This is part two of a three-part deep dive by Ruth Raper. You can catch up on part one here and part two here.
An asset that has been used to build a boxer’s profile and draw numbers at the Box Office is the 0 in a fighter’s record. A common headline going into big matchups is “Someone’s 0 has got to go.” Many fans see the 0 in a fighter’s record as a badge of honour and evaluate fighters purely based on that stat, paying little attention to the boxer’s resume and performances.
A fighter that you could argue built their career off being unbeaten was Floyd Mayweather, who retired with a record of 50-0. As Mayweather progressed from prospect to contender to champion, we saw him take on an arrogant persona and proclaim at every press conference, “There’s no blueprint to beat me!”
Although Mayweather isn’t the only boxer to retire undefeated -Rocky Marciano and Joe Calzaghe both retired with their unbeaten record intact- he utilised it in a way to attract people to his fights like no one had done before him. Mayweather’s perfect record, along with the villain role that he carefully constructed, turned him into the biggest Box Office draw that boxing has ever seen, the face of boxing, and one of the wealthiest athletes of all time. Millions would tune in to his fights to see if the more humble and down-to-earth fighter standing in the opposite corner could snatch ‘Money’ Mayweather’s unbeaten record from him.
(Original Caption) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Joe Walcott’s face is a misshapen mass under the force of a blow from Rocky Marciano. Rocky was losing on points when he K.O.’d Jersey Joe with the right to win the heavyweight crown in the 13th round. (Photo by UPI/Bettmann via Getty Images)
We now live in a time when we are searching for a fighter to match Mayweather’s ability to put bums on seats and eyes on screens; however, his legacy might just be having the opposite effect. Young fighters now value the 0 in their records so much that they are avoiding match-ups that the fans are crying out for.
This tactic of protecting an unbeaten record has robbed us of some great fights, and although the fighters persona is important, isn’t what happens inside the ropes ultimately what matters most?
There is one thing that I would argue creates a superstar more than anything else I’ve mentioned above, and that is rivalries. The biggest stars in boxing history have had dance partners that acted as the Joker to their Batman. These rivalries have captivated audiences and defined generations.
Boxing’s ultimate rivalry goes back to the 70s when The Fabulous Four reigned supreme. This rivalry didn’t just involve two boxers, but four. ‘Sugar’ Ray Leonard, Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Tommy ‘The Hitman’ Hearns and Roberto ‘Manos de Piedra’ Duran delivered some of the most memorable moments in boxing history, including the astonishing nine fights they had between them. Each member of the Fabulous Four had impressive careers independently, but it is without question that these fighters offered each other a form of glory that would not have been achievable alone.
A fighter who is regarded as a P4P great yet lacked a worthy dance partner and, therefore, the recognition he deserved is Roy Jones Jr. Jones Jr. spent his career outclassing his opponents, even those at the elite level, which resulted in him moving up four weight classes to find a suitable rival. One can only imagine how much higher his stock would have risen if he had found one.
Roy Jones Jr
Closer to home, we had a rivalry that sculpted both fighters’ careers. Chris Eubank and Nigel Benn’s rivalry was the highlight of British boxing during the 90s and is something boxing fans reminisce about to this day.
The pair’s genuine disdain for each other made for great TV. You’d often see the two polar opposites going at it in the lead-up to one of their two legendary fights. It was better publicity than any advert or brand deal.
Their second fight was at the Old Trafford stadium in 1993, where more than 42,000 people watched it in the flesh, and 16 million people watched it on TV (roughly a quarter of the British population). Although the viewing landscape has shifted (not long after Eubank V Benn II, much of British boxing was eaten up by Sky Sports and was, therefore, no longer accessible to the masses), it is hard to comprehend how two boxers could command so much of the public’s attention.
Nearly 30 years after both fighters have retired, it is impossible to mention one boxer without mentioning the other, so much so that we nearly saw their sons come head to head in a matchup that makes little sense, other than their bloodline.
Ultimately, boxing isn’t just a sport; it’s also the entertainment business. When viewers tune in to watch sports, there is more competition than ever before. Boxers are expected to be more than just athletes; they’re businesspeople, entertainers, models, actors, and TV personalities. Sadly, in a world where the number of social media followers you have matters, those who deserve adoration and recognition don’t always receive it.
Superstars are the currency of our sport. As one retires, we look for the next to fill the chasm that their predecessor has left. It feels as though we are currently in a period of uncertainty. If you ask people who the face of boxing is, you’ll get many different answers. With so many prospects on the horizon, I hope that some of them are able to fill the boots of the giants that I have mentioned.
