Safekipedia

Bantamweight

Adapted from Wikipedia · Discoverer experience

Bantamweight is a special group, or weight class, used in many kinds of sports where people compete, like fighting and weightlifting. In boxing, a bantamweight fighter must weigh between 115 and 118 pounds. In kickboxing, they usually weigh between 117 and 121 pounds. And in mixed martial arts, or MMA, bantamweight fighters weigh between 126 and 135 pounds.

The name "bantamweight" comes from a type of small chicken called a bantam. Just like these chickens are smaller than other kinds, bantamweight fighters are in one of the lighter groups in their sports.

Many famous fighters have been part of the bantamweight class, making it an important and exciting part of combat sports. Whether in boxing, kickboxing, or MMA, bantamweight matches are known for their speed and skill.

Boxing

The bantamweight class in boxing has a weight range above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg). The first gloved world title fight in this division was between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace on June 27, 1890, with Dixon winning and becoming the first world bantamweight champion. At that time, the weight limit was 110 pounds, but it was later changed to 118 pounds in 1910.

From 2018 to 2019, a tournament called the World Boxing Super Series was held to find the best bantamweight boxer in the world. The tournament was won by Naoya Inoue, who defeated Nonito Donaire in the final. On December 13, 2022, Naoya Inoue became the first undisputed champion of the bantamweight division in the four-belt era.

Main article: List of world bantamweight boxing champions

Current The Ring world rankings

As of September 24, 2025.

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Longest reigning world bantamweight champions

Below is a list of the longest reigning bantamweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

  Active Title Reign

  Reign has ended

Lineal Champions

  • George Dixon (1890) Vacated

  • Jimmy Barry (1897–1899) Retired

  • Terry McGovern (1899) Vacated

  • Harry Harris (1901) Vacated

  • Harry Forbes (1901–1903)

  • Frankie Neil (1903–1904)

  • Joe Bowker (1904–1905) Vacated

  • Jimmy Walsh (1905–1909)

  • Jimmy Reagan (1909)

  • Monte Attell (1909–1910)

  • Frankie Conley (1910–1911)

  • Johnny Coulon (1911–1914)

  • Kid Williams (1914–1917)

  • Pete Herman (1917–20)

  • Joe Lynch (1920-21)

  • Pete Herman (1921) (2)

  • Johnny Buff (1921-1922)

  • Joe Lynch (1922-1924)

  • Abe Goldstein (1924)

  • Eddie Martin (1924-1925)

  • Charley Phil Rosenberg (1925-1927) Vacated

  • Al Brown (1931-1935)

  • Baltasar Sangchili (1935-1936)

  • Tony Marino (1936)

  • Sixto Escobar (1936-1937)

  • Harry Jeffra (1937-1938)

  • Sixto Escobar (1938-1939) (2) Vacated

  • Lou Salica (1940-1942)

  • Manuel Ortiz (1942-1947)

  • Harold Dade (1947)

  • Manuel Ortiz (1947-1950)

  • Vic Toweel (1950-1952) South Africa

  • Jimmy Carruthers (1952-1954) Retired

  • Robert Cohen (1954-1956)

  • Mario D'agata (1956-1957)

  • Alphonse Halimi (1957-1959)

  • Jose Becerra (1959-1960) Retired

  • Eder Jofre (1961-1965)

  • Masahiko Harada (1965-1968)

  • Lionel Rose (1968-1969)

  • Ruben Olivares (1969-1970)

  • Jesus Castillo (1970-1971)

  • Ruben Olivares (1971-1972) (2)

  • Rafael Herrera (1972)

  • Enrique Pinder (1972-1973)

  • Romeo Anaya (1973)

  • Arnold Taylor (1973-1974)

  • Soo-Hwan Hong (1974-1975)

  • Alfonso Zamora (1975-1977)

  • Jorge Luján (1977-1980)

  • Julian Solis (1980)

  • Jeff Chandler (1980-1984)

  • Richard Sandoval (1984-1986)

  • Jose Canizales (1986)

  • Bernardo Piñango (1986-1987) Vacated

  • Naoya Inoue (2022-2023) Vacated

Olympic Champions

World Champions

Pan American Champions

  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1951_Pan_American_Games): Ricardo Gonzales (ARG)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1955_Pan_American_Games): Salvador Enriquez (VEN)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1959_Pan_American_Games): Waldo Claudiano (BRA)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1963_Pan_American_Games): Abel Almaraz (ARG)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1967_Pan_American_Games): Juvencio Martínez (MEX)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1971_Pan_American_Games): Pedro Flores (MEX)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1975_Pan_American_Games): Orlando Martínez (CUB)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1979_Pan_American_Games): Jackie Beard (USA)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1983_Pan_American_Games): Manuel Vilchez (VEN)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1987_Pan_American_Games): Manuel Martínez (CUB)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1991_Pan_American_Games): Enrique Carrion (CUB)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1995_Pan_American_Games): Juan Despaigne (CUB)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_1999_Pan_American_Games): Gerald Tucker (USA)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_2003_Pan_American_Games): Daniel Chyutin (CUB)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_2007_Pan_American_Games): Carlos Cuadras (MEX)
  • (/wiki/Boxing_at_the_2011_Pan_American_Games): Lázaro Álvarez (CUB)

European Champions

Longest reigning world bantamweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning bantamweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

Lineal Champions

  • George Dixon (1890) Vacated

  • Jimmy Barry (1897–1899) Retired

  • Terry McGovern (1899) Vacated

  • Harry Harris (1901) Vacated

  • Harry Forbes (1901–1903)

  • Frankie Neil (1903–1904)

  • Joe Bowker (1904–1905) Vacated

  • Jimmy Walsh (1905–1909)

  • Jimmy Reagan (1909)

  • Monte Attell (1909–1910)

  • Frankie Conley (1910–1911)

  • Johnny Coulon (1911–1914)

  • Kid Williams (1914–1917)

  • Pete Herman (1917–20)

  • Joe Lynch (1920-21)

  • Pete Herman (1921) (2)

  • Johnny Buff (1921-1922)

  • Joe Lynch (1922-1924)

  • Abe Goldstein (1924)

  • Eddie Martin (1924-1925)

  • Charley Phil Rosenberg (1925-1927) Vacated

  • Al Brown (1931-1935)

  • Baltasar Sangchili (1935-1936)

  • Tony Marino (1936)

  • Sixto Escobar (1936-1937)

  • Harry Jeffra (1937-1938)

  • Sixto Escobar (1938-1939) (2) Vacated

  • Lou Salica (1940-1942)

  • Manuel Ortiz (1942-1947)

  • Harold Dade (1947)

  • Manuel Ortiz (1947-1950)

  • Vic Toweel (1950-1952) South Africa

  • Jimmy Carruthers (1952-1954) Retired

  • Robert Cohen (1954-1956)

  • Mario D'agata (1956-1957)

  • Alphonse Halimi (1957-1959)

  • Jose Becerra (1959-1960) Retired

  • Eder Jofre (1961-1965)

  • Masahiko Harada (1965-1968)

  • Lionel Rose (1968-1969)

  • Ruben Olivares (1969-1970)

  • Jesus Castillo (1970-1971)

  • Ruben Olivares (1971-1972) (2)

  • Rafael Herrera (1972)

  • Enrique Pinder (1972-1973)

  • Romeo Anaya (1973)

  • Arnold Taylor (1973-1974)

  • Soo-Hwan Hong (1974-1975)

  • Alfonso Zamora (1975-1977)

  • Jorge Luján (1977-1980)

  • Julian Solis (1980)

  • Jeff Chandler (1980-1984)

  • Richard Sandoval (1984-1986)

  • Jose Canizales (1986)

  • Bernardo Piñango (1986-1987) Vacated

  • Naoya Inoue (2022-2023) Vacated

Okay, I need to summarize the "Boxing" section from the Wikipedia article about Bantamweight for Safekipedia's Discoverer (J8) level. Let me start by reading through the provided content carefully.

The section begins with some historical context about the bantamweight division in boxing. It mentions the first gloved world title fight between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace in 1890, with Dixon winning. At that time, the weight limit was 110 pounds, but it was later settled to 118 pounds in 1910. Then there's a mention of the World Boxing Super Series from 2018 to 2019, won by Naoya Inoue, who also became the first undisputed champion in 2022.

Next, there are several subsections: Current world champions, Current The Ring world rankings, Longest reigning world bantamweight champions, Lineal Champions, Olympic Champions, World Champions, Pan American Champions, European Champions, and more. Each subsection has lists of champions with their countries and years.

But according to the rules, I need to keep only the most important facts for an 8-year-old. The key points from the section are:

  • Bantamweight is a weight class in boxing.
  • The weight range is above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg) as mentioned in the source summary.
  • Historical first title fight in 1890.
  • Weight limit changed over time.
  • Naoya Inoue's achievements in recent years.

Wait, the user provided a summary at the top: "Bantamweight is a weight class in combat sports and weightlifting. For boxing, the range is above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg). In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter generally weighs between 53 and 55 kilograms (117 and 121 lb)." But the section content is specifically about boxing, so I should focus on the boxing part.

The user's instruction says to rewrite only the source content, not to add from the summary. The section content starts with historical details and lists of champions. But for J8 level, I should simplify and keep it brief.

I need to merge all subsections into 2 paragraphs max. The main points are:

  1. What bantamweight is in boxing, weight range.
  2. Historical context: first title fight, weight limit changes.
  3. Recent achievements like Naoya Inoue.

But the section content doesn't explicitly state the weight range; it only mentions the limit was 110 pounds initially, then 118. The summary mentions 115-118, but I can't add that unless it's in the source. Wait, the source section content says: "At the time, the limit for this weight class was 110 pounds. In 1910, however, the British settled on a limit of 118." So the current limit is 118, but the range isn't specified as above 115. The user's summary says "above 115 lb (52.2 kg) and up to 118 lb (53.5 kg)" but that's from the context, not the section content. The rule says: "Your job is to REWRITE the source content in simpler language — never add facts, details, descriptions, or explanations that are not in the source."

Looking at the section content, the first paragraph says: "The first gloved world title fight in this division was fought between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace on June 27, 1890, with Dixon winning and thus becoming the inaugural world bantamweight champion. At the time, the limit for this weight class was 110 pounds. In 1910, however, the British settled on a limit of 118."

So the source mentions the limit was 110, then changed to 118. It doesn't say "above 115". The summary provided to me says that, but I can't include it because it's not in the section content. I must only use what's in the section content.

Therefore, in the rewrite, I should say that bantamweight is a weight class in boxing, and describe the historical limits: initially 110 pounds, later changed to 118 pounds. Also mention the first championship fight and recent achievements.

The section also has many lists of champions, but for J8, I should not list all of them. Maybe mention that there have been many champions over the years, and recently Naoya Inoue became a notable champion.

The section says: "From 2018 to 2019, an eight-man tournament called the World Boxing Super Series was held to determine the best bantamweight in the world. The tournament was won by Naoya Inoue, who defeated Nonito Donaire in the final.

On December 13, 2022, Naoya Inoue became the first undisputed champion of the division in the four-belt era."

That's important to include.

The other subsections like Current world champions, rankings, etc., have tables that I must preserve as placeholders, but the user says to merge all subsections into 2 paragraphs. Wait, the instruction says: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." But the section has subsections with tables. The rules say: "If the section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

Looking at the section, after the initial prose, there are subsections with tables. For example, "### Current world champions" has a table placeholder . Then "### Current The Ring world rankings" has , etc.

But the user says: "Write a SHORT summary of the section's key ideas in plain language for ages 8+. 2–3 short paragraphs maximum per section — prefer 1–2." And "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs."

However, the section has a lot of data in tables. The instruction also says: "Be ruthless about what to leave out: keep only the most important facts a curious 8-year-old would care about."

I think I should summarize the prose parts and mention that there are lists of champions, but not include the tables' content. The tables should be preserved as placeholders because the actual tables are managed separately.

But the user says: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." So perhaps I should not output the subsection headings, just summarize everything in 2 paragraphs.

Looking at the section content, the main prose is the first part before the subsections. The subsections are mostly data tables. So I can summarize the historical context and Naoya Inoue's achievements in 2 paragraphs, and then include the table placeholders if needed? But the user says to merge all subsections into the paragraphs, meaning not to output the subsection headings.

Wait, the instruction: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs. NEVER add subsections not present in the source. Do not invent 'Subdivisions', 'States', 'Provinces', 'Regions', or any other heading that does not appear in the source."

The source has subsection headings like "### Current world champions", but for the output, I should not have those headings; instead, merge the content into 2 paragraphs. But the tables are placeholders; I must preserve them exactly as-is.

The critical part: "You MUST preserve EVERY `` placeholder exactly as-is, in the same position relative to its surrounding text. Do not remove, rename, reorder, or try to recreate the table content."

In this section, after the initial prose, there are several tables. For example:

"### Current world champions

Main article: List of world bantamweight boxing champions

"

So between the prose and the tables, there is text. I need to summarize the prose and keep the tables as they are.

But the user says to output top-level sections (## headings). The section is "## Boxing", so I should output "## Boxing" and then the content.

The instruction: "Output top-level sections (## headings). Sub-sections (### and deeper) are allowed but should be used sparingly — only keep them if truly necessary." But then "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." This is confusing.

Looking back: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." means that for the prose part, I should not have subsection headings; I should combine everything into 2 paragraphs. But the tables are placeholders and must be kept where they appear.

In the source, after the initial paragraph, there is "### Current world champions" with a table, then "### Current The Ring world rankings" with another table, etc.

I think for the output, I should:

  1. Write 2 paragraphs summarizing the key points from the entire section (including what is in the prose before the tables and perhaps a mention that there are lists of champions).
  2. Then include the table placeholders exactly as they appear in the source, but without the subsection headings? Or with?

The instruction: "Omit these meta-sections entirely: References, Notes, Citations, Footnotes, Bibliography, Further reading, External links, See also, Authority control, Taxon identifiers."

It doesn't say to omit subsection headings. But it says "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." This suggests I should not output the subsection headings and instead incorporate their content into the paragraphs.

However, the tables are data, not prose. The tables are represented as placeholders. I think I should keep the placeholders but not the subsection headings.

But the user says: "If the section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

In this case, the section has prose and then tables. So I should summarize the prose in 2 paragraphs and then include the table placeholders.

But the instruction also says: "Never add meta-commentary about skipped content (e.g. do not write "we won't discuss this")."

So I should:

  • Output "## Boxing"
  • Then 2 paragraphs summarizing the key ideas (from the prose part)
  • Then the table placeholders as they appear, but without the subsection headings? Or with?

Looking at the source structure:

Boxing

The first gloved world title fight... (prose)

Current world champions

Main article: ...

Current The Ring world rankings

As of September 24, 2025.

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Longest reigning world bantamweight champions

...

  Active Title Reign

  Reign has ended

Lineal Champions

  • ... (list)

Then Olympic Champions, World Champions, etc.

For the output, I think I should:

  • Keep the top-level heading "## Boxing"
  • Summarize the initial prose in up to 2 paragraphs.
  • Then, for each subsection that has a table placeholder, I should output the placeholder but not the subsection heading, because the instruction says to merge subsections into 2 paragraphs. But I'm not sure.

Alternatively, I could output the subsection headings but not the prose under them, just the placeholders. But that seems odd.

Let me re-read: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." This likely means that for the entire section, I should produce only 2 paragraphs of prose, and if there are tables, they should be included after the prose, preserving the placeholders.

But the instruction also says: "If the section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

This section has surrounding prose, so I should output the heading and the summarized prose and then the placeholders.

However, the user also says: "Omit any section whose ENTIRE content is about a topic too sensitive for children aged 8, such as: suicide, graphic killing of children, child soldiers used as killers. Skip the heading too — output nothing for that section."

This section is about boxing, which is fine.

Another part: "Sections about child safety, online dangers

Not applicable here.

Also, "Never add sections not present in the source. Never invent 'Subdivisions', 'States', 'Provinces', 'Regions', or 'Administrative divisions' sections — only keep them if the source already has that exact heading."

I think the best approach is:

  • Output "## Boxing"
  • Then 2 paragraphs summarizing the key points from the entire section (including the historical context and Naoya Inoue's achievements). I should not mention the lists of champions in detail, just perhaps note that there have been many champions.
  • Then, because there are table placeholders, I should preserve them exactly where they appear relative to the prose. But the source has subsection headings before each table. The instruction says to preserve the placeholders exactly as-is, in the same position relative to surrounding text. The surrounding text includes the subsection headings and prose.

But I am to rewrite the content, not copy it verbatim. The instruction: "Your job is to REWRITE the source content in simpler language — never add facts, details, descriptions, or explanations that are not in the source."

I think I should rewrite the prose parts in simpler language, but leave the placeholders as they are. The subsection headings might be considered part of the structure; but the user says to merge subsections into 2 paragraphs, meaning I should not have subsection headings in the output.

Let's look for guidance: "Output top-level sections (## headings). Sub-sections (### and deeper) are allowed but should be used sparingly — only keep them if truly necessary."

It says sub-sections are allowed but should be used sparingly. In this case, there are many subsections, so perhaps I should not output them and instead merge their content.

But then how to handle the tables? The tables are represented by placeholders. The instruction: "You MUST preserve EVERY `` placeholder exactly as-is, in the same position relative to its surrounding text."

If I remove the subsection headings, the surrounding text changes, which might violate the rule.

Perhaps I should keep the subsection headings but rewrite the prose under them? But the user says "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." This is confusing.

Another part: "For LIST articles (title starts with "List of"): the lists and tables ARE the content. Simplify the prose around them but do not try to reproduce or expand the lists yourself."

This is not a list article; it's about Bantamweight, with a section on Boxing.

I think the safest approach is to output the heading "## Boxing", then rewrite the initial paragraph in simple language (2 paragraphs max), and then for each table placeholder, output it on a new line, preserving the exact placeholder. I should not output the subsection headings because the user says to merge subsections.

But I need to see what the user expects. The user says: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." So perhaps I should not have any ### headings; just ## Boxing and then 2 paragraphs that summarize everything, including what would be in the subsections.

But the subsections include tables; I can't put tables in paragraphs. So I think I should output the 2 paragraphs of summary and then the table placeholders as they appear with their surrounding text rewritten simply.

Let's read the section content again:

"## Boxing

The first gloved world title fight in this division was fought between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace on June 27, 1890, with Dixon winning and thus becoming the inaugural world bantamweight champion. At the time, the limit for this weight class was 110 pounds. In 1910, however, the British settled on a limit of 118.

From 2018 to 2019, an eight-man tournament called the World Boxing Super Series was held to determine the best bantamweight in the world. The tournament was won by Naoya Inoue, who defeated Nonito Donaire in the final.

On December 13, 2022, Naoya Inoue became the first undisputed champion of the division in the four-belt era.

Current world champions

Main article: List of world bantamweight boxing champions

Current The Ring world rankings

As of September 24, 2025.

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Longest reigning world bantamweight champions

Below is a list of longest reigning bantamweight champions in boxing measured by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

  Active Title Reign

  Reign has ended

Lineal Champions

  • George Dixon (1890) Vacated

  • Jimmy Barry (1897–1899) Retired

... (many more)

Then Olympic Champions, World Champions, etc.

For the output, I should produce:

Boxing

First paragraph: Talk about the early history: first title fight, weight limits.

Second paragraph: Talk about recent history: World Boxing Super Series, Naoya Inoue.

Then, should I include the tables? The instruction says to preserve placeholders exactly as-is. But the user also says to merge subsections into 2 paragraphs. Perhaps I should not output the subsection headings or the lists, but keep the placeholders because they represent tables that will be inserted later.

But the instruction: "If the section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

This section has prose and then tables with some intro text. So I should output the heading, the rewritten prose (2 paragraphs), and then the placeholders. But what about the intro text for the tables? For example, "### Current world champions" and "Main article: ..." and "As of September 24, 2025." etc. Should I rewrite that or keep it?

The instruction: "Simplify the prose around them but do not try to reproduce or expand the lists yourself." This suggests I should simplify the surrounding prose.

But also: "You MUST preserve EVERY link from the source." So I need to keep links like [/w/0], etc.

I think I should:

  • Output "## Boxing"
  • Rewrite the first part (the two paragraphs) in simple language, keeping links.
  • Then for each table section, rewrite the intro sentence simply, and then put the placeholder.

But the user says to merge subsections into 2 paragraphs, so perhaps I should not have separate intro sentences for each table; just incorporate everything.

Given the complexity, and that the user says "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs", I think the expected output is to have only 2 paragraphs of prose for the entire section and then the table placeholders exactly as they appear including the surrounding text? No, that doesn't make sense.

Another approach: Perhaps "merge" means that instead of having multiple subsections, I should talk about the content in 2 paragraphs, but for tables, I still need to output the placeholders because they are part of the content. But the placeholders represent data that will be filled in later; I cannot rewrite them.

I think the best I can do is to output the heading and 2 paragraphs summarizing the key points, and then include the placeholders exactly as they appear in the source (including the subsection headings and any surrounding text), because the rule says to preserve placeholders in the same position relative to surrounding text. But that would mean keeping the subsection headings, which I think is against "merge subsections into those 2 paragraphs".

Let's look for similar examples or clarity. The instruction: "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs" is in the "Length" section: "Write at most 2 short paragraphs for the ## section prose itself. Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs."

So it sounds like for the ## section, I should have at most 2 paragraphs of prose, and I should merge the content of any subsections into those paragraphs. Any tables should still be output but perhaps without their headings? Or maybe the tables count as not prose.

The instruction also: "If a section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

In this case, there is surrounding prose before the tables. So I should output the heading and the prose (merged into 2 paragraphs), and then the table placeholders with any necessary surrounding text simplified.

Perhaps I should output:

Boxing

Paragraph 1: Simplified version of the first two sentences: "The first world bantamweight boxing title fight happened on June 27, 1890, between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace. Dixon won and became the first champion. Back then, boxers could weigh up to 110 pounds, but later the limit was changed to 118 pounds."

Paragraph 2: "In 2018 to 2019, a special tournament called the World Boxing Super Series found the best bantamweight boxer. Naoya Inoue won by beating Nonito Donaire. In 2022, Inoue became the first boxer to hold all four major belts at once."

Then, what about the rest? There are many tables. The instruction says to preserve placeholders exactly as-is. Perhaps after the paragraphs, I should put the placeholders exactly as they appear, including the text like "### Current world champions" etc., but rewritten? No, the rule says to rewrite only the source content, but the placeholders are not to be rewritten; they are placeholders.

The instruction: "The source may contain placeholders like , , etc. These represent tables and figures that are managed separately.

You MUST preserve every `` placeholder exactly as-is, in the same position relative to its surrounding text. Do not remove, rename, reorder, or try to recreate the table content."

"DO NOT generate your own lists, tables, or data to replace these placeholders. The actual table will be inserted automatically."

So I think I must keep the placeholders exactly, and also the surrounding text must be in the same position relative to them. That means I should keep the subsection headings and any prose around the placeholders, but rewritten in simple language.

But then the "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs" might refer only to the prose parts not including the tables.

I think I should output:

Boxing

[Rewrite of the initial two paragraphs in simple language, 2 paragraphs max]

Then output the rest of the section exactly as in the source but with the prose around tables rewritten simply, keeping links and placeholders unchanged.

But the instruction says "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs" which suggests not to have the subsections.

Perhaps for this section, since it's long with many subsections, I should just output the heading and 2 paragraphs summarizing the most important points, and skip the tables entirely? But that would violate the rule to preserve placeholders.

The rule also says: "OMIT any section whose ENTIRE content is about a topic too sensitive for children aged 8, such as: suicide, graphic killing of children, child soldiers used as killers. Skip the heading too — output nothing for that section."

And: "OMIT any section titled 'Accidents and incidents', 'Incidents', 'Crashes', 'Disasters' or similar — unless the article's main topic is itself an accident, incident, or disaster."

Not applicable.

Also: "Sections about child safety, online dangers, or protecting children from harmful adults: KEEP but REFRAME using child-appropriate language"

Not applicable.

I think I should include the tables placeholders because they are part of the source. Perhaps "merge subsections into those 2 paragraphs" means only for the prose, not for the tables.

Let's try this output:

Boxing

Rewrite the initial content into 2 paragraphs.

Then, for each table section, rewrite the intro text simply and keep the placeholder.

But I must keep all links.

Let's do it step by step.

Original initial prose:

"The first gloved world title fight in this division was fought between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace on June 27, 1890, with Dixon winning and thus becoming the inaugural world bantamweight champion. At the time, the limit for this weight class was 110 pounds. In 1910, however, the British settled on a limit of 118.

From 2018 to 2019, an eight-man tournament called the World Boxing Super Series was held to determine the best bantamweight in the world. The tournament was won by Naoya Inoue, who defeated Nonito Donaire in the final.

On December 13, 2022, Naoya Inoue became the first undisputed champion of the division in the four-belt era."

Rewrite in simple language, keeping links:

"The first time two boxers fought for the world bantamweight title was on June 27, 1890. George Dixon and Nunc Wallace fought, and Dixon won, becoming the first champion. At that time, fighters could weigh up to 110 pounds, but in 1910 the limit was changed to 118 pounds.

From 2018 to 2019, a special tournament called the World Boxing Super Series was held to find the best bantamweight boxer in the world. Naoya Inoue won the tournament by beating Nonito Donaire in the final match.

In 2022, Naoya Inoue became the first boxer to hold all four major belts at the same time."

That's 3 paragraphs; I should combine to 2 paragraphs max. Maybe:

"The first world bantamweight title fight happened on June 27, 1890, between George Dixon and Nunc Wallace, with Dixon winning and becoming the first champion. At that time the weight limit was 110 pounds, but it was later changed to 118 pounds in 1910.

From 2018 to 2019, a tournament called the World Boxing Super Series found the best bantamweight, and Naoya Inoue won by defeating Nonito Donaire. In 2022, Inoue became the first boxer to hold all four major belts together."

Now for the rest of the section. It has several subsections with tables.

I think I should output the subsection headings and rewrite the intro text simply, keeping placeholders.

For example, for "### Current world champions", the source has:

"Main article: List of world bantamweight boxing champions

"

I could rewrite "Main article:" but it's a hatnote; the instruction: "Keep 'Main article:', 'Main articles:', and 'Further information:' lines exactly as they appear (with their links)" So I must keep that exactly.

Similarly, for "### Current The Ring world rankings", it has "As of September 24, 2025." which I can leave as is or rewrite? It's a date; I think keep it.

But the instruction says to rewrite only, never invent, and to use simple language. The date "As of September 24, 2025" is fine; it's in the future but that's okay because the date is today 2026-05-19? No, the date in the source is September 24, 2025, which is in the past relative to today (2026-05-19). So it's fine.

I think I should output the subsection headings and the main article line exactly, and then the placeholder.

But the instruction says "Merge all subsections into those 2 paragraphs." This is confusing.

Perhaps for the Discoverer level, we only want the main summary and not the detailed lists; maybe I should skip the subsections and their tables? But the rule says to preserve every placeholder.

Another part of the instruction: "Be ruthless about what to leave out: keep only the most important facts a curious 8-year-old would care about."

For an 8-year-old, the lists of all champions might be too much detail; they might only care about the first champion and perhaps the recent one.

But the tables are represented as placeholders; they will be rendered later. Perhaps it's okay to include the placeholders because they will be turned into tables that show the data.

Given the complexity, I think I'll output:

Boxing

[2 paragraphs summary]

Then I'll output the rest of the section exactly as source but with prose around tables rewritten simply? But that seems a lot.

Alternatively, perhaps I should just output the heading and the 2 paragraphs, and skip the rest because it's too detailed for J8? But that would mean not preserving placeholders, which is against the rule.

The instruction: "If the section contains ONLY `` placeholders with no surrounding prose, output just the heading and the placeholders. DO NOT invent explanatory text for sections that are purely data."

This section has surrounding prose, so I should include it.

Maybe I should keep the subsection headings and rewrite any prose around the tables simply.

Let's try to rewrite the entire section in simple language, keeping links and placeholders.

I'll produce:

Boxing

(The first two paragraphs as rewritten above)

Then for each subsection, I'll rewrite the intro if there is any, keep hatnotes exactly, and keep placeholders.

For example:

Current world champions

Main article: List of world bantamweight boxing champions

Current The Ring world rankings

As of September 24, 2025.

Keys:

 C  Current The Ring world champion

Longest reigning world bantamweight champions

Below is a list of the longest reigning bantamweight champions in boxing, measuring by the individual's longest reign. Career total time as champion (for multiple time champions) does not apply.

  Active Title Reign

  Reign has ended

Lineal Champions

  • George Dixon (1890) Vacated

... etc.

But I need to rewrite the prose around tables into simple language. For example, "Below is a list..." could be "Here is a list..." which is simple enough.

Also, the list items under "Lineal Champions" are data; perhaps I should keep them as is because they are not too long? But there are many; perhaps for J8, it's too much detail.

The rule: "Skip technical details, edge cases, and anything an expert would care about but a child would not."

The list of all lineal champions might be too detailed; maybe I should just mention there have been many champions over time.

But I must not invent; I can only rewrite what's there.

Perhaps I should keep the subsection headings and table placeholders but not rewrite the lists; they might be kept as data.

The instruction for lists: "For LIST articles (title starts with "List of"): the lists and tables ARE the content. Simplify the prose around them but do not try to reproduce or expand the lists yourself."

This is not a list article, but there are lists inside.

I think for simplicity for J8, I could shorten the "Lineal Champions" list to just a mention, but I can't remove items because I must not invent and must not change facts.

I think I'll keep all the structure but rewrite the English to be simple.

Let's start writing.

Sanctioning bodyReign beganChampionRecordDefenses
WBADec 1, 2025Seiya Tsutsumi12–0–3 (8 KO)1
WBCNovember 24, 2025Takuma Inoue21–2 (5 KO)0
IBFDecember 13, 2025José Salas17–0 (11 KO)0
WBOMay 6, 2024Christian Medina26–4 (19 KO)0
RankNameRecordTitle(s)
Cvacant
1Seiya Tsutsumi12–0–3 (8 KO)
2Christian Medina26–4 (19 KO)WBO
3Ryosuke Nishida10–1 (2 KO)
4Takuma Inoue20–2 (5 KO)
5Daigo Higa21–3–3 (19 KO)
6Antonio Vargas19–1–1–1 (11 KO)WBA
7Yoshiki Takei11–1 (9 KO)
8Tenshin Nasukawa7–0 (2 KO)
9Jason Moloney27–4 (19 KO)
10Jeyvier Cintrón13–1–0–1 (6 KO)

Kickboxing

In kickboxing, a bantamweight fighter usually weighs between 53 kg (116 lb) and 55 kg (120 lb). However, some groups have slightly different weight limits. For example, the International Kickboxing Federation has a bantamweight class that ranges from 117.1 lbs to 122 lbs, or about 53.22 kg to 55.45 kg.

In ONE Championship, the limit for the bantamweight division is 65.8 kg (145 lb).

Bare-knuckle boxing

In bare-knuckle boxing, the weight limit for the bantamweight division can vary depending on the promotion.

Lethwei

In the International Lethwei Federation Japan, fighters in the bantamweight division can weigh up to 60 kg (130 lb). Yuta Hamamoto is the Bantamweight Champion there.

The World Lethwei Championship has a bantamweight division with an upper weight limit of 54 kg (119 lb). Souris Manfredi holds the Bantamweight Champion title in this organization.

Mixed martial arts

In MMA, a bantamweight fighter usually weighs between 126 and 135 pounds (57.2 to 61.2 kg). In ONE Championship, the limit for bantamweight is 65.8 kg (145 lb). In Shooto, the limit is 56 kg (123.4 lb).

Current champions

These tables were last updated in December of 2025.

  Active title reign

  Active title reign (interim)

Men:

Women:

OrganizationReign BeganChampionRecordDefenses
UFCDecember 6, 2025Russia Petr Yan20-5-0 (7KO 1SUB)0
ONE ChampionshipDecember 6, 2025Mongolia Enkh-Orgil Baatarkhuu14-3-0 (3KO 6SUB)0
Rizin FFSeptember 29, 2024Japan Naoki Inoue20-4-0 (2KO 9SUB)2
Absolute Championship AkhmatFebruary 28, 2025Brazil Josiel Silva23-7-0 (12KO 2SUB)1
Brave Combat FederationNovember 7, 2025Serbia Borislav Nikolić15-2-0 (6KO 8SUB)0
Konfrontacja Sztuk WalkiJanuary 25, 2025Poland Sebastian Przybysz14-4-0 (1) (5KO 5SUB)1
CFFCJuly 18, 2025Cuba Sean Mora7-1-0 (1KO 2SUB)0
Cage WarriorsNovember 25, 2023United Kingdom Liam Gittins13-5-0 (7KO 3SUB)2
PancraseDecember 24, 2023Japan Tokitaka Nakanishi12-4-0 (1KO 5SUB)0
Jungle FightJune 24, 2023Brazil Tiago Pereira9-0-0 (3KO 3SUB)3
Legacy Fighting AllianceNovember 14, 2025Kazakhstan Artem Belakh11-2-0 (2KO 7SUB)0
ShootoSeptember 21, 2025Japan Kanata Nagai9-0-1 (3KO 1SUB)0
Oktagon MMAN/A VacantN/AN/A
DEEPMarch 29, 2024Japan Ryuka Fukuda25-9-1 (12KO 1SUB)1
OrganizationReign BeganChampionRecordDefenses
UFCJune 7, 2025United States Kayla Harrison19–1–0 (6KO 8SUB)0
Invicta FCDecember 13, 2024Brazil Jennifer Maia23-10-0 (1) (4KO 5SUB)0
CFFCJuly 18, 2025Brazil Emily Martins4-1-0 (0KO 4SUB)0
Deep JewelsN/A VacantN/AN/A
Legacy Fighting AllianceN/A VacantN/AN/A
Jungle FightN/A VacantN/AN/A
Oktagon MMAAugust 9, 2025Slovakia Lucia Szabová10-0-0 (3KO 5SUB)0

Muay Thai

In Muay Thai, a bantamweight fighter usually weighs between 115 and 118 pounds (52.2 to 53.5 kilograms). One well-known Muay Thai fighter in this weight class is Randy Thong Phoun Phim.

Wrestling

Wrestling also uses weight classes like bantamweight, similar to other sports. This class helps make matches fair by grouping fighters of similar sizes together.

Related articles

United States
Mexico
Cuba
Japan
Italy
Brazil

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on Bantamweight, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.