The Longest Unbeaten Streaks in Boxing May Surprise You!

By Ken Hissner:  With Floyd “Money” Mayweather’s passing of Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record numerous times, this writer has read about how Julio “J.C.” Chavez, Sr. had the longest unbeaten streak before being defeated at 89-0-1.

It just so happens there have been longer unbeaten streaks, but not at the start of a career like Mayweather, 50-0 and Marciano, 49-0, when retiring. Two-division world champion Mexico’s Ricardo “Finito” Lopez retired at 51-0-1.

Chavez won his first eighty-seven fights before drawing with Pernell “Sweat Pea” Whitaker, 32-1, in September of 1993. Two fights later, he lost for the first time to Frankie “The Surgeon” Randall, 48-2-1, by split decision in January of 1994 when he was 89-0-1. Four months later, Chavez would win the rematch by technical decision in eight rounds. After seven rounds the scoring had Chavez ahead on two of the cards.

From 1980 to 1994, Chavez was unbeaten in ninety fights. There were five others who had longer winning streaks. Two-division world champion “Sugar” Ray Robinson from 1943 to 1951 had a ninety-one fight winning streak. He ended up 174-19-6.

In July of 1951, Robinson lost to the UK’s Randy “The Leamington Licker” Turpin, 40-2-1, in London. In their next fight in September, Robinson stopped Turpin in ten rounds at the Polo Grounds, in New York, after scoring a pair of knockdowns.

Spain’s Pedro Carrasco was 11-0-1 when he lost for the first time. He went on to be unbeaten in ninety-three fights from 1964 through 1971. In February of 1972, he lost to Mando Ramos, 31-5, in L.A., California. The fight prior to this, he defeated Ramos, in Madrid, Spain, by DQ12, though being knocked down four times.

Packey McFarland, of Chicago, IL, from 1905 through 1915 he was unbeaten in ninety-seven fights, including six draws. He was inducted into the IBHOF in 1992. He was 8-0 when he lost in July of 1904. He never fought for a world title.

Hal Bagwell, of Manchester, UK, was 30-0-3 when he lost for the first time. He went on to be unbeaten in sixty-seven fights, including five draws. It has been crediting him with 183 and 180 straight wins. His final record per box rec is 100-5-8.

The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing on page 196 by Harry Mullan shows the longest unbeaten streaks by Bagwell at 183, McFarland at 97, Fred Dyer at 94 from 1908 to 1912 though box rec shows 43-14-6. It also indicates Carrasco at 93, Robinson at 91, and Chavez at 90.