Of the “major” weight classes in the LSUBF, the Featherweight title has been contested the fewest times.

After their introductory bouts, the four-man tournament to crown the inaugural champion was set.

Juan Manuel Marquez would face Young Corbett II, who he had beaten twice in the very beginning of their professional careers. Steven Luevano would face Eric Aiken, with the notable absences at the time being Marco Antonio Barrera, who was one fight shy of eligibility; and Abe Attell, who was 8-2 yet not in the top 10.

Marquez defeated Corbett yet again, this time by unanimous decision, as Luevano would against Aiken, though his would come after six rounds as a result of an accidental butt causing a cut to Luevano that ended the bout.

Marquez would go on to dominate Luevano 146-134, 146-135, 145-136 to become the first LSUBF Featherweight champion.

From there, it’s been a hot potato.

Marquez would, somewhat ridiculously, make his first defense against Corbett in a fight nobody wanted to see, and he would again defeat him by decision.

But Marquez would lose the belt in his second defense in an upset majority decision against Chris John.

John would defeat Solly Smith by unanimous decision in his first defense before getting smoked by Marquez in the second round of Marquez’s rematch.

Marquez would go nine months without defending the belt, and per LSUBF rules he had a year to fight the #1 contender as well as give John his rematch. He opted for the contender first, and it proved to be a mistake, as Abe Attell, kept out of the initial tournament, would defeat an apparently stale Marquez via unanimous decision.

The change left Attell with the option of giving Marquez a rematch or denying him the rematch and fighting John instead, since John never got his rubbermatch with Marquez for the strap.

Attell would choose Marquez, surprisingly, but wouldn’t face him for a year and until he was threatened with being stripped of the belt.

Attell would again defeat Marquez, via a close but unanimous decision, 144-142, 144-142, 143-142.

John’s been left out in the cold, as have fans of the Featherweight division - the title having now been defended only twice in the past two years.

Corbett has worked himself back to the No. 1 contender spot, and if he holds it he’ll get a title shot within the year. But also rising in the ranks are a new wave of fighters: Kid Chocolate, Benny Bass and Tommy Paul.