WITH reference to the excellent piece in the November 7 issue, I agree that unbeaten records are rated far too highly these days. If the best really did fight the best, unbeaten records would be largely non-existent. When you examine unbeaten records of 40 fights or more, there is usually some obvious padding. Floyd Mayweather, the most talented boxer of his generation, marketed the ‘0’ as if it was the golden fleece. He desperately wanted to surpass Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record and the fact that he fought a debutant in his 50th fight proved that. I’d argue that some boxers actually improve after a defeat or two – Dereck Chisora and Anthony Crolla to name but two relatively recent examples. The fabled ‘0’ is merely a marketing gimmick that most true fans don’t believe in.
Gary Wimbush
BLOODY NOSE FOR BOXING