Mayweather vs. McGregor (8/26/2017) - Las Vegas, NV (T-Mobile Arena)

[OSJ]

9 minutes ago, Ace said:

I don't even understand what record is involved. Seeing as other fighters have gone higher than 50-0. I'm guessing it's the retirement factoring in?

 

More like: Long time ago + Italian nuthuggers + dubious record + hype = Marciano's "record".

[Niners Fan in CT]

Wasn't Chavez like 87-0 before the Sweet Pea fight? 

[Ace]

That is specifically why I asked.

 

[Kevin Wilson]

The "record" is most professional wins while being undefeated.  Still dubious since there are a million ways to spin it but that's the theory I believe.

[Ace]

...So something Julio Cesar Chavez beat 30 years ago?

 

[Elsalvajeloco]

53 minutes ago, Ace said:

...So something Julio Cesar Chavez beat 30 years ago?

 

If we want to be technical, Jimmy Wilde was 96-0-1 ( some have it as 93-0-1 w/ a bunch of no decisions) before he suffered his first ever defeat. Because accurate record keeping was non existent on many levels back then, he may have been boxing 3 or 4 years prior to his official pro debut.

[Craig H]

Maybe someone can answer this for me, but how are there so many dudes in boxing with a perfect record or they go so long before suffering their first defeat? Is it just because it's easier to get booked against a string of cans in boxing than it is in MMA? Is it more that in boxing the gulf in talent between those at the top and everyone else is that huge?

[Liam]

41 minutes ago, Craig H said:

Maybe someone can answer this for me, but how are there so many dudes in boxing with a perfect record or they go so long before suffering their first defeat? Is it just because it's easier to get booked against a string of cans in boxing than it is in MMA? Is it more that in boxing the gulf in talent between those at the top and everyone else is that huge?

Lots of early fights in boxing will be against journeymen, the types who are paid to get beaten. If you sell tickets or end up with some promotion behind you, you'll be consistently booked against weaker opposition to pad out the record until you become more valuable. That there are probably significantly more boxers 'in the system' than MMA probably also helps.

[Elsalvajeloco]

If we're talking modern day, it will depend on the promoter and the people repping the boxer. Vasyl Lomachenko could have won a world title in his pro debut if he wanted to. However, there are other boxers who could have done the same thing because the availability to titles is extremely high depending on the division and the difference between top amateurs and top pros isn't that big. In the UK, you have the domestic titles that fighters compete for and win before they ever get to a world stage. So an Anthony Joshua is going to go through all those guys on his way up despite easily being the best heavyweight the UK has seen in several years. That's the tradition. 

MMA doesn't have fighters with 200-300 plus amateur fights. Anyone under 50-70 amateur boxing matches before going pro isn't really going to be considered a top amateur or top prospect unless they circumvented all that and won legit world titles/amateur tournaments/Olympic medals. Starting MMA at age 20/21/22/23 is the norm. If you started boxing at those ages, you started late. It would be the equivalent of starting to play American football as a senior in high school. Folkstyle wrestling/judo/BJJ/karate/muay thai/etc. IS the amateur system for MMA as is until the amateur system gets to a level where it produces legit talent. However, I don't see that happening because there are no pre-teens and teenagers competing in amateur MMA, at least on a serious level. If you are of age, there is very little reason to have amateur fights because legit income is necessary to train in MMA at a real level.

You can probably add in the conditioning factor. Some boxers really aren't ready to fight 10 or 12 rounders right off the bat. They can probably skip four rounders (many top amateurs/prospects do), but their teams will try to find the right opponents appropriate to their skill level either way.