The super featherweight division was established by the New York Walker Law in 1920, although first founded[clarification needed] by the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC) in 1930.
The first English champion was "Battling Kid" Nelson in 1914, who lost his title to Benny Berger in 1915.
This weight class appeared into two distinct historical periods, from 1921 to 1933 and 1960 to the present.
Some of the notable fighters to hold championship titles at this weight include Brian Mitchell, Arturo Gatti, Josh Warrington, Vasiliy Lomachenko, Flash Elorde, Alexis Argüello, Azumah Nelson, Julio César Chávez, Diego Corrales, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Érik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Acelino Freitas, Juan Manuel Márquez, Oscar De La Hoya, Rocky Lockridge, and Manny Pacquiao.
[2] The inaugural champion for the International Boxing Federation was Hwan-Kil Yuh in 1984.