Only five boxers have started their professional careers with a 50-fight win streak and the contemporary leader, 41-0 Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez is on a mission to join the exclusive club, continuing July 9th in Los Angeles against Sullivan Barrera (22-3, 14 KOs).
Although he won’t turn 30 until June 19, Ramirez has been fighting professionally for nearly 12 years, and one of his goals is to become a world champion in two different weight classes. Another is joining his idol and fellow Mexican, Julio Cesar Chavez in the 50-0 Club, in which he is #1 having amazingly won his first 87 pro fights. The first blemish on his pro record was a 12-round majority draw with the great Pernell Whitaker in 1993 in their WBC welterweight title fight.
Chavez moved ahead of featherweight icon Will Pep at 62,#2 on the contemporary list, compiled in less than three years dating back to the 1940s. Pep lost for the first time as a pro to Sammy Angott by 10-round decision in 1943.
Thailand mini-flyweight Wanheng Menayothin, originally a Muay Thai fighter, had his streak snapped last November at 54 by Panya Pradabsri.
Another Mexican boxer is in the 50-0 Club, #4 Carlos Zarate, who reached 52 straight victories off his pro debut, 51 by knockout, in the 1970s. Zarate was stopped in his 53rd fight by Puerto Rican star Wilfredo Gomez in the fifth round of their 1978 WBC super bantamweight World championship match.
The only member of the exclusive 50-0 Club to retire undefeated is Floyd “Money” Mayweather, Jr. in fifth place with 50.
The four inactive boxers in the club – Chavez, Pep, Zarate, and Mayweather – are inducted in the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Rocky Marciano and Brian Nielson (49), Larry Holmes (48), Ricardo Lopez (47), Joe Calzaghe (46-0) and Jim Barry (45) all came close to 50-0 memberships. Lopez (51-0-1) fought a draw in his 48th pro fight with Rosendo Alvarez.
“Getting to 50-0 is very important, but I’m more interested in being able to fight the fights the fans want,” Ramirez said. “I’ve never turned down a fight and have made it clear to all the fighters I want. I look across the division and none of these fighters are on my level”
Chavez was said to have lost a fight early in his career that was mysteriously removed from the history books.
I think you’re partly right – if I remember correctly there was a loss pretty early on by DQ for hitting a downed opponent which was overturned into a TKO win. I can’t remember if it was “mysterious” as you put it or not I’m afraid, I just remember reading it had happened in KO magazine back in the late 80’s, in a review of Chavez’s career to that point.
Hey, KO mag in the late 80s, I read the same article, what a coincidence.
Zurdo has a good chance of making it to 50-0 but would be great if he fought big name fighters so that when he does get to 50-0 people will say he fought the best and he’s a house hold name. Right now, he’s not much of a house hold name.
I was at the Chavez-Whitaker fight in San Antonio, the first boxing lineup I witnessed live.
No doubt Whitaker won that fight but it was declared a draw, many in the crowd booed the decision as it was obvious Julio lost by a wide margin.
Remember Chavez blaming “racism” for the draw even though he was gifted with a questionable decision.
The vast majority of spectators were his fans and the venue was filled with Mexicans or Mexican Americans cheering him on, the entire event was focused on Chavez.
Lost a lot of respect for him that day the day he lost me as a fan. Great fighter, great career but not very intelligent.
More Than 5 fighters have reached the 50 & 0 … non champions nino larocca and yori boy campas both reach it and the former middleweight champion Nino B reached I believe 67 & 0
Well, if bum-beater Ramirez keeps fighting the same bums he’s fault in his whole career and passed it has been, then he will reach 50-0. But this fool is delusional if he thinks the guys in his division aren’t on his level. I’m not sure he would even beat Joe Smith Jr and I’m 100% certain he doesn’t go the distance with either Beterbiev or Bivol. He struggled with Jesse Hart for crying out loud.