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by David P. Greisman - Look through any set of rankings and you’ll see a remarkable number of fighters with undefeated records. This isn’t wholly surprising. The best prospects and contenders tend to rise up through the ranks without losing. And they tend to stay away from their most competitive counterparts, being managed and moved wisely, avoiding defeat so as to be put in position for a shot at a world title.
But it’s rare for a boxer to remain undefeated long enough to retire that way. Nearly everyone eventually loses. That fact alone means we shouldn’t write off a fighter solely for the lack of a zero at the end of his record. While the loss isn’t meaningless, what comes afterward can be even more meaningful.
Gary Russell Jr. and Vanes Martirosyan came into their respective fights this past Saturday with a single loss on their ledgers. Russell’s first pro defeat came in June, when he dropped a majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko. Martirosyan had come up short in November 2013, suffering defeat to Demetrius Andrade via split decision.
They had each bounced back since then with wins. Russell outpointed Christopher Martin this past December. Martirosyan’s 2014 brought a pair of decision victories over Mario Lozano and Willie Nelson. But it was their fights on this Showtime doubleheader that would give a truer indication. Russell was challenging featherweight titleholder Jhonny Gonzalez. Martirosyan was facing off with fellow junior middleweight contender Jermell Charlo. [Click Here To Read More]
But it’s rare for a boxer to remain undefeated long enough to retire that way. Nearly everyone eventually loses. That fact alone means we shouldn’t write off a fighter solely for the lack of a zero at the end of his record. While the loss isn’t meaningless, what comes afterward can be even more meaningful.
Gary Russell Jr. and Vanes Martirosyan came into their respective fights this past Saturday with a single loss on their ledgers. Russell’s first pro defeat came in June, when he dropped a majority decision to Vasyl Lomachenko. Martirosyan had come up short in November 2013, suffering defeat to Demetrius Andrade via split decision.
They had each bounced back since then with wins. Russell outpointed Christopher Martin this past December. Martirosyan’s 2014 brought a pair of decision victories over Mario Lozano and Willie Nelson. But it was their fights on this Showtime doubleheader that would give a truer indication. Russell was challenging featherweight titleholder Jhonny Gonzalez. Martirosyan was facing off with fellow junior middleweight contender Jermell Charlo. [Click Here To Read More]
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