Just for our own amusement and hoping that it will also serve as entertainment for those who read, it occurred to us last night–while we were thinking about the subject to develop today–, to give a “blow of rudder” and leave aside, at least for now, the usual analysis of fights made or to be made and instead, remember and by dropper some old and new facts of national and international boxing.
What follows is the product of that reflection:
ONLY 6 FIGHTERS in history have retired undefeated and in possession of their world belts.
The select group is headed by the American Floyd Mayweather with 50 wins, 27 knockouts and no draws. He was monarch in 5 categories: super featherweight, lightweight, super lightweight, welterweight, and super welterweight. He retired in 2017 although it is believed that he will return to the ring this year.
Maywather is followed by:
2) Mexican Ricardo “Finito” Lopez (51-0-1, 32), WBC minimum champion with 23 defenses, a record for the category, between 1990-98, also dominated in super flyweight IBF version, with 2 defenses. He hung up his gloves in 2001. He only failed to defeat the Nicaraguan Rosendo Alvarez, with whom he drew and then defeated by split decision in a very controversial second fight.
3) Rocky Marciano (Rocco Francis Marchegiano, USA), NBA heavyweight titleholder, today WBA, between September 1952 and September 1955, with 6 defenses. He won his 49 fights with 43 knockouts. He died in a plane crash on August 31, 1969, one day before his 46th birthday.
4) Joe Calzaghe, from Wales nicknamed “The Knight of the Ring” and “The Italian Dragon” because of his origins, although he was English. He was super middleweight and light heavyweight king. Winner in 46 performances with 32 before the limit.
5) Andre Ward (USA). Olympic champion in Athens-2004, WBC and WBA super middleweight titleholder and WBA, IBF, WBO light heavyweight, with 32 wins, 16 by KO. And, finally,
6) the Namibian Harry Simon, junior middleweight, and middleweight champion, who retired on 24-11-2018 with 31-0-0, 23 by KO.
Special mention deserves the Thai Wanheng Menayothin, former WBC minimum (or straw) champion, who spun 54 victories without a shadow of defeats He was going to retire when he reached 54 wins but decided to fight his countryman Panya Pradabrsi and the latter beat him on points on December 27, 2020. Menayothin is still active…
NO ONE HAS KO’d as many as Archie Moore (Archibald Lee Wright his real name), who is considered the best semi-complete in history. In 28 years between 1935-63, “The Old Mongoose” as he was called for his longevity in the ring, officially faced 219 opponents for 186 wins with 132 dispatched before the final bell, according to Box Rec figures although other compilers such as The Boxing Record Book, 1998 edition, credit him with 141 knockouts. He completed his record with 10 draws, 23 defeats, 7 by knockout, 3 of them against heavyweights Rocky Marciano, Floyd Patterson, and Muhammad Ali, the first 2 world champions at the time. In his debut, on September 3, 1935, he knocked out Billy Sims and hung up his gloves 28 years later with a KO over Mike DiBiase…
