WBC Minimumweight Champion Wanheng Menayothin Ties Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 Record
Perhaps one of the more under-the-radar talking points during Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s August 26 fight against Conor McGregor was Mayweather breaking Rocky Marciano's 49-0 pro career record. Now that Mayweather got the 50-0 record, another boxer looks to join the one-man club.
Wanheng Menayothin, the WBC minimumweight champion, tied Marciano's 49-0 record when he beat WBC top 10 fighter Tatsuya Fukuhara via unanimous decision to retain the WBC title. Menayothin is now one win away from becoming the third boxer in his history to start his career with at least 50 straight wins (Mayweather Jr., Julio Cesar Chavez).
Now other boxers have achieved similar unbeaten streaks and had their careers end without a loss, but only Mayweather, Marciano and potentially Menayothin can say their careers ended at least with a 49-0 record. Other boxers, such as Ricardo Lopez and Jimmy Barry, ended their careers with no loss and had more fights than Mayweather, but Lopez and Barry have draws on their record.
Menayothin won the WBC title in 2014 and has successfully defended it eight times. Menayothin spent the entirety of his career fighting in his native country of Thailand, but it has been a successful one for a minimumweight boxer. In just his third professional fight, Menayothin won the WBC Youth World minimumweight title, making eight successful defenses of the title. Menayothin also won the WBC International title in 2009, defending that title 12 times.
The 32-year-old Menayothin, whose real name is Chayaphon Moonsri, has fought professionally since 2007.
