HOF Boxers: Their First Loss Quiz | Sports

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Marvelous Marvin Hagler sported a record of 26-0-1 before losing for the first time to which of these Philadelphia based fighters?

Answer: Bobbie 'Boogaloo' Watts

Hagler dropped a ten round decision to Watts in 1976, which he avenged in 1980 with a second round TKO. Two months after his loss to Watts, Hagler returned to Philadelphia and lost a decision to Monroe, whom he knocked out twice in 1977. Marvin also stopped Hart in 1976, and decisioned Briscoe in 1979, both of these bouts in Philly.

The Marvelous One finished his career with a record of 62-3-2, including 13 defenses of his middleweight title.

2. Bob Foster made 14 defenses of his world light-heavyweight title between 1969 and 1974. Prior to that, Foster suffered his first loss by TKO to this fighter, a man who one year later became the first pro to knock down Cassius Clay.

Answer: Sonny Banks

Banks knocked down Clay in 1962, but wound up losing the fight. Sonny died three years later from injuries in a nine round bout against Leotis Martin.

3. Walker Smith, better known as Sugar Ray Robinson, won his first 40 bouts before losing a ten round decision in a rematch to which other Hall of Famer?

Answer: Jake LaMotta

Robinson had decisioned LaMotta in 1942, then lost to him in 1943, his first loss ever. Robinson then defeated LaMotta in their next four fights. Sugar Ray also defeated Armstrong once, and Zivic and Gavilian twice each, enroute to 175 career wins.

4. Which of these future Hall of Famers did not lose their first pro fight?

Answer: Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson lost his second fight, via a 3rd round KO to Joe Choynski in 1901. The two were arrested and jailed after the fight. Choynski taught Johnson boxing tactics in the cell. Armstrong, Conn, and Arguello all lost their pro debuts, then went on to win a combined 294 pro fights.

5. Joe Louis sported a record of 27-0, and was considered invincible before he was KO'd in a non-title match by which of these future Hall of Fame champions?

Answer: Max Schmeling

It's well known that Louis KO'd Schmeling in a round during his first title defense. However, Schmeling had KO'd Louis in the tenth round of a 1936 non-title bout. Louis did KO Baer and Sharky in non-title fights, and was destroyed by Marciano in his final career fight.

6. Floyd Patterson won Olympic Gold as a middleweight in 1952. Eventually, he won the world heavyweight title as a pro. Prior to that, he lost for the first time as a pro to which Hall of Fame light heavyweight who stopped Sugar Ray Robinson in a 1952 title bout?

Answer: Joey Maxim

Maxim defeated Patterson in an eight round decision. Moore took the light heavyweight title from Maxim in 1952, just after Maxim stopped Robinson in a defense of the title. Boxing experts blamed that Robinson lost due to the heat.

7. Puerto Rico's Wilfredo Gomez fought to a draw in his first pro match, then won 32 straight fights. That included winning the WBC Bantamweight title, and then defending the title 13 times. He then challenged for the WBC Featherweight title as a heavy favorite in 1981, only to be handed his first defeat in a one-sided fight by which of these warriors?

Answer: Salvador Sanchez

Hall of Famer Salvador Sanchez knocked Gomez down in the first round, enroute to a brutal eighth round KO. Gomez did later decision LaPorte for the WBC title after Sanchez died in a car wreck, and Gomez defeated Lockridge for the the World Junior Welterweight title during his career. Neither Gomez or Sanchez ever fought Duran.

8. Each of these future Hall of Fame fighters experienced their first loss in their native country prior to becoming a world champion. Which one did not lose within their first 10 fights?

Answer: Salvador Sanchez, Mexico

Sanchez won 18 fights before his first loss when challenging for the Mexican bantamweight title. Monzon, maybe the greatest middleweight ever, lost his ninth pro fight, during his first year of professional fighting. Napoles, who would become one of the finest welterweight champs ever, lost his eighth pro fight in his native Cuba. Tiger, a future middleweight champ, was stopped in his seventh fight while challenging for the Nigerian middleweight title.

9. This fighter was an Olympic Gold medalist, won a world title, moved up in weight and won another world title, then lost for the first time during his 32nd bout. Who was he?

Answer: Michael Spinks

Spinks won gold in the 1976 Olympics, then won the light heavyweight title, before taking the heavyweight title on a disputed decision over Larry Holmes. In his 32nd fight, he was knocked out by Mike Tyson. Ali also was an Olympic Gold Medalist, but he had only been Heavyweight Champion before losing in his 32nd fight. That loss was to Joe Frazier, another Olympic Gold Medal Heavyweight, who lost his 30th pro fight to fellow Olympic Gold Medal winner George Foreman. Larry Holmes won 48 fights before losing to Spinks. Holmes never made it to the Olympics, having lost in the Trials to Duane Bobick in 1972.

10. Only one of these four Hall of Fame Heavyweight Champions did not suffer their first loss by knockout. Which one?

Answer: Ezzard Charles

Ezzard Charles, who defeated Joe Louis by decision, later went the distance with Rocky Marciano, and won three times against Jersey Joe Walcott, took his first pro defeat via decision against Ken Ovelin. Norton was knocked out by Jose Luis Garcia in his 17th fight, which Kenny avenged five years later via fifth round KO. Jack Dempsey was decked by Fireman Jim Flynn in the first round in 1917, and returned the favor in 1918. Frazier lost to Foreman in 1973, going down five times for his first defeat.

Source: Author keithkomodo

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
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HOF Boxers: Their First Loss Trivia Quiz

This quiz looks at Hall of Fame boxers, and the first loss they each experienced.

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