Boxers that lost early in there Career

[Old bones Ian]

Harry Dhami was 3-4-1 in his first 8 fights then went 13-1 in his career winning the British welter title

[Bigdogsnose]

Antonio Margarito lost 3 of his first 12 fights. Guess it took him a while to find that edge he needed.

Knocked sergio martinez out in his 16th fight.

[margaret thatcher]

Christian Hammer lost his debut by first round stoppage, was dropped by his promoter at 7-3, but then has managed a pretty solid career as a euro level hw

[bennie]

Wilfredo Vazquez
Alexis Arguello
Luvi Callejas
Henry Armstrong

Also, Eleoncio Mercedes and Francisco Quiroz were world champions but had brief careers in which they lost many times so you could essentially say they too lost early in their careers...

I remember Quiroz as the man who lost his world light-flyweight title to Joey Olivo back in 1985. Olivo was a brilliant stylist but he boxed out of Los Angeles and the bloodthirsty Mexican crowds hated him. Mercedes was also a fine boxer who is sadly best remembered as the man the WBC continued to list in their world rankings after he was shot and killed in a road rage incident in his native Dominican Republic. He lost his WBC flyweight title to Charlie Magri here on cuts in 1983, in a fight that was still up for grabs.
Wilfredo Vazquez won so many world title fights in his hard-hitting career (forget the Naz loss, right at the end) that I would hail him as a boxing great alongside Armstrong and Arguello. Callejas, no, but the Puerto Rican really is a case of what might have been. Callejas hammered Italy's Loris Stecca to win the WBA super-bantamweight title in 1984, saw off his mandatory challenger in Korea's Seung-Hoon Lee on a 15-round decision and looked on the verge of greatness in a rematch with Stecca in Italy in 1985 when he broke Stecca's jaw with a brutal left hook in a magnificent fight. It looked for all the world that Callejas was about to take off and then - nothing. Callejas never defended again.
Victor surfaced in 1987, after relinquishing his world title, with a 10-round workout against Cleo Garcia of Nicaragua, before despatching former Olympic medallist Pedro Nolasco in the first in Las Vegas on the night Julio Cesar Chavez brilliantly dismantled Edwin Rosaro. Then, in 1988, he took on Jeff Fenech in Sydney for the vacant WBC featherweight title (made vacant by Azumah Nelson) and walloped Fenech a few times but Fenech sneered at him and was simply relentless, pouring it on until Callejas had to be rescued in round 10. Nobody was going to beat Fenech that night.
Callejas surfaced again in 1989 as part of Barney Eastwood's cosmopolitan Belfast stable and won a couple of fights, one of them a foul-fest with Bacup's Brian Roche on the same show as Mike McCallum's hard-earned victory over Herol "Bomber" Graham at the Albert Hall. Roche really hurt him at one point with a big right but Callejas survived and was waiting for it again, and he beat Roche to the punch with a crunching right that dropped his man. It was a reminder of just how good Callejas could be and when Roche got naughty with the head, Callejas got naughty with everything else: the elbows, the forearms and even his teeth. Roche complained that Callejas had bitten him. Callejas took the eight-round decision but picked up a nasty cut and kicked out at Roche when, rather stupidly, Roche went over to his corner.
That was just about it for Callejas, who dropped a 10-round decision to Francisco Alvarez in Puerto Rico in 1990 and, still only 29, never boxed again. He is now President of the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission.

[tony1234]

Steve Robinson had a terrible record before he won the world title

[AntonioMartin]

Wilfredo Vazquez
Alexis Arguello
Luvi Callejas
Henry Armstrong

Also, Eleoncio Mercedes and Francisco Quiroz were world champions but had brief careers in which they lost many times so you could essentially say they too lost early in their careers...

I remember Quiroz as the man who lost his world light-flyweight title to Joey Olivo back in 1985. Olivo was a brilliant stylist but he boxed out of Los Angeles and the bloodthirsty Mexican crowds hated him. Mercedes was also a fine boxer who is sadly best remembered as the man the WBC continued to list in their world rankings after he was shot and killed in a road rage incident in his native Dominican Republic. He lost his WBC flyweight title to Charlie Magri here on cuts in 1983, in a fight that was still up for grabs.
Wilfredo Vazquez won so many world title fights in his hard-hitting career (forget the Naz loss, right at the end) that I would hail him as a boxing great alongside Armstrong and Arguello. Callejas, no, but the Puerto Rican really is a case of what might have been. Callejas hammered Italy's Loris Stecca to win the WBA super-bantamweight title in 1984, saw off his mandatory challenger in Korea's Seung-Hoon Lee on a 15-round decision and looked on the verge of greatness in a rematch with Stecca in Italy in 1985 when he broke Stecca's jaw with a brutal left hook in a magnificent fight. It looked for all the world that Callejas was about to take off and then - nothing. Callejas never defended again.
Victor surfaced in 1987, after relinquishing his world title, with a 10-round workout against Cleo Garcia of Nicaragua, before despatching former Olympic medallist Pedro Nolasco in the first in Las Vegas on the night Julio Cesar Chavez brilliantly dismantled Edwin Rosaro. Then, in 1988, he took on Jeff Fenech in Sydney for the vacant WBC featherweight title (made vacant by Azumah Nelson) and walloped Fenech a few times but Fenech sneered at him and was simply relentless, pouring it on until Callejas had to be rescued in round 10. Nobody was going to beat Fenech that night.
Callejas surfaced again in 1989 as part of Barney Eastwood's cosmopolitan Belfast stable and won a couple of fights, one of them a foul-fest with Bacup's Brian Roche on the same show as Mike McCallum's hard-earned victory over Herol "Bomber" Graham at the Albert Hall. Roche really hurt him at one point with a big right but Callejas survived and was waiting for it again, and he beat Roche to the punch with a crunching right that dropped his man. It was a reminder of just how good Callejas could be and when Roche got naughty with the head, Callejas got naughty with everything else: the elbows, the forearms and even his teeth. Roche complained that Callejas had bitten him. Callejas took the eight-round decision but picked up a nasty cut and kicked out at Roche when, rather stupidly, Roche went over to his corner.
That was just about it for Callejas, who dropped a 10-round decision to Francisco Alvarez in Puerto Rico in 1990 and, still only 29, never boxed again. He is now President of the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission.

You have excellent boxing knowledge, mate!!

[Deserter]

Guess it took him a while to find that edge he needed.

Those 'special' gloves

[CaptainSpacerod]

Not really that early on but Adonis Stevenson lost before he’d established himself

[Ruthless-RKO]

Not really that early on but Adonis Stevenson lost before he’d established himself

Boone was giving all the prospects hell. Didn’t he drop Ward too..

[Old bones Ian]

Lionel Butler lost 4 of his first 5 fights, 3 of those losses by KO, they were in decent company as he fought Phil Jackson, Riddick Bowe and James Pritchard.
From that Lionel went to 6-9-1 , then something changed and he put together a 17 fight unbeaten run to earn an eliminator against Lennox Lewis, this was a one sided beat down by Lewis.

[Londonirish]

Wilfredo Vazquez
Alexis Arguello
Luvi Callejas
Henry Armstrong

Also, Eleoncio Mercedes and Francisco Quiroz were world champions but had brief careers in which they lost many times so you could essentially say they too lost early in their careers...

I remember Quiroz as the man who lost his world light-flyweight title to Joey Olivo back in 1985. Olivo was a brilliant stylist but he boxed out of Los Angeles and the bloodthirsty Mexican crowds hated him. Mercedes was also a fine boxer who is sadly best remembered as the man the WBC continued to list in their world rankings after he was shot and killed in a road rage incident in his native Dominican Republic. He lost his WBC flyweight title to Charlie Magri here on cuts in 1983, in a fight that was still up for grabs.
Wilfredo Vazquez won so many world title fights in his hard-hitting career (forget the Naz loss, right at the end) that I would hail him as a boxing great alongside Armstrong and Arguello. Callejas, no, but the Puerto Rican really is a case of what might have been. Callejas hammered Italy's Loris Stecca to win the WBA super-bantamweight title in 1984, saw off his mandatory challenger in Korea's Seung-Hoon Lee on a 15-round decision and looked on the verge of greatness in a rematch with Stecca in Italy in 1985 when he broke Stecca's jaw with a brutal left hook in a magnificent fight. It looked for all the world that Callejas was about to take off and then - nothing. Callejas never defended again.
Victor surfaced in 1987, after relinquishing his world title, with a 10-round workout against Cleo Garcia of Nicaragua, before despatching former Olympic medallist Pedro Nolasco in the first in Las Vegas on the night Julio Cesar Chavez brilliantly dismantled Edwin Rosaro. Then, in 1988, he took on Jeff Fenech in Sydney for the vacant WBC featherweight title (made vacant by Azumah Nelson) and walloped Fenech a few times but Fenech sneered at him and was simply relentless, pouring it on until Callejas had to be rescued in round 10. Nobody was going to beat Fenech that night.
Callejas surfaced again in 1989 as part of Barney Eastwood's cosmopolitan Belfast stable and won a couple of fights, one of them a foul-fest with Bacup's Brian Roche on the same show as Mike McCallum's hard-earned victory over Herol "Bomber" Graham at the Albert Hall. Roche really hurt him at one point with a big right but Callejas survived and was waiting for it again, and he beat Roche to the punch with a crunching right that dropped his man. It was a reminder of just how good Callejas could be and when Roche got naughty with the head, Callejas got naughty with everything else: the elbows, the forearms and even his teeth. Roche complained that Callejas had bitten him. Callejas took the eight-round decision but picked up a nasty cut and kicked out at Roche when, rather stupidly, Roche went over to his corner.
That was just about it for Callejas, who dropped a 10-round decision to Francisco Alvarez in Puerto Rico in 1990 and, still only 29, never boxed again. He is now President of the Puerto Rican Boxing Commission.

You have excellent boxing knowledge, mate!!

X2

[black panther]

Affif Djelti - lost first 4.

Quirino Garcia - lost first 18.

[Londonirish]

Can we include Marvin Hagler in this?

Drew his 18th and lost his 27th; not so early in terms of fights but that was in the first 3 years of his career. 62-3-2 Any that did beat him or drew to he won the rematch except his Final fight against Ray Leonard.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Can we include Marvin Hagler in this?

Drew his 18th and lost his 27th; not so early in terms of fights but that was in the first 3 years of his career. 62-3-2 Any that did beat him or drew to he won the rematch except his Final fight against Ray Leonard.

Ya, bit of a sticky on..

It's like Tyson, he had 30+ in his first 3 or 4 years didn't he?

[Londonirish]

Affif Djelti - lost first 4.

just checked him up Went on to have a very good career.

Quirino Garcia - lost first 18.

Again he wasn’t bad at all

[Londonirish]

Can we include Marvin Hagler in this?

Drew his 18th and lost his 27th; not so early in terms of fights but that was in the first 3 years of his career. 62-3-2 Any that did beat him or drew to he won the rematch except his Final fight against Ray Leonard.

Ya, bit of a sticky on..

It's like Tyson, he had 30+ in his first 3 or 4 years didn't he?

Back then they where fighting every other week/month.
Your right 27 fights and was Would Champion in 18odd months

[CaptainSpacerod]

Not really that early on but Adonis Stevenson lost before he’d established himself

Boone was giving all the prospects hell. Didn’t he drop Ward too..

I never knew that. I know he fought kovalev twice. When there was huge clamour for Adonis v Kov the tv shows would compare and contrast their relative performances against Boone.

Having a look at his record, he fought Lara as well. He mixed in good company.

[Teddy's Toupee]

Victor Cordoba. Drew 3 (all to the same opponent) and lost one by K.O of his first 4 bouts then went on to become W.B.A supermiddleweight champion of the world. British middleweight champion Frank Grant also lost his first bout by first round stoppage.

[Jimmy2020]

The brilliant Jersey Joe Walcott lost his seventh fight.

[giacomino]

Juan Manuel Márquez lost his first bout (dq)
Víctor Galindez started 11-6-3 before twice becoming a lt. Heavy champ
Saoul Mamby was 26-12-5 when he won a jr. WW belt in 1980, but he was also a road warrior who was thrown in with a lot of tough opposition
Carlos Mendoza, who fought for the jr. featherweight belt in a war with Wilfredo Gomez in 1979 started 6-3-3 with four of those fights against future champions (including Duran)

[AntonioMartin]

Carlos Monzon lost three of his first 20..we all know how he turned!!

[AntonioMartin]

Juan Manuel Márquez lost his first bout (dq)
Víctor Galindez started 11-6-3 before twice becoming a lt. Heavy champ
Saoul Mamby was 26-12-5 when he won a jr. WW belt in 1980, but he was also a road warrior who was thrown in with a lot of tough opposition
Carlos Mendoza, who fought for the jr. featherweight belt in a war with Wilfredo Gomez in 1979 started 6-3-3 with four of those fights against future champions (including Duran)

Excellent post!

[Londonirish]

Juan Manuel Márquez lost his first bout (dq)
Víctor Galindez started 11-6-3 before twice becoming a lt. Heavy champ
Saoul Mamby was 26-12-5 when he won a jr. WW belt in 1980, but he was also a road warrior who was thrown in with a lot of tough opposition
Carlos Mendoza, who fought for the jr. featherweight belt in a war with Wilfredo Gomez in 1979 started 6-3-3 with four of those fights against future champions (including Duran)

Excellent post!

x2

[bennie]

Dennis Andries Is another obvious one. He was 16-6 at one point I think.

Good one, mate. Andries goes back an awful long way. He turned pro in 1978 and finally brought the curtain down on his career in 1996. What a tough man. He first grabbed the headlines in 1979 when he took on reigning British light-heavyweight champion Bunny Johnson in a 10-rounder in Wolverhampton, stepping in for Leicester middleweight star Tony Sibson who was due to challenge Johnson for the title but then decided against it after a previous excursion at the weight ended in shattering defeat at the hands of Lottie Mwale. (Ironically, Sibbo would later move up to fight Andries.) Johnson was nearing the end of a long, proud career but he was much too slick for the wild-swinging Andries, until he began to tire in the closing stages. Andries, with only eight fights behind him, kept on swinging and floored and almost stopped Johnson in a desperate last round and his efforts earned him a rematch a year later, this time for the title. Sadly, it developed into an horrendous 15-round maul that Boxing News editor Harry Mullan described as the worst championship fight he had ever seen. Andries repeatedly wrestled Johnson to the floor. On two occasions, both men crashed out of the ring and on to the press benches. Johnson got the nod but nobody cared.
Andries persevered and got a second shot, after Johnson's retirement, against Leeds puncher Tom Collins in 1982. He started brightly enough but Collins took over from the middle rounds and really let fly down the stretch, flooring Andries in each of the last two rounds (almost stopping him in the 15th) to win widely on the card of referee John Coyle. It was sweet revenge for Collins, who had lost twice previously to Andries in eight-rounders and proved a fine champion, destroying Trevor Cattouse and Antonio Harris in defences and going 10 hard rounds with future world champion Leslie Stewart in Trinidad.
However, Andries wouldn't go away, securing a third shot when he flattened London rival Keith Bristol in four rounds in a final eliminator in late 1983. In January 1984, Collins and Andries met yet again and this time Andries outhustled a lazy Collins in a tiny ring over the new championship distance of 12 rounds to take the points and the title. Collins didn't fancy the job but the ring (12ft square) did him no favours and the Board agreed, ordering an immediate rematch. So, for the fifth time, the two men duked it out, with Andries dominating the middle rounds but Collins starting well and finishing stronger. Andries nicked it by a round.
That ended their saga but both men were far from finished. Collins went on to win the European title twice; Andries won the world title three times and his stoppage of Jeff Harding in Australia in 1990 remains one of the greatest wins in the entire history of British boxing.