Nick Ball is among the shortest boxers to ever hold a world title.

Ball aims to make his fourth defense of his WBA featherweight belt on Saturday against former titleholder Brandon Figueroa at the Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. 

Ball, who measures 5ft 2ins, is a distinguished and unbeaten titleholder who has overcome inherent size disadvantages to be recognized as one of the leaders in his weight class. In tribute to his ability to compete at a world-class level despite his height, BoxingScene celebrates fighters who nearly always found themselves looking up.

Joe Frazier

Record: 32-4-1 (27 KOs)

Height: 5ft 11ins

Frazier is an all-time great heavyweight who won the world championship through pace, conditioning, exceptional infighting and that amazing left hook. Frazier found himself being shorter than against most of his foes and used his frenzied up-and-under style to his own advantage. His trilogy against Muhammad Ali, in which Frazier won the first encounter, is one of the greatest rivalries in boxing.

David Tua

Record: 52-5-2 (43 KOs)

Height: 5ft 10ins

Tua was a bull. One of the best heavyweights never to win a world title, Tua was explosive and, despite being undersized, was one of the most fearsome punchers of his era, stopping future titleholder John Ruiz in one round back in 1996 and, six years later, former champion Michael Moorer.

Rocky Marciano 

Record: 49-0 (43 KOs)

Height: 5ft 10ins

Coming in at 188lbs for his last fight against Archie Moore, Marciano was a heavyweight during his 1950’s pomp but would have been considered a small cruiserweight today. Marciano, at times crude but nearly always effective, outworked opponents with his furious pace. He remains the only world heavyweight champion to retire without defeat.

Dwight Qawi 

Record: 41-11-1 (25 KOs)

Height: 5ft 6ins

Qawi did exceptionally well considering, not only his height, but also his lack of amateur experience. The “Camden Buzzsaw” would hold world titles at light heavyweight and cruiserweight, he gave a young and fresh Evander Holyfield hell and, during one of his excursions to heavyweight, handed George Foreman a decent scrap until the size of the task became too much. 

John Brown

Record: 24-19-1 (11 KOs)

Height: 5ft 4ins

Brown was a capable contender who lost title shots at junior lightweight to Diego Corrales and Steve Forbes, both on the cards, after being stopped in eight by Shane Mosley in a 1999 bid for the IBF 135 strap. Brown, in a nod to his quality, would post victories over Gabriel Ruelas and Robbie Peden.

Avtandil Khurtsidze

Record: 34-3-3 (23 KOs)

Height: 5ft 6ins

Known as “Mini Mike Tyson” Khurtsidze held an interim bout at middleweight in 2014. An aggressive puncher, who was awkward and hard to hit, saw his prime derailed by incarceration. He returned to pro boxing in 2024 and last fought in November. He is now 45. 

Gavin Rees

Record: 38-4-1 (19 KOs)

Height: 5ft 3ins

An undersized junior welterweight who would capture the WBA title in 2012. Rees was a pressure fighter with good hand speed, one probably best known for being stopped by a prime Adrien Broner at lightweight. Rees, however, was one of the best in Britain throughout his career and is a bodybuilder in retirement.

Monty Meza-Clay

Record: 37-5 (22 KOs)

Height: 5ft 2ins

Meza-Clay was a solid veteran from Pennsylvania who competed between junior lightweight and junior welterweight. He never won the marquee world-class bout, but was a fun, competitive fighter who made for quality TV fights. 

Nick Ball

Record: 23-0-1 (13 KOs)

Height: 5ft 2ins 

The current WBA featherweight titleholder is a pressure fighter who enters nearly every fight undersized. Ball uses power, brute force, and isn’t opposed to bending the rules to swing things in his favor. Ball might yet prove to be the best featherweight in the world.

Ivan Calderon

Record: 35-3-1 (6 KOs)

Height: 5ft

A master technician, Puerto Rico’s Calderon dominated the strawweight division with his craft and elusive feet. Calderon went on to become a two-division titleholder, but was never quite as effective at junior flyweight. 

Mayelli Flores Rosquero

Record: 13-1-1 (4 KOS)

Height: 4ft 11ins

The current women’s WBA junior bantamweight titleholder won her title on ProBox TV, defeating Nazarena Romero via split decision. Despite giving up height, she is able to make up for it with volume and aggression. 

Ady Lewis

Record: 19-5-1 (12 KOs)

Height: 4ft 10ins

A British titleholder at flyweight, who was undersized his whole career, and even competed at bantamweight. 

Baby Jake Matlala

Record: 53-10-2 (26 KOs)

Height: 4ft 10ins 

Matala is the smallest title holder ever, who held belts at junior flyweight from 1993-1995 and flyweight from 1995-1997. Anyone who fought him will remember what a nightmare that experience was. Scored his biggest win in 1997 when he stopped Michael Carbajal.

Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.