Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

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Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Primetyme199 »

Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title, what are your thoughts?
The fighters he's beaten aren't even household names in their own household.

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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Peat56 »

Sam Langford
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by ObJuan13 »

Probably some old school guy like Langford
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by marciano1952 »

Langford
Wills
Choynski
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by jeff_lacy_ko »

Recent

Tua
Ibeabuchi
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Peat56 »

Tua and Ibeabuchi were very good. Nearly every era has had some strong contenders who would have been champ had it not been for the actual champ.

I wonder if Gerry Cooney would have been champ in the early 80s had it nit been for Holmes? Or what about Earnie Shavers in the late 70s. Either of those guys, dropped into a weak era, would have done well. But so would many others. Its a tough question.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by kewlmodee »

I'll add two to the list. Archie Moore and Teófilo Stevenson
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by the13r »

Teofilo is a good answer... Shame we didn't see him in his prime compete at the top. that straight right was one of the all-time best at the weight if not THE best
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Papa1472002 »

Felix Savon
Jerry Quarry
Ken Norton (Does he count since he never actually won it?)
Harry Wills
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by straycat »

Chuvalo, maybe Lyle?
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Pangloss »

Jimmy Young
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by gilgamesh »

Sam Langford

One of the greatest fighters of all time period. Title or no title.

I'm not sure if Greb was ever a recognized World Champion either. I know he was the American Light Heavyweight Champion at one point...and that kinda thing was a bigger deal then than it would be today if you had such a title.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by FightFanAL »

Gotta be Langford. I think it was Dempsey that said he wanted no piece of Langford and was afraid of him.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by ForceFed_231 »

I say Ray Mercer. Lost fights he never should have but gave all the greats a tough fight.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Papa1472002 »

FightFanAL wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:30 pm Gotta be Langford. I think it was Dempsey that said he wanted no piece of Langford and was afraid of him.
Nah Dempsey wasn't afraid of anyone. One of his original shady managers (John "The Barber" Reisler) tried to put him in against Langford when he first arrived to NYC from Utah. He refused to fight Langford because he wasn't experienced enough at the time. Langford was already a seasoned professional in his prime.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Papa1472002 »

ForceFed_231 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:57 pm I say Ray Mercer. Lost fights he never should have but gave all the greats a tough fight.
He was the WBO Champion back in the early 90's before the belt gained popularity.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by gilgamesh »

Papa1472002 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 3:06 pm
FightFanAL wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:30 pm Gotta be Langford. I think it was Dempsey that said he wanted no piece of Langford and was afraid of him.
Nah Dempsey wasn't afraid of anyone. One of his original shady managers (John "The Barber" Reisler) tried to put him in against Langford when he first arrived to NYC from Utah. He refused to fight Langford because he wasn't experienced enough at the time. Langford was already a seasoned professional in his prime.
Given the whole "I won't fight black men" thing. I refuse to give Dempsey the "wasn't' afraid of anyone" kinda credit. He clearly wanted no part of at least 3 black guys in his era, and used the racism of the day to avoid them.

Whether he was afraid he'd get his ass kicked or afraid he'd lose and not make as much money in the future. He was afraid.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Tocsin »

I am not sure about the HWs from like 100 years ago---many of them wouldn't be close to HW today. As great a fighter as someone like Langford was, he was also about 5'6 and at times weighing in the 150s and 160s without weight draining. That's like a short junior welter or welter today.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Cagiva9 »

I've always felt that Jimmy Young was robbed of a title in his fight with Ali. Over the next year and a half after fighting Ali, Young beat Lyle and then Foreman. The decision in his fight with Norton, to earn the rematch with Ali he was promised, did not go his way. After that Jimmy just seemed to give up and his career reflected that.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by ForceFed_231 »

Papa1472002 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 3:09 pm
ForceFed_231 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 2:57 pm I say Ray Mercer. Lost fights he never should have but gave all the greats a tough fight.
He was the WBO Champion back in the early 90's before the belt gained popularity.
I didn't count the WBO at the time, but I guess since the WBO is recognized now I guess he deserved to be called world champ. He actually beat a decent fighter to win the title, a come from behind win and defended it against a offensive machine in Morrison.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by Papa1472002 »

gilgamesh wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:03 pm
Papa1472002 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 3:06 pm
FightFanAL wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 1:30 pm Gotta be Langford. I think it was Dempsey that said he wanted no piece of Langford and was afraid of him.
Nah Dempsey wasn't afraid of anyone. One of his original shady managers (John "The Barber" Reisler) tried to put him in against Langford when he first arrived to NYC from Utah. He refused to fight Langford because he wasn't experienced enough at the time. Langford was already a seasoned professional in his prime.
Given the whole "I won't fight black men" thing. I refuse to give Dempsey the "wasn't' afraid of anyone" kinda credit. He clearly wanted no part of at least 3 black guys in his era, and used the racism of the day to avoid them.

Whether he was afraid he'd get his ass kicked or afraid he'd lose and not make as much money in the future. He was afraid.
He didn't fight Harry Wills in 1926 because his manager wouldn't let him. The Tunney fight was MUCH more lucrative. However, Dempsey did have black fighters on his record. He fought several of them during his "Kid Blackie" era, including John Lester Johnson who broke Dempsey's ribs when they fought. Its funny how people somehow always seem to forget that. If you really knew Dempsey's story, you wouldn't say something like that. He took on all comers from city to city and didn't care what color they were. He fought in bars, coal mines, cellars and everywhere else just to build his reputation. Unlike many of the fighters in his era, Dempsey wasn't racist.
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Re: Greatest heavyweight boxer to never win a title?

Post by gilgamesh »

Papa1472002 wrote: Sat Dec 07, 2019 1:21 am
gilgamesh wrote: Wed Dec 04, 2019 12:03 pm
Papa1472002 wrote: Tue Dec 03, 2019 3:06 pm
Nah Dempsey wasn't afraid of anyone. One of his original shady managers (John "The Barber" Reisler) tried to put him in against Langford when he first arrived to NYC from Utah. He refused to fight Langford because he wasn't experienced enough at the time. Langford was already a seasoned professional in his prime.
Given the whole "I won't fight black men" thing. I refuse to give Dempsey the "wasn't' afraid of anyone" kinda credit. He clearly wanted no part of at least 3 black guys in his era, and used the racism of the day to avoid them.

Whether he was afraid he'd get his ass kicked or afraid he'd lose and not make as much money in the future. He was afraid.
He didn't fight Harry Wills in 1926 because his manager wouldn't let him. The Tunney fight was MUCH more lucrative. However, Dempsey did have black fighters on his record. He fought several of them during his "Kid Blackie" era, including John Lester Johnson who broke Dempsey's ribs when they fought. Its funny how people somehow always seem to forget that. If you really knew Dempsey's story, you wouldn't say something like that. He took on all comers from city to city and didn't care what color they were. He fought in bars, coal mines, cellars and everywhere else just to build his reputation. Unlike many of the fighters in his era, Dempsey wasn't racist.
When Dempsey was poor and needed the money he fought whoever he needed to fight to get a payday. Like everyone does. When he was Champ, and called the shots the shot he called was to NEVER fight a black man again. That's a fact.

Whether he was racist or not I don't give a shit, but he used racism to his advantage to avoid the most dangerous opponents of his era.
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