By Ken Hissner: Rocky Marciano held his 49-0 record from September of 1955 until Floyd Mayweather, Jr. won his 50th fight going 50-0 in August of 2017, almost 52 years breaking the record and retiring.
From March of 1947 to September of 1955, Marciano defeated two making their debut, three with .500 records and eight with losing records.
From October of 1996 to August of 2017, Mayweather defeated three making their debut, two with .500 records and three with losing records.
Marciano made six defenses. He didn’t win the title until his 43rd fight. Mayweather won the super featherweight title and made eight defenses. He won the lightweight title and made three defenses. And he won the super lightweight title and made three defenses.
He won the welterweight title and made eleven defenses. He won the super welterweight title and made three defenses for a total of twenty-eight defenses.
In Marciano’s 49 fights, he knocked out 43 opponents. Mayweather, in his 50 fight, knocked out 27 opponents.
In rematches, Marciano had three starting with a split decision over Roland LaStarza that shows 5-5, 4-5, and 5-4, which would be a draw. Then it shows 9-6 pertaining to the 5-5 by the referee on the supplemental scoring system giving him the win.
It would be over three years when in a rematch after Marciano was champion, scoring a stoppage in eleven rounds. After ten rounds he was ahead 7-3, 5-5, and 6-4. He knocked LaStarza through the ropes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXBuJkXnnTQ
Marciano had also knocked former champion Joe “The Brown Bomber” Louis through the ropes and reported crying after the fight due to Louis being his hero. Louis was 66-2 at the time, some thirteen months after losing his title.
Marciano was behind on the scores by 4-7, 4-8, and 5-7 in rounds when he scored a memorable knockout over “Jersey” Joe Walcott in their first meeting for the NBA World title.
One of Marciano’s stablemates, Hank Cisco, went into the Walcott dressing room after the fight and said, “this man should never fight again. He will be knocked out since there is a bone broken under his eye.” Walcott had mob ties, and they threw him to the wolves betting on Marciano. Marciano knocked Walcott out in 2:25 of the first round in his next fight some eight months later. Walcott would never fight again.
In rematches, Mayweather had two, with Jose Luis Castillo winning by 116-111 and 115-111 twice. Many, along with this writer, felt he was fortunate to get the win. In his next fight in a rematch, he wins by 116-113 and 115-113 twice, which was closer, but all felt he won.
Mayweather had a rematch with Marcos Maidana winning 117-111, 116-112, and 114-114 by majority decision. This writer had it 114-114. In his next fight in a rematch, he won 116-111 twice and 115-112, and all felt he won.
Mayweather fought twenty-two opponents who were to become champions, champions, or former champions. Marciano fought four with only Louis, a former champion.
From 2017 through 2010, Mayweather’s ring earnings were listed at $1,859,000. Marciano’s listed at $50,000.