Heavyweight Champions: 50-0?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Shay Sonya, Sep 14, 2025 at 7:43 PM.


  1. Shay Sonya

    Shay Sonya The REAL Wonder Woman! Full Member

    3,909
    9,653
    Aug 15, 2021
    Which Heavyweight Champion of the World, could have gone 50-0, if he could have fought one former or future World Heavyweight Champion 50 times in a row, with both at their best every time? Name the two.

    Example: Sonny Liston could have gone 50-0 against former Heavyweight World Champion, Floyd Patterson, with both at their best for each fight (if you believe that).
     
    BCS8, BoxingFanMike, Fergy and 2 others like this.
  2. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    27,501
    36,697
    Jul 4, 2014
    I think you hit the best example.

    Tyson would have gone 500-0 against Bruce Seldon
     
  3. Fergy

    Fergy Walking Dead Full Member

    29,504
    36,054
    Jan 8, 2017
    Jack Dempsey goes 50-0 against Jess Willard.

    And it never goes the distance in any fight.
     
  4. Woller1

    Woller1 Member Full Member

    144
    183
    Oct 25, 2023
    Yes to Dempsey v Willard, but no to Liston v Patterson. After ten wins Liston would turn up untrained and with a hangover and lose the next fight.
     
  5. BoxingFanMike

    BoxingFanMike Member Full Member

    428
    368
    Jul 13, 2014
    Probably not too many beyond those mentioned which is why they were champs in the first instance. Only other comes to mind is Jack Johnson vs Tommy Burns.
    Could Ali beat Liston 50 times consecutively ? I wouldn’t bet too much on it. Perhaps but seems unlikely.
    Could Louis beat Braddock 50 times in a row? Possible, but again not a lock.
     
    Shay Sonya likes this.
  6. MaccaveliMacc

    MaccaveliMacc Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,368
    6,599
    Feb 27, 2024
    Foreman would beat Frazier 50 times in a row.
     
  7. BoxingFanMike

    BoxingFanMike Member Full Member

    428
    368
    Jul 13, 2014
    Can’t believe I didn’t think of this. Yes, regardless of version just a horrid matchup for Joe
     
    Shay Sonya and MaccaveliMacc like this.
  8. Shay Sonya

    Shay Sonya The REAL Wonder Woman! Full Member

    3,909
    9,653
    Aug 15, 2021
    Could Mike Tyson beat Michael Spinks 50 times in a row?
     
    Homericlegend03, Jakub79 and Stevie G like this.
  9. Stevie G

    Stevie G Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

    25,112
    8,557
    Jul 17, 2009
    Yes.

    Jack Johnson - Tommy Burns
     
    Shay Sonya and Greg Price99 like this.
  10. Jakub79

    Jakub79 Active Member Full Member

    995
    1,109
    Mar 3, 2024
    Absolutely not. After two straight wins, he'd be out partying all night, but maybe after two tough knockouts, Michael wouldn't be able to do anything.

    I also think Spinks with a bandaged knee from 1988 takes on Tokyo Mike from 1990, although I'm not convinced.
     
    Shay Sonya likes this.
  11. HistoryZero26

    HistoryZero26 Boxing Addict Full Member

    4,687
    4,108
    Jan 6, 2024
    We had one or two guys from that Foster v Hearns thread who had a real good grasp of probability. I really want to hear their opinions on this matter.

    I don't remember the posters I'm talking about.

    I think to understand whats needed to go 50-0 people should go back to the 1900s and 1910s when guys might not have fought 50 times but they fought 10 or 20. To go 15-0,25-0 or beyond means the loser doesn't really have the ability to win rounds against and/or hurt the winner. To run a table 50 fights long a fighter has to be much better.

    Foreman and Liston have the best chance of doing this to the most HW champions. Stiverne would be the easiest champ to do it against?

    I do not think Seldon would lose 50 times in a row against Mike Tyson. Seldons better than that. Peter McNeeley might not be but Peter McNeeley never fought for a HW title. Tyson won 1 rematch in his career. Rematches mean the other guy got to go back to the drawing board and see what they did wrong and get a chance to correct it. Going 50-0 means giving someone 49 chances to do this.
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2025 at 12:25 PM
    Shay Sonya likes this.
  12. Mandela2039

    Mandela2039 Philippians 2:10-11 Full Member

    833
    1,025
    Mar 8, 2025
  13. Seamus

    Seamus Proud Kulak Full Member

    61,493
    46,030
    Feb 11, 2005
    Willard was coming on in that fight. And then he just quit. Jack was a 4 round fighter. I'm sure Jess could have grabbed one out of ten, if not more.
     
    Shay Sonya and Homericlegend03 like this.