The sport of boxing has had its share of legendary fighters who have left undeniable marks. These fighters managed to separate themselves from others of their time and gave us some of the greatest storylines in boxing history. This article will take a look at 10 of the most impressive boxing records you should know of in boxing and the stories behind them.
Ready to find out who has the most impressive records in all of boxing history? Let’s dive right into our list.
1) Most Accomplished Boxer To Retire Undefeated: Floyd Mayweather
Floyd Mayweather isn’t the first boxer to retire undefeated, but he is the most accomplished boxer who never lost a match during his career. Mayweather defeated more titleholders and world champions than any other fighter during boxing his career with a total of 23 victories against opponents who were champions when they fought. That’s almost half of his total fights, going against the best of the best. It gives you a clear picture of what makes his 50-0 record more special than other boxers who retired undefeated. Mayweather also won titles in five different divisions during his reign. Mayweather’s arch-rival Manny Pacquiao has the second highest number against current champions at 22.
2) Most Titles In Different Divisions: Manny Pacquiao
There’s a reason why Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather have been the two biggest names in boxing for the past two decades. Pacquaio weighed 111 lbs for his first world title, and moved up a total of 38 lbs during his career, winning titles in each division.
That automatically makes him a serious contender as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in boxing history. To put things in perspective, Mayweather weighed 130 lbs for his first title fight, yet both men ended up fighting at similar weights.
3) Most Times Winning The Undisputed Heavyweight Title: Muhammad Ali
Ali’s performances inside the ring were as impressive as the many stances he took outside it. He was the undisputed king of boxing more times than anyone else has ever been. It’s part of what makes him so relatable to people worldwide. Ali faced his share of adversity inside the ring, but he always came back better and stronger than ever.
Being an undisputed champion in boxing means you’ve won all the major organisation’s belts, making it clear you’re the best fighter in the division. Ali won all those belts when he defeated Sony Liston, George Foreman, and Leon Spinks.
4) Longest Undefeated Record: Packey McFarland
If you’re impressed with Mayweather’s record, wait until you find out that the record holder has more than twice the number of wins Floyd has. McFarland competed during the late 19th century and early 20th century, and he officially compiled a 70-0 record before retiring. To make his record even more impressive, he scored 50 knockouts.
Ironically, McFarland never got a title shot. That probably says a lot about the level of competition he faced and how poorly regulated boxing was back then.
5) Most Knockouts: Billy Bird
Billy Bird looked more like an average working-class man than a professional boxer during his prime, yet he holds the record for the most knockouts in boxing history with 139. He had 356 matches during his career, which wasn’t that uncommon during the early 20th century.
There are no close seconds to Billy Bird in modern boxing. Archie Moore has the second most knockouts in boxing at 132, and he also competed during the early 20th century. The record holder for most knockouts among active boxers is Deontay Wilder at 42 knockouts. The sport has simply evolved too much for modern boxers to compete with Bird’s record.
6) Oldest World Champion: Benard Hopkins
Hopkins changed many boxers’ retirement plans when he defeated Jean Pascal to win the WBC and Ring light-heavyweight titles at the age of 46. It was a testament to how well he took care of himself after initially retiring and his evolution as a boxer.
Hopkins was a feared-hard hitter during his prime, but he adopted a more defensive style as he closed on his 40s which turned out perfectly for him. In a world, where many professional athletes retire in their 40s, Hopkins showed the world they fighters can still compete at a high level at that age if they put in the work and adopt a style that suits their physical limitations.
7) Shortest Heavyweight Titleholder: Tommy Burns
A 6’ heavyweight boxer is considered short since many heavyweights like Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder stand at 7’ and 6’7” respectively. Burns stood at only 5’7,” but he managed to win a heavyweight title. To make the story even better, Burns is the only Canadian-Born heavyweight champion in boxing history.
It’s proof that size limitations don’t have to be a disadvantage inside the ring if you adopt an appropriate fighting style. Burns wasn’t a one-shot wonder either. He successfully defended the belt 13 times.
8) Most Fights And Wins In Boxing History: Len Wickwar
You don’t have to be a boxing historian to figure this probably took place in the early days of boxing when fighting multiple times each month was the norm. Wickwar competed in the early 20th century and retired with a 342-86-43 record. 94 of his wins were via knockout if you’re wondering. His total number of fights and win record will likely never be broken since boxing has moved in a different direction.
9) Longest Break Between World Titles: George Foreman
George Foreman won his first heavyweight title in 1973 and he retired in 1977. He took a long break from boxing then came back to knockout Michael Moore to win the WBA and IBF titles at the age of 45, 21 years later.
10) Only Heavyweight Champion To Retire Undefeated: Rocky Marciano
Retiring undefeated as a world champion is a great feat for any boxer, but it’s even more impressive when you’re a heavyweight. These boxers hit harder than anyone else so it only takes one mistake to end up on your back. Who knows, maybe Tyson Fury will someday give him a run for his money. Fury is currently 31-0-1, while Marciano retired with a 49-0 record.
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