a Ruben Castillo whose only loss in 48 fights was to the great Alexis Arguello at 130 lbs. and then topped Lopez again in 14. Sanchez struggled a bit with the size of Patrick Ford in his next outing but still left with the decision, following with a unanimous decision over a rising Juan LaPorte; it was still 1980. 1981 started with Roberto Castanon who was 43-1 coming in and 43-2 after being stopped in ten. Two fights later, Sanchez would add his defining defense against the greatest Jr. Featherweight of all time. Wilfredo Gomez of Puerto Rico was 32-0-1, all of his wins by knockout, but it was he who found himself on the floor less than a minute into the action. Gomez battled back gamely, stunning Sanchez as the fight wore on only to again have the tables turned for good in round eight. It was the pinnacle for Sanchez though not his last highlight. He turned in three more defenses, escaping a tougher than expected split decision with Pat Cowdell in the first of them and stopping a spirited challenge from a then unknown 13-0 Azumah Nelson in the final round at Madison Square Garden on July 21, 1982. A few weeks later, on August 12, he was gone.

The most famous athlete in the history of sport shook up the heavyweight division during his historic career, with Muhammad Ali transcending the ring to become a cultural icon. He’s widely regarded as ‘The Greatest’ ever heavyweight champion, but other legends of the division include Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano and Mike Tyson.

Ahead of every fight a boxer must officially weigh-in successfully at their division limit. The weigh-ins typically take place a day before the bout, in order for fighters to then rehydrate and refuel before eventually taking to the ring. Sometimes, on lower-level events, boxers may be required to weigh in on fight night, just hours before their actual ring walks.

From the lower division of the junior featherweight division at 122 pounds to the electrifying super middleweight division at 168 pounds, the boxing world has been gripped by a whirlwind of hyperactivity. In others, the silence of complacency is deafening, with only a few fighters actively participating.

By severely limiting the amount of fluids going into their bodies, boxers can manipulate their weight even further by exercising and "sweating it out" in the sauna. This is why boxers use sauna suits – by sweating more, they are losing more body weight. Once they make weight, they rehydrate after weighing in. For many fighters, this gives them a size advantage.

The junior welterweight division offers a plethora of intriguing matchups. Potential bouts like Ryan Garcia, complete with hand speed, punching power and size, versus Lopez's exceptional athleticism, timing, quickness, and bruising punching power should be a must-see. How about Haney vs. Lopez? And there's the hard-hitting, awkwardly gifted, explosive puncher Rolly Romero vs. Garcia, and the relentless heavy-handed volume puncher Matias vs. any of these names, including Jose Ramirez, Jack Catterall and Arnold Barbosa. Any of these matchups would provide exciting, thrilling must-see encounters for boxing enthusiasts. The division is stacked with talent, making it an exciting time to be a junior welterweight in boxing.

Super Bantamweight, also known as Junior Featherweight, is one of the 'tweener' divisions, in between two more glamorous weights. It was established at 122lbs by the New York Walker Law in 120, and then recognised by major bodies from 1976.