Keeping an unblemished record over time is no easy feat, especially for a world champion, who must face fierce challengers willing to do anything to strip them of their title. Very few champions in boxing history have retired undefeated, either choosing to bow out at the right time or being forced to hang up their gloves due to uncontrollable circumstances. Some have faced accusations of being protected and having been given favorable matchups or favorable judges, yet their achievement of retiring with a “zero” in the loss column remains worthy of admiration. Protected or invincible? We’ll let you decide, as we present 10 world champions who retired undefeated!
Terry Marsh (26-0-1)
This British junior welterweight, nicknamed “Fighting Fireman,” was unstoppable in collecting titles and victories. British, European, and world champion, Marsh was forced to retire after a single defense of his IBF title due to an epilepsy diagnosis. His claim that promoter Frank Warren pressured him to fight despite his illness caused a stir; Warren sued for defamation but lost in court.
Edwin Valero (27-0-0)
With 27 KOs in 27 bouts and world titles at super featherweight and lightweight, El Inca was headed for stardom and a superfight with Manny Pacquiao. Tragically, his story ended when he killed his wife and subsequently committed suicide in jail.
Mihai Leu (28-0-0)
This Romanian welterweight, who fought under the name Michael Loewe to appeal to German fans, had won 190 of his 200 amateur bouts. In his first pro world title shot, he won the WBO belt but retired after a single defense due to a left-hand injury. He later became a rally car driver!
Harry Simon (31-0-0)
The Namibian powerhouse won his first world title in unusual fashion over the better-known Ronald “Winky” Wright in the super welterweight division. A draw was initially announced, but an error in the score calculation led to Simon being declared the winner. He later also won a middleweight world title but was seriously injured in a car accident that claimed three lives.
Andre Ward (32-0-0)
Many believed “Son of God” would eventually return to the ring, but Ward chose not to risk his undefeated record, having achieved a stellar pro career. A champion at both super middleweight and light heavyweight, Ward displayed top-tier skills, though some argue he received a “helping hand” from judges in his first fight with Sergey Kovalev.
Sven Ottke (34-0-0)
With 21 title defenses, the “Phantom” from Germany is a super middleweight legend. After three Olympic appearances, Ottke defended his title exclusively in Germany, winning most of his fights on points. Several challengers questioned the fairness of the judges’ decisions.
Joe Calzaghe (46-0-0)
Considered by many as one of the greatest super middleweights of all time, the Welsh-Italian faced heavy criticism but proved his worth by unifying titles and moving up to light heavyweight to defeat legends Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. Just shy of Rocky Marciano’s record, he realized he had nothing left to prove and retired.
Rocky Marciano (49-0-0)
Few legends of Marciano’s caliber had the wisdom to retire when their body demanded it. After his fight with Archie Moore, in which he was knocked down before dismantling his opponent, Marciano understood his time was up and left the sport with no regrets.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. (50-0-0)
Critics have accused him of everything from fighting opponents in decline to winning by unconvincing margins, but no one compiles 50 consecutive victories and world titles in five divisions without immense talent. In this writer’s opinion the only truly disputed verdict was his first bout against Jose Luis Castillo; otherwise, Floyd schooled them all!
Ricardo Lopez (51-0-1)
With 52 undefeated fights, this Mexican star boasts the longest undefeated career in modern boxing. Dominant at minimumweight, he also found success at light flyweight. He “avenged” his only draw, which came by technical decision, by outpointing the aggressive Nicaraguan Rosendo Alvarez in their rematch.
Honorable Mentions: Pichit Sitbangprachan (24-0-0), Dmitry Pirog (20-0-0), and Ji Won Kim (16-0-2) also deserve recognition. Additionally, two late 19th-century fighters, Jimmy Barry (60-0-10) and Jack McAuliffe (29-0-10), earned world glory and retired undefeated. The high number of draws in their records can be attributed to the era’s common practice of calling a fight a draw if no knockout occurred within the scheduled rounds.