BoxRec

MightyWarrior's post in another thread got me wondering what some of the toughest debuts ever have been;

MightyWarrior wrote:Rafael Marquez in his DEBUT getting KO'd by ex world champ Vic Rabanales, takes some beating.

I'm racking my brains trying to think of some, but have drawn a blank, so will leave it to some of the better historians on this board

Peter Rademacher is the classic example - world title fight on his debut.

Doesn't get much toughter then that!

Ramon Aramburu v prime Julio Cesar Chavez

Oleg Maskaev's career is always worth a quick glance.

But Rademacher is the trump on this I think.

Good topic. Not an earth-shaking one, yet one that always get's brought up is Oleg Maskaev's seventh fight (was it sixth?) versus McCall, but in his debut Oleg fought some bloke called Alex Miroschnichenko (thank you, Boxrec!) who was 21-0 (15 early).

Miroschni-whatsisface had dropped Riddick Bowe twice at the '88 Olympics, losing a points decision in the semi-final.

EDIT: Beat me to it, Dave!

Future champ Bonecrusher Smith had a tough one, getting flattened in his debut by red hot prospect James Broad.

Broad was the USA's top amateur heavy before turning over, having just separated Marvis Frazier from that title, and his senses, with a one punch KO.

Leon Spinks fought an old ALI in his 7th or 8th fight didn't he for the world title ?

TerribleTerry's call of Rademacher has to be the toughest of all, despite his Olympic success.

It also goes to show that it's not only todays boxing world that throws up wierd matches. Dodgy matches have been happending since the year dot.

Completely other end of the scale but I remember a young lad called Usman Ahmed going in with Chris Edwards in his pro debut. He put up a hell of fight, but had way too much stacked against him. Interestingly he hasn't lost since.

Rafael Lovera fought for the WBC light flyweight title on his debut, and he wasn't an olympic champ or anything like that, he was a taxi driver from Paraguay.
Lovera fought Luis Estaba , it was in Estaba's home town as well. Lovera was knocked out in the 4th round, and went back to taxi driving as far as anyone knows, as he was never seen in a boxing ring again.

When i saw the headline i though of Rafael Marquez and Rabanales but some very good other ones got brought up Rademacher, Maskaev (Imagine some guy turning pro and doing that now against someone 21-0 and a former amateur standout) & Ramon Aramburu against Chavez yikes that sounds like a career kill!

Old Bones Ian, that absolutely astonishing. It seems the WBC have actually improved their sanctioning This must be the toughest!

Bernard Hopkins!!!! , Johnny Nelson!!!

Didn't Lionel Butler fight Riddick Bowe and Bruce Seldon amongst his first 3 fights?

Slightly off topic.. but I thought (wrongly) that the guy whom Khan made his debut against, David Baily, was also on his debut.

Anyway, turns out David Baily made his debut against a guy called Dean Ward- whoes own career record was won 0 lost 7- but included that 7 were Matty Marsh, Patrick Hyland, Derry Matthews and Andy Bell- all British Championship level fighters at least.

Tough career!!

I was checking the results the other day and some Thai fought for a WBC asian title or something like that on his debut and actually beat the champion. I doubt Ill be able to find him tho.

Check out Danny Juma, now that is a tough career.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

THEBUTCH wrote: Completely other end of the scale but I remember a young lad called Usman Ahmed going in with Chris Edwards in his pro debut. He put up a hell of fight, but had way too much stacked against him. Interestingly he hasn't lost since.

He was a very lucky boy not to lose last night against Luke Wilton.

Not a debut, but in Taras Bidenko's 4th fight he fought Nikolai Valuev, whose record was 28-0-0.

Datsue wrote:Good topic. Not an earth-shaking one, yet one that always get's brought up is Oleg Maskaev's seventh fight (was it sixth?) versus McCall, but in his debut Oleg fought some bloke called Alex Miroschnichenko (thank you, Boxrec!) who was 21-0 (15 early).

Miroschni-whatsisface had dropped Riddick Bowe twice at the '88 Olympics, losing a points decision in the semi-final.

EDIT: Beat me to it, Dave!

I remember Miroschnichenko was a very good prospect in the early 90s; I wonder what became of him.

Freddy Castillo fought Guty Espadas in his debut, a clash of future world champs. Reggie Ford was slung in with Bobby Watts in his first fight, in an appalling match. Watts held a win over Marvin Hagler and was 29-3-1.
Watts later bust the ribs of Hagler in sparring.

Reginald Marks fought Nigel Benn 4-0 (4 KO's) on his debut and get knocked out in the first round. He never fought again.

Old bones Ian wrote:Check out Danny Juma, now that is a tough career.

http://www.boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?hu ... &cat=boxer

Great shout Ian - he didn't have a gimme the whole way through did he??

I remember watching his draw with Robin Reid in his second fight - never realised it was only Danny's 2nd fight

Jose Peyre was hardly a journeyman at the time he stood opposite a young Billy Walker,who was making his debut.

oddly Joe Bugner got Ko'd in one in his first fight by a pretty ordinary boxer.

Archie Moore fought quite a few novices in his time. Pro wrestlers Roy Shire, Mike DiBiase, among others had no experience boxing what so ever, and were easily beaten the hell out of by Archie. Guess in Moore's mind beating on huge guys who probably got more television time than he did, was his way of having a practical joke.