Champions who lost early in their careers

[Dennis]

I will start off with two who fought 4 battles against each other. Rafael Marquez and Israel Vasquez. Marquez lost his pro debut by KO-8 against an experienced boxer with a 39-14-2 record and lost his 14th fight by TKO-3 against a 7-3-2 boxer.
Vasquez lost his 10th fight by TKO-1 against a 9-6 boxer.

[IKSRTFO]

Bhop
Hagler

[ReggieDiggs]

Juan Manuel Marquez was DQ'd in his pro debut.

The great Henry Armstrong was KO'd in his pro debut & lost 3 of his first 4 fights.

[Taansend]

Julio Cesar Chavez lost his 12th pro bout but some shenanigans took place.

[crusader]

Brian Mitchell's only loss occurred in his seventh pro fight, which was contested against Jacob Morake, but he avenged the loss three times and Morake died of injuries suffered in their fourth bout. He also drew in his tenth fight yet ended his career 45-1-3, winning WBA and IBF titles at 130 and avenging his loss and three draws to go down as one of the few champions to beat everyone they faced.

[Dennis]

Manny Pacquiao lost his 12th bout by KO-3 to a boxer who was 11-4-5.

[cold187]

wladimir
hopkins

[IRLangmaid25]

From a British persective

Enzo Maccarenelli was stopped by Lincolnshire journeyman Lee Swaby enroute to becoming WBO Cruiserweight champion. A belt which he would lose to David Haye in a Cruiserweight unification match up at the 02. Haye himself lost an IBO Cruiserweight title shot to Carl Thompson in his 11th professional contest.

[johnswan1]

Ricardo Mayorga had a record of 8-3 through his first 11 fights, which included getting KO'd in the 6th round of a 10 rounder on his debut.

[reggaereggae]

From a British persective

Enzo Maccarenelli was stopped by Lincolnshire journeyman Lee Swaby enroute to becoming WBO Cruiserweight champion. A belt which he would lose to David Haye in a Cruiserweight unification match up at the 02. Haye himself lost an IBO Cruiserweight title shot to Carl Thompson in his 11th professional contest.

Joe bugner wasn't world champ but won plenty of titles and was world class, yet got Ko'd in 3 rounds in his debut by a 1-3 fighter

[reggaereggae]

Oh, and it's slightly different but world champ Vasyl Lomachenko lost in his 2nd fight, albeit for a'World' title!

[sucracristo]

barry mcguiggan lost early on to peter eubank, older brother of chris sr. kind of a sham decision
and he avenged it by ko six months later, but that was his first loss. i could swear that i just
saw this topic in a thead maybe a month ago here.

[stevedoc]

Michael Watson lost to James cook early on ,

[GL14]

Eusebio Pedroza
Carlos Monzon
Antonio Esparragoza
Azumah Nelson
Jose Luis Castillo
Jhonny Gonzalez
Miguel Canto
Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
Sot Chitalada
Shoji Oguma
Gilberto Roman
Orlando Salido
Saoul Mamby

[KBB]

Fernando Vargas

[bbjc]

I m pretty sure gerald mclellan lost 2 fights quite early before becoming the middleweight champion

[GL14]

I m pretty sure gerald mclellan lost 2 fights quite early before becoming the middleweight champion

Yes. Back-to-back decision losses

[TheWigwam]

Johnny Nelson

[bbjc]

I m pretty sure gerald mclellan lost 2 fights quite early before becoming the middleweight champion

Yes. Back-to-back decision losses

Yeah never seen either tbh but was actually pretty odd seeing as neither of the two fighters came to much plus mclellan pretty much destroyed everybody else before and afterwards up till nigel benn. Was there ever any explanation for it. Or just wasnt his night

[GL14]

I don't know. Could have been inaccurate judging. Both fights were in Jersey, Milton being NY and Ward being NJ so there could have been favoritism. Milton beat Robbie Sims and Michael Olajide right after so it's possible Milton out pointed an inexperienced G Man.

[SteveO]

Johnny Nelson

Yes, Johnny lost his first three professional contests.
Mike Weaver lost his first two professional contests.

[Lennox]

Johnny Nelson lost his first 3 and I think was 5-5

Rey Loreto current straw-weight IBO champ, lost his first 4

[Noxy]

Bonecrusher Smith, Freddie Pendleton.

[Controversial]

Steve Robinson. Was 13-9-1 and only a journeyman when he got a last minute title shot (48 hours notice) due to the champ failing aids test. He then won the WBO title and defended it 7 times beating Colin McMillan, Paul Hodkinson and Duke McKenzie amongst his defences.

After his first 11 fights his record was 5-6 with 2 KOs

[Noxy]

Fernando Vargas

?