Longest period a Champion went without a defence...

[Robinson]

Who holds the record for sitting on their hands as they
hold onto the world title at any weight...


Thanks again guys

[Martin Sosa Cameron]

-Jim Corbett - January 25, 1894 - March 1, 1897
-Jess Willard - March 25, 1916 - July 4, 1919
-Jack Dempsey - September 14, 1923 - September 23, 1926
-Joe Louis - March 27, 1942 - June 9, 1946
-Philadelphia Jack O'Brien - December 20, 1905 - June 17, 1912, when retired; never defended his
title
-Gus Lesnevich - November 14, 1941 - May 14, 1946
-Bob Fitzsimmons - January 14, 1891 - September 26, 1894 (in Middleweigh)
-Tommy Ryan - September 15, 1902 - March 4, 1907, when retired (Middle)
-Tony Zale - November 28, 1941 - September 27, 1946
-Freddie Cochrane - July 29, 1941 - February 1, 1946
-Johnny Kilbane - September 4, 1916 - April 21, 1920
-Jimmy Wilde - December 18, 1916 - June 18, 1923
-Peter Kane - September 22, 1938 - June 19, 1943
-Jackie Patterson - June 19, 1943 - July 10, 1946

[giacomino]

More recently, as IBF junior bantamweight champ, Luis Alberto Perez went from 12/13/2003 to 4/30/2005 before making a bullshit defense against Luis Bolano, who had been ko'd in his previous fight. Perez didn't make a legitimate defense until the next year against Kirilov.
I guess his title-sitting habit rubbed off on the guy who beat him for the IBF bantamweight title last year. Joe Agbeko ko'd Perez in September 2007 and doesn't have a defense currently scheduled

[raylawpc]

I could be wrong but Al McCoy won the middleweight title in 1914 with a lst round KO over George Chip, and did not defend it until losing the title to Mike O'Dowd in 1917. He engaged in several ND fights during that priod, but none were for the title, as far as I know.

I think it was McCoy whose manager, when asked why he didn't defend it against a deserving challenger, forthrightly answered, "Because he'd lose."

[Ambling Alp]

Well, atleast he was honest! :)

[Robinson]

Gus Lesnevich and Joe Louis atleast had the
war as reason for not being able to defend their
titles.

It amazes me how some so called 'greats' and
'legends' get away with never facing any one while
champions ....what excuse do they have for this ?

No one good enough around ?

[Crease]

[quote="Robinson"]

It amazes me how some so called 'greats' and
'legends' get away with never facing any one while
champions ....what excuse do they have for this ?

No one good enough around ?[/quote]


Well it depends on who you meant by "Greats"...

In the Heavyweight division alone - I can maybe answer for a few of the Heavys...

JOE LOUIS: As you say, Louis can to contend with World War 2... Which he signed up, then continued Boxing exhibition fights. :)

ROCkY MARCIANO: There's a simple fact that a lot of the top contenders in his day, FEARED him, and didn't actually want a title shot against Marciano (notice how he repeatedly fought figthers during his short tenure as champion)...
BROCKTON BLOCKBUSTER =

[pete]

The reason Louis could fight exhibitions during WWII was ALL boxing championship titles were frozen.The champs couldn't defend them during wartime but they couldn't lose them either.If you're inferring that Louis was scared of a contender then you may not have noticed he wasn't afraid 25 other times.
He wasn't afraid of Marciano either,even at 37 years old.Yes he lost the fight but your contrast of Louis' and the Rock's title reigns has no merit,other than to show your partisism toward Marciano and you didn't know the rules of boxing during WWII.

[Robinson]

Its retarded to think Fighters used the war to stay on top of their
crown.

I am thinking of champions that did nothing with their titles except
exploit the fame for long periods a time and deny contenders or
even journey men a shot at the title.

[observer1]

There are some who went longer without a defence against a "PROPER" defence, except only against nobodies or over-hyped opponenets........

[Robinson]

Fighting ANYBODY is better than fighting NOBODY.

Regardless of how 'undeserving' many of the experts here feel a challenger
was for a tile fight.

[HomicideHenry]

Well at least give Louis some credit, in the four years he was inactive, he did box 96 exhibitions, albeit mainly against members of the Marines, Army, Navy, etc. Most of the world champions, who went into the service, did this same scenario.

[Robinson]

And those exhibitions contributed to the war effort and the sport.

I think its wrong to criticise a fighter for being inactive during the
war years.

Inactivity during peace or when one's nation is not on a war footing
is a little different.

[bollox]

It's ironic when you think about it........Joe Louis went to war in peace time, then went to peace during a time of war