The 44-0 boxing champ getting close to breaking Floyd Mayweather’s record – and you probably haven’t heard of him!
Floyd Mayweather is a true boxing legend with an amazing record of 50 wins and no losses. Now 49, he’s still unbeaten, with 27 of those wins coming by knockout, and he’s a nine-time world champion.
The fighter closest to matching Mayweather’s incredible record is Abel Mendoza, a 30-year-old from Texas. Mendoza has won all of his first 44 fights, with 32 knockouts. His latest win was in Dallas, where he beat Javier Rodriguez to win the WBA-NABA title. However, even with 44 straight wins, questions remain about the quality of his opponents and his slower progress compared to other fighters with similar records.
World Boxing News points out that some of Mendoza’s opponents had losing records or little experience. Usually, undefeated fighters face tougher competition as their careers go on. It’s unclear if Mendoza’s team is taking things slow or if he’s not ready for top fighters yet, but his path is different from what you’d expect.
Mayweather’s perfect 50-0 record still stands alone. He’s the only boxer to retire with 50 wins and no losses or draws. Other greats like Rocky Marciano retired at 49-0, Joe Calzaghe at 46-0, and Terence Crawford retired last year at 42-0.
While Mendoza has a perfect record, he hasn’t yet won the big titles or built the same legendary status as those champions. Crawford, for example, retired undefeated after facing top fighters in several weight classes and becoming undisputed champion. Mendoza has passed Crawford’s number of wins but hasn’t gotten the same recognition yet.