Eaton Thatcher
Nobody likes losing. Some boxers are so ardently against it that they refuse to even try it out! A few of the current undefeated pugilists maintain their unblemished records by ducking their most dangerous potential opponents. Others are simply non-pareils in their weight-class … and all the nearby ones.
How long will fighters like Floyd Mayweather Jr, Andre Ward, and Gennady Golovkin stay unbeaten? We’ve seen a handful of fighters endure their first defeat in the last year or so, Román González, Sergey Kovalev, Danny Garcia and Kell Brook — just to name a few. A few more names will inevitably be added to the list in the not-so-distant future. But which ones, and when?
ODDS TO REMAIN UNDEFEATED UNTIL 2019
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (49-0, 26 KOs): 1/7
Despite all the hype surrounding the Mayweather v McGregor bout, the chances of Mayweather eating his first professional loss to an MMA fighter are ridiculously slim.
Mayweather has taken on some of the best fighters of his generation and has emerged victorious every time. At 40 years old, he’s not the fighter he used to be. But over his 49 professional fights, he’s sustained very little damage. After the McGregor fight, he’ll probably hang up his gloves again and retire with a perfect 50-0 record.
Andre Ward (32-0, 16 KOs): 1/4
The Ring magazine’s top pound-for-pound fighter recently passed the biggest test of his professional career, issuing light-heavyweight champ Sergey Kovalev his first defeat and then repeating the feat in a rematch.
With a trilogy fight looking extremely unlikely, there isn’t much left for Ward at light heavyweight. A division unification fight against WBC champ Adonis Stevenson will most likely be his next fight, but that shouldn’t be too much a challenge for him.
After that, he’ll probably try his luck at cruiserweight, where undefeated champs Oleksandr Usyk and Murat Gassiev would be waiting for him.
Terence Crawford (31-0, 22 KOs): 1/2
The WBC, WBO, The Ring, and lineal light-welterweight champion is set to face Julius Indongo, the undefeated WBA, IBF, and IBO champion, for a division unification bout in August. It’s a momentous occasion for the sport, but Indongo doesn’t pose a huge threat to Crawford despite his impressive record.
After the fight, he’ll likely move up to welterweight, where he could face some stiff competition. IBF champ Errol Spence Jr has been calling him out for some time, and potential fights against the likes of Keith Thurman, Manny Pacquiao, and Danny Garcia also loom.
Crawford has had a relatively easy time at light welterweight, but once he moves up in weight, there will be a handful of fighters that could really threaten his undefeated record.
Anthony Joshua (19-0, 19 KOs): 1/2
Anthony Joshua is the new king of the heavyweight division, but there are plenty of dangerous fighters who are eyeing his crown. A rematch against Wladimir Klitschko, who sent Joshua to the canvas in the first fight, is currently in the works. If that falls through, the hard-hitting Deontay Wilder is awaiting his first mega-fight.
The Olympic gold medalist is poised to be the next big name in boxing, but he faces a tough road ahead.
Gennady Golovkin (37-0, 33 KOs): 1/1
Gennady Golovkin may be one of the most feared fighters in the sport right now, but he faces the toughest test of his career this September against Canelo Álvarez. At 35 years old, he’s beginning to show his age. His most recent fight against Daniel Jacobs had some shaky moments and he uncharacteristically allowed the fight to go the full twelve rounds.
Against Canelo, the fight is pretty much a coin toss. If Golovkin wins, he could well retire undefeated.
