Home Boxing News Anthony Joshua and the perfect record fighters

Anthony Joshua and the perfect record fighters

Photo by: Simon Downing/digitalsportsphoto.com

In boxing we have a lot of unbeaten fighters, with a lot of them having won every bout they’ve fought. If they have a 100% winning record we often describe their records as perfect, however to me perfect means something else. It’s not just that you’ve won all your bouts, but that you’ve also stopped all your opponents.

With that in mind I’ve decided to list the 7 best active boxers with “truly perfect” records, listed in order of their runs.

The top of the pile is IBF Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua (17-0, 17) who has the longest streak featured on this list and is by far and away the most successful as a professional, so far at least. The heavy handed Englishman began his career about 3 years ago and broke into the world scene earlier this year, beating the then champion Charles Martin. He has defended the title once and is expected back in the ring in November.

Notable wins-Charles Martin (KO2), Dillian Whyte (TKO7), Dominic Breazeale (TKO7) and Kevin Johnson (TKO2).
Bouts – 17
Rounds – 41
Average length of bout – 2.4 rounds

Another Heavyweight puncher included here is Chinese puncher Zhang Junlong (14-0, 14). Although lacking in attention compared to other Chinese Heavyweights, such as Taishan Dong, Junlong has worked with Evander Holyfield and been described as the Chinese George Foreman. He debuted back in October 2012 and has fought exclusively in China, however he earned a world ranking and has began to step up the quality of opposition with several wins of note.

Notable wins – Jason Gavern (TKO3), Shawn Cox (KO2), George Arias (TKO2) and Julio Cesar Dos Santos (TKO2)
Bouts – 14
Rounds – 31
Average length of bout – 2.2 rounds

The first of two Japanese fighters on this list is Yuki Beppu (13-0, 13), a Welterweight who is looking to secure a national title fight later this year. The 25 year old is a former Rookie of the Year, winning that crown in 2014, and has one of the longest KO runs in the history of Japanese boxing. Sadly whilst his run does seem impressive given the numbers he has faced some awful competition and wouldn’t be listed on the basis of his opposition.

Notable wins – Hironobu Matsunaga (KO2)
Bouts – 13
Rounds – 22
Average length of bout – 1.7 rounds

Whilst Beppu’s record lacks quality the same cannot be said of his country man Daigo Higa (10-0, 10), a Flyweight with real promise. Watching Higa is like watching a Japanese Roman Gonzalez, with Higa’s style clearly based on the Nicaraguan sensation and with that style and aggression he has already claimed the OPBF and WBC Youth Flyweight titles, the first of what I expect will be a lot of titles for the 21 year old.

Notable wins – Kongfah CP Freshmart (KO7), Reren Tesorio (TKO10), Ardin Diale (KO4)and Cris Alfante (KO4)
Bouts – 10
Rounds – 34
Average length of bout – 3.4 rounds

A second fighter boasting a perfect 10 is Canadian based Russian Artur Beterbiev (10-0, 10), who is rising through the tough Light Heavyweight division with relative ease. Blessed with freakish power Beterbiev has been a human bulldozer at times and has destroyed well recognised fighters with total ease. At 31 however his career at the top might not last long and he will essentially need to get a world title fight in the next 12-18 months if he’s to make big money in the sport.

Notable wins – Tavoris Cloud (KO2), Gabriel Campillo (KO4), Ezequiel Osvaldo Maderna (TKO4) and Jeff Page Jr (KO2)
Bouts – 10
Rounds – 30
Average length of bout – 3 rounds

A third notable fighter sitting at 10 is American based Kazakh fighter Bakhtiyar Eyubov (10-0, 10), aka the Bakha Bullet. He began his career more than 4 years ago and whilst he currently lacks a big win he has been impressing, flattening weak opposition as he’s supposed to. Notably now he’s began to look very comfortable and has stepped up with a notable bout against Jared Robinson earlier this year whilst his next bout will come against Karim Mayfield.

Notable wins – Jared Robinson (TKO3)
Bouts – 10
Rounds – 16
Average length of bout – 1.6 rounds

The best of those with under 10 bouts is an easy choice, with Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (9-0, 9) being the only candidate worth noting. The Ukrainian Cruiserweight has been fast tracked through the ranks and will be fighting for a world title in September, as he takes on unbeaten WBO champion Krzysztrof Glowacki in Gdansk. It’ll be a tough ask for Usyk to stop Glowacki but many are expecting him to remain truly perfect.

Notable wins – Johnny Muller (TKO3), Daniel Venter (TKO9), Daniel Brewer (TKO7) and Epifanio Mendoza (4)
Bouts – 9
Rounds – 50
Average length of bout – 5.6

For those wondering about Jonathan Guzman (22-0-0-0-1, 22), he hasn’t been included due to a 2013 No Contest against Luis Hinojosa. The current IBF Super Bantamweight champion does however holds a very impressive record with wins over the likes of Christian Esquivel, Daniel Rosas and Shingo Wake and has needed around 3.4 rounds per bout.

For those interested in some other “perfect” fighters who are no longer with us, they may want to note Yemeni “legend” Ali Raymi (25-0, 25), who was sadly killed last year after becoming a bit of a cult star, and of course the former world champion Edwin Valero (27-0, 27), who committed suicide. Raymi’s average bout length was an impressive 1.6 rounds whilst Valero, the only world champion to finish his career truly perfect, had an average bout length of just under 2.5 rounds a bout, including 11 world title bouts!

Scott Graveson covers the Asian boxing scene for asianboxing.info

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