Category:Super Middleweight Division

One of the most recent divisions, and also known as the junior light heavyweight class, it took a long while in coming, probably due to the highly prestigious middleweight division being established over a long period. Introduced as we know it by the International Boxing Federation in 1984, as a means of furthering fighters' opportunities, it was, in truth, sorely needed, with a 15lb weight differential holding many good men back.

Although the IBF are to be given credit for developing it to full international status, ‘world’ titles at 168lbs, even if little known, had been in existence previously in America. On 3 April 1967 at the Valley Music Hall, Salt Lake City, Utah, Don Fullmer won an advertised version of the 12 stone title, beating Joe Hopkins by a knockout in the sixth of a scheduled 12 rounds. There is no evidence that Fullmer ever saw his new title as more than a stepping-stone for a crack at the middleweight crown and there were no defences as such.

Five years later, Billy Douglas, the father of Buster, knocked out Danny Brewer in the second round of another advertised 12-stone title fight at the Ohio State Fairground, Columbus, Ohio on 27 November 1974, but had no interest in the artificial title whatsoever and moved on immediately.

Apart from the World Athletic Association, a minority group who named Jerry Halstead as champion in 1982, it was left to the recently formed International Boxing Federation (IBF) to announce Murray Sutherland and Ernie Singletary as the nominations for their first ever championship contest

Weight Band

160lbs to 168lbs

Title Contests