Name some Former Champions and Greats who had terrible starts to there boxing careers

**Heavy Bag** · 10-28-2010, 09:53 AM

Greats
-Alexis Arguello (Stopped in 1 round on debut)
-Henry Armstrong (Knocked out on Debut, In first 4 pro bouts won just 1)
-Pipeno Cuevas (Knocked out on debut, In first 2 pro bouts, who just 1)
-Dwight Qawi (1-1-1 in first 3 bouts)

Champions
-Johnny Nelson (Lost first 3 fights of his career)
-Freddie Pendleton (Lost his debut, and won just 1 of his first 4)

**BigStereotype** · 10-28-2010, 10:09 AM

Marquez got DQ'd in his first fight. That's a pretty inau****ious start.

**cotto16** · 10-28-2010, 12:24 PM

He wasnt a world champion or a great but he was a top middleweight contender Quirino Garcia he lost his first 20 fights and never gave up and went on to become the 6th best middleweight in the world in the ring magazine ranking and won minor titles wbu, iba and the wbc international title

**NChristo** · 10-28-2010, 01:43 PM

Bernard Hopkins lost his pro debut, rest of the ones I thought of have already been mentioned.

**r.burgundy** · 10-28-2010, 03:22 PM

jose louis castillo lost 2 early fights by tko i think.same with pacman

**derekg89** · 10-28-2010, 03:34 PM

All these great Mexicans and others from less developed countries i.e Pacman and Castillo mentioned above only have the early losses because they took the hard route as professionals from a very young age because they had to. Over in US and here in UK all the young men take their knocks in the amateur circuit and then the best ones are guided through smoothly until they reach the elite level. Also, regarding amateurs, Amir Khan lost 3 of his first 6 fights I believe. Ali also lost his first amateur fight according to my very hazy memory?

**The_Demon** · 10-28-2010, 03:51 PM

Carl Thompson had a pretty bad run after winning his first 8 pro fights

Name some Former Champions and Greats who had terrible starts to there boxing careers