List of British lightweight boxing champions

List of British lightweight boxing champions is a table showing the boxers who have won the British lightweight title. The title had been sanctioned by the National Sporting Club from 1909–1929 where they awarded the Lord Lonsdale Challenge Belt until its later replacement by the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBoC) since.

A champion may retire or voluntarily relinquish the title in order to fight for a higher-ranked championship. Where the date on which a champion relinquished the title is unclear, the date of the last BBBoC sanctioned fight is shown.

r–Champion relinquished title.

s–Champion stripped of title.

Name Duration of reign Defences
England Jack Goldswain 23 April 1908 – 23 November 1908 2
Wales Freddie Welsh 8 November 1909 – 27 February 1911 1
England Matt Wells 27 February 1911 – 11 November 1912 1
Wales Freddie Welsh 11 November 1912 – 16 December 1912r 1
England Bob Marriott 23 June 1919r 0
England Ernie Rice 11 April 1921 – 18 September 1922 2
Scotland Seaman Nobby Hall 18 September 1922 – 17 May 1923 0
England Harry Mason 17 May 1923 – 21 November 1923r 1
England Ernie Izzard 24 November 1924 – 22 June 1925 2
England Harry Mason 22 June 1925 – 11 February 1926r 1
England Sam Steward 17 September 1928 – 2 May 1929 1
England Fred Webster 2 May 1929 – 21 May 1930 1
England Al Foreman 21 May 1930 – 15 March 1932r 2
England Johnny Cuthbert 11 August 1932 – 18 January 1934 1
England Harry Mizler 18 January 1934 – 29 October 1934 2
England Jack Kid Berg 29 October 1934 – 24 April 1936 1
England Jimmy Walsh 24 April 1936 – 23 June 1938 2
England Dave Crowley 23 June 1938 – 15 December 1938 1
England Eric Boon 15 December 1938 – 12 August 1944 3
Wales Ronnie James 12 August 1944 – 6 June 1947r[1] 0
England Billy Thompson 16 October 1947 – 28 August 1951 3
England Tommy McGovern 28 August 1951 – 25 July 1952 1
England Frank Johnson 25 July 1952r 0
England Joe Lucy 29 September 1953 – 26 April 1955 1
England Frank Johnson 26 April 1955 – 13 April 1956 1
England Joe Lucy 13 April 1956 – 9 April 1957 2
England Dave Charnley 9 April 1957 – January 1965r 2
England Maurice Cullen 8 April 1965 – 19 February 1968 4
Scotland Ken Buchanan 19 February 1968 – 12 May 1970r 1
Scotland Willie Reilly 1 February 1972r 0
Scotland Jim Watt 3 May 1972 – 29 January 1973 1
Scotland Ken Buchanan 29 January 1973 – September 1974r 0
Scotland Jim Watt 27 January 1975 – 21 February 1977r 1
Republic of Ireland Charlie Nash 28 February 1979 – July 1979r 0
England Ray Cattouse 24 March 1980 – 12 October 1982 2
England George Feeney 12 October 1982 – 10 February 1984r 2
England Tony Willis 16 May 1985 – 24 September 1987 3
Scotland Alex Dickson 24 September 1987 – 24 February 1988 1
Scotland Steve Boyle 24 February 1988 – 1 November 1988r 1
England Carl Crook 14 November 1990 – 28 October 1992 5
England Billy Schwer 28 October 1992 – 24 February 1993 1
England Paul Burke 24 February 1993 – 10 November 1993 1
England Billy Schwer 10 November 1993 – 16 February 1994r 1
England Michael Ayers 17 February 1995 – August 1997r 4
England Wayne Rigby 10 January 1998 – 17 October 1998 2
England Bobby Vanzie 17 October 1998 – 17 July 2003 5
England Graham Earl 17 July 2003 – 19 June 2005r 3
England Lee Meager 12 May 2006 – 8 December 2006 1
England Jonathan Thaxton 8 December 2006 – 5 October 2007r 2
England John Murray 11 July 2008 – 7 May 2010r 4
Wales Gavin Rees 6 November 2010r 0
England Anthony Crolla 12 February 2011 – 21 April 2012 2
England Derry Mathews 21 April 2012 – 7 July 2012 1
Wales Gavin Rees 7 July 2012r 0
England Martin Gethin 18 January 2013 – 10 May 2014 1
England Derry Mathews 10 May 2014r 0
England Terry Flanagan 26 July 2014r 0
England Scott Cardle 30 May 2015 – 15 April 2017 2
England Robbie Barrett 15 April 2017 – 7 October 2017 0
England Lewis Ritson 7 October 2017 – 16 June 2018r 3
Wales Joe Cordina 20 April 2019 – February 2020r 1
Northern Ireland James Tennyson 1 August 2020 – present 0
  1. ^ 1948 Boxing News Annual, War Facts Press, p. 14