The fight was memorable for several reasons. Chavez was knocked down for the first time in his career and was deducted points twice for low blows. Randall earned a split-decision victory, ending a streak that had lasted nearly 14 years. Chavez later gained revenge in a rematch, winning a technical decision after the bout was stopped because of a clash of heads.
Before Chavez, Sugar Ray Robinson established a standard few fighters have approached. Robinson won his first 40 professional bouts before losing to Jake LaMotta in February 1942. The defeat proved to be only a temporary setback.
Three weeks later, Robinson defeated LaMotta in their rematch and began another extraordinary run. Between 1943 and 1951, Robinson won 91 consecutive fights, a streak that remains one of the most impressive achievements in boxing history.
Several other champions finished their careers without a loss or came close to doing so. Mayweather retired with a 50-0 record after winning world titles in five weight classes. Marciano left the sport unbeaten at 49-0 as heavyweight champion.
Larry Holmes appeared on course to match Marciano’s heavyweight record before running into Michael Spinks in September 1985. Holmes entered the fight with a 48-0 record but lost a close decision, falling one victory short of equaling Marciano’s mark.
Joe Calzaghe also completed his career undefeated. The Welsh southpaw retired with a 46-0 record after unifying portions of the super middleweight championship and later defeating Roy Jones Jr. and Bernard Hopkins.
History books also contain the names of fighters whose lengthy winning streaks have largely faded from public memory. According to Harry Mullan’s The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Boxing, Britain’s Hal Bagwell compiled a winning streak of 183 fights between 1938 and 1948. Packey McFarland recorded 97 consecutive victories between 1905 and 1915, while Spain’s Pedro Carrasco put together a run of 93 wins from 1964 to 1971.
The numbers from boxing’s early decades can be difficult to verify because of incomplete record-keeping and differences between official records and newspaper decisions. Even so, they offer a reminder that remarkable winning streaks existed long before the television era.
Whether measured by total victories, longevity, or the level of opposition faced, Robinson’s 91-fight run and Chavez’s unbeaten march through the 1980s remain among the greatest streaks ever assembled. They are achievements that continue to stand alongside the perfect records of Mayweather, Marciano and Calzaghe whenever boxing’s longest winning runs are discussed.
Read the full article here