When former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano held the unbeaten record at 49-0, he was targeted for some sixty-one years until Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather, Jr. broke it in 2017, defeating MMA fighter Conor McGregor, making his debut.
One fighter got to 48-0 in Poland’s Dariusz ‘Tiger’ Michalczewski who was the WBO World Light Heavyweight champion. In October of 2003, he lost by split decision to Mexico‘s Julio Cesar Gonzalez, 34-1, in Altona, Germany. Then, he lost again to France’s Fabrice Tiozzo, 46-2, who was the WBA World Light Heavyweight champion, retiring with a 48-2 record.
WBO World Super Middleweight champion Joe ‘Pride of Wales’ Calzaghe improved his record to 46-0, defeating former world champion Roy Jones, Jr., 52-4, in November 2008 at Madison Square Garden, New York.
In Calzaghe’s previous fight, making his USA debut, he defeated former middleweight champion Bernard ‘The Executioner’ Hopkins, 48-4-1, by split decision at the Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas, Nevada. Shortly after this fight, he retired due to ‘broken hands.’
Denmark’s ‘Super’ Brian Nielsen actually equaled Marciano’s record at 49-0, stopping former heavyweight champion ‘Terrible’ Tim Witherspoon, 46-8, in Copenhagen, Denmark, in four rounds.
Then he was stopped by Dicky Ryan, 47-4, in ten rounds in Vejle, Denmark in June of 1999. Then won his next thirteen fights before being stopped by ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, 48-3, in six rounds. He ended with a 64-3 record.
World Heavyweight champion Larry, ‘The Easton Assassin’ Holmes, was 48-0 when he lost to Light Heavyweight champion Michael ‘Jinx’ Spinks, 27-0, at the Rivera Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Holmes then showed his class, or should I say his ‘lack of class,’ stating after the fight, ‘Marciano couldn’t wear my jock strap!” He may have been fortunate it wasn’t the hard-hitting Marciano instead of the light-hitting Spinks he fought.
Last but not least was Mexico’s World WBC and WBO Minimum champion Ricardo ‘Finito’ Lopez, who was 47-0 when he had a technical draw with Nicaragua’s Rosendo ‘El Bufalo’ Alvarez, 24-0.
The cards were even after seven rounds when an accidental clash of heads ended the fight between rounds. Lopez won the rematch by split decision. Then, he won his next three fights, ending with a record of 51-0-1.
Recently I posted how super middleweight Jaime Munguia, 42-0, is scheduled in February looking to improve to 43-0.