Most elite fighters could retire undefeated.

what happened to the rematch? Scheduled for Feb 2020 I believe

Fury schooled both though. Even if he did dope, his ring IQ is just a lot higher and he knows his strength and weaknesses so he doesn't get into thoughtless slugfests. I absolutely agree. Fury has a very special ring IQ and will make most fighters, including Wlad, looked lost in the ring.

Wilder dared to challenge a true champion and got schooled immediately. Haymon was able to buy a draw but we all know Wilder took an L in that fight what happened to the rematch?

Not true, if you want to be a large draw and maximize profits from your fighting career. You can be a Jeff Horn and make a million by winning an ABC belt. You don't even have to be an ATG level boxer. Just a guy like Rocky Balboa, off the street going and getting some fights and winning a strap. You need over 10 wins undefeated to see a title opportunity. So, theoretically, you can retire undefeated and be a "champ" right then and there. But it won't mean you maximized your profitability during your career, nor gave you a legacy in the long history of boxing sport. If you want 380 million like Canelo has. You absolutely have to fight the best. You absolutely have to build a legacy. He got that by winning and taking an L against the greatest boxer since the late 80s.

Also need to be fortunate with a decision or 2. There’s bound to be close fights. Yes, you got to be lucky. Cuts, head butts, low blows, anything can happen. It could be a fighter gets sick and comes in not 100%. Sh/t does happen.

Also need to be fortunate with a decision or 2. There’s bound to be close fights.

To be elite you have to beat top guys. You can’t just be undefeated and that equals elite. You have to be able to beat any style. If you’re supposedly elite, but you have trouble against brawlers, and your promoter keeps brawlers away from you and matches you against the style you’re great against, then that’s not an elite fighter. That’s elite matchmaking.

Maybe , But say Duran retires at 30, his record at that point is 73-2. His 2 losses are to great fighter in their prime (SRL, Estaban De Jesus).So good matchmaking keeps him away from 2 prime guys and getting out at 30 makes him undefeated with over 70 wins. As for Manny, imagine if Pac had a good team around him from his early days, instead of having to fight to survive? There's no telling how good his record could have been. I admit, these are improbable scenarios, but my thread is just food for thought. On paper Duran was far superior to De Jesus. That was a major upset. De Jesus had lost previously to an unknown somewhere in South America so he is another example of the point I make in the post. Before losing to DeJesus he beat Buchanan in a fight he wasn't favored and had beaten men who were champions in other divisions. Match making is part of it but "careful matchmaking" doesn't change just because there was a loss. That was part of the same "careful matchmaking" it's just that the fighter lost. Upsets happen because humans are imperfect, not necessarily because the match making plan suddenly changed is all I am saying.

The problem with your assertion is most great fighters don't lose to other great fighters but instead lose to guys who the are far superior to on paper. The difference between a Floyd and say a Duran or a Manny isn't match making but the fact that Floyd didn't lose to Kirland Laing or Jeff Horn level opponents. Yes, some great fighters lose to other ATG-like Ali losing to Frazier or SRL to Duran. However if you check their records you will see more losses like Watts (Hagler)or Torrecampo (Manny) that have prevented an undefeated record. Maybe , But say Duran retires at 30, his record at that point is 73-2. His 2 losses are to great fighter in their prime (SRL, Estaban De Jesus).So good matchmaking keeps him away from 2 prime guys and getting out at 30 makes him undefeated with over 70 wins. As for Manny, imagine if Pac had a good team around him from his early days, instead of having to fight to survive? There's no telling how good his record could have been. I admit, these are improbable scenarios, but my thread is just food for thought.

And never losing to guys like Medgeon Singsurat, and Rustico Torrecampo. I agree, (I think) :-)

The blueprint's simple (but not easy), clever match making and walking away at the right time, fight low risk guys and retire at the right time, most great fighters had losses at the end of their careers. The problem with your assertion is most great fighters don't lose to other great fighters but instead lose to guys who the are far superior to on paper. The difference between a Floyd and say a Duran or a Manny isn't match making but the fact that Floyd didn't lose to Kirland Laing or Jeff Horn level opponents. Yes, some great fighters lose to other ATG-like Ali losing to Frazier or SRL to Duran. However if you check their records you will see more losses like Watts (Hagler)or Torrecampo (Manny) that have prevented an undefeated record.

Should just label this thread the excuse maker's haven. From 686BC to now there are ten unbeaten HW champions, period. 3k years, ten to ever do it, y'all ****in' dumb. Been plenty of eras with weak competition, been loads of hypejobs kept safe, been loads of champions who did retire unbeaten, only ten remain to this day. Clearly, it takes something more than a weak era, more than being protected, more than getting out when the timing is right. It takes being too good to fail, some **** y'all excuse makin' ******* will never understand. Who is making excuses? Why you getting all emotional? It's just a boxing thread on hump day.

Don't forget that had Fury only been knocked down once, he would have won. That fight was Wilder's wake up call And Fury's karma for doping vs Wlad Fury schooled both though. Even if he did dope, his ring IQ is just a lot higher and he knows his strength and weaknesses so he doesn't get into thoughtless slugfests.

It is not that easy. You have to be flawless to minimise damage in each fight. You have to be able to adapt to avoid losing to that fighter who simply has your number. You have to have a good chin to avoid getting stopped by a well timed punch. You have to have toughness when the opponent puts you through hardship. There is only so much careful match making can eliminate. I agree, I said simple but not easy.

Being undefeated doesn't equal having an ATG career. Mayweather is the only one I can think of that can claim both. Maybe Andre Ward can, but whether he's an ATG is debatable. He might be, but barely. Sure, a great talent can retire undefeated, but being undefeated without unanimously being considered an ATG doesn't mean much, and nobody thinks it does.

Julio Cesar Chavez had a clean record of 89-0, if he had just stopped there, could have made history.

Wilder dared to challenge a true champion and got schooled immediately. Haymon was able to buy a draw but we all know Wilder took an L in that fight Don't forget that had Fury only been knocked down once, he would have won. That fight was Wilder's wake up call And Fury's karma for doping vs Wlad

Of course. When You look at all great fighters from the best, all of them would be undefeated if They didn't take the fight They ended up losing. Undefeated record is something that's easy to sell to clueless fans who like to believe in myth of unbeatable super-hero. No one who understands the sports takes it seriously, everyone sees even great fighters getting worse of some sparring sessions in the gym. It's completely meaningless. Only dummies will take Floyd's "I'm undefeated so the greatest" argument seriously.

The blueprint's simple (but not easy), clever match making and walking away at the right time, fight low risk guys and retire at the right time, most great fighters had losses at the end of their careers. left out fixed fights

It is not that easy. You have to be flawless to minimise damage in each fight. You have to be able to adapt to avoid losing to that fighter who simply has your number. You have to have a good chin to avoid getting stopped by a well timed punch. You have to have toughness when the opponent puts you through hardship. There is only so much careful match making can eliminate.