How many boxers have tried to erase Rocky Marciano’s unbeaten 49-0 record? Well, 3 have but lost afterwards. Willie Pep, Julio Cesar Chavez, Sr., and Nina LaRocca would all lose after passing the Rock.
Now we have the WBC Latino light welterweight champion Cesar Rene “El Distinto” Cuenca a southpaw from Argentina winning over the week-end improving his record to 46-0 with TWO knockouts. You heard me right, TWO knockouts. The 32 year-old is ranked No. 6 by both the IBF and WBO while the WBC ranks him No. 12. The WBA does not rank him. The IBO has him at No. 14.
Turning professional in 2002 Cuenca scored knockouts in 2005 and 2013. In August of 2003 he had his first of 2 no contests. A NC 1 result against Daniel Osvaldo Villalba in the second of 3 straight fights over a 4 month period. Cuenca won decisions in the other 2 matches. The other was in a rematch with Nazareno Gaston Ruiz in May of 2010 from an accidental clash of heads resulting in a NC 1.
Cuenca won the interim Argentina (FAB) title in 2005 and has defended it 5 times. He also won the vacant WBA Fedecaribe title in May of 2006 defeating Jose Alfaro by majority decision. Alfaro would win the WBA lightweight title the following year in December and losing it in his first defense. A year later Cuenca won the vacant Latino title over Pablo Andres Godoy.
In May of 2003 Cuenca won by split decision (only one in career) over Ariel Francisco Burgos. In a rematch in October of 2008 Cuenca won by disqualification in 9 rounds causing Burgos to retire from boxing. In 48 fights Cuenca has never fought out of Argentina.
Possibly Cuenca’s biggest win was over Puerto Rico’s Alex DeJesus, then 19-0. The latter would win his next fight some 17 months later and retire in 2010. In July of 2005 he defeated future South American champion Carlos Wilfredo Vilches then 43-6-2.
There is Lucas Matthysse, 34-3, and Martin Coggi, 30-5-3, (listed as the AMBH champion in the IBO rankings) both from Argentina whom Cuenca has never faced. Nor has he ever fought for the South American title which Carlos Martin Ahumada defeated Coggi for in September of 2009 and lost his next 2 fights and retired.
