Worst ever World champ?

[Matt W]

Seldon was embarrassing in the way he capiulated to Tyson. He entered the ring smiling like he was going to a nightclub and then looked as though he was going to be sick when brought to centre-ring for instructions. After his dive he then proceeded to brag in his interview that he 'wasn't scared, as you could see from the way I came into the ring.' Not his finest hour....

[Pill_85]

I forgot that Arthur beat foster in his 1st defence, Van Horn was a two weight champion so another fighter i was a bit hasty to add. Javier Caselljo beat sturm then has a no contest in a fight he lost and then lost to sturm or have i made that up?

[Dioufy]

I forgot that Arthur beat foster in his 1st defence.

Wasn't that fight for the interim belt? I thought Guzman held the proper version, and when he didn't/couldn't fight Arthur then Arthur was given the proper belt. He then went to lose it in his first defence to Cook, who got knocked out in his first defence too.

[Black Sam Bellamy]

No disrespect to the winner who I know posts on this forum but Anthony Farnell's defeat of Ruben Groenewald for the World Boxing Union middleweight title must go down as a low quality affair as world title fights go.

[Pill_85]

When Farnell won the WBU belt wasnt it just for allegedly fighters to win. That sort of tripe is the reason why frank is disliked by so many farnell should have been pushing for british and commonwealth titles nott this junk. The flip side of that is i do remember eastman being extreamly inactive arround this time

[oliverfennell]

I forgot that Arthur beat foster in his 1st defence, Van Horn was a two weight champion so another fighter i was a bit hasty to add. Javier Caselljo beat sturm then has a no contest in a fight he lost and then lost to sturm or have i made that up?

That's all correct but he also had two light-middle title runs (one interim) prior to beating Sturm. Lost his first world title to De La Hoya.

[gb]

I'd actually rate Santana as better than Rees. Ok, his record doesn't look great, but he was losing decisions to guys at world level before he fought Norris. Rees hadn't even fought at decent European level before he fought M'Baye.

[oliverfennell]

I'd actually rate Santana as better than Rees. Ok, his record doesn't look great, but he was losing decisions to guys at world level before he fought Norris. Rees hadn't even fought at decent European level before he fought M'Baye.

True, but comfortably beating MBaye is better than "losing decisions at world level", surely? Rees will probably prove to be a one-hit wonder, but what he did in that one hit was infinitely better than how Santana won (and defended) his title.

[Pill_85]

Never realised he won a belt at light middle.

[gb]

I'd actually rate Santana as better than Rees. Ok, his record doesn't look great, but he was losing decisions to guys at world level before he fought Norris. Rees hadn't even fought at decent European level before he fought M'Baye.

True, but comfortably beating MBaye is better than "losing decisions at world level", surely? Rees will probably prove to be a one-hit wonder, but what he did in that one hit was infinitely better than how Santana won (and defended) his title.

Fair enough. Rees' way of actually winning the title was impressive, even if the general level of competition throughout his career has been pretty poor. He may turn out to be pretty good, but unless he gets in the European mix at 135 or even 130 we'll never know.

[oliverfennell]

Does anybody even know if he plans to fight again?

Agreed he was arguably a less-qualified challenger than Santana, though, regardless of the title-winning circumstances. Rees had done precisely NOTHING to earn the shot. But yes, as you say, he was impressive enough on the night.

[DavidPayne]

Has to be a fighter who never wont the title in the ring, never beat a former champion before or after and was defeated in his first defence.

Alex Arthur and Lovemore N'Dou are two.

[banjo]

In that case.......Ken Norton(hides and dodges rotten fruit and veg being thrown) never won a world title fight in his life yet is credited as former World Heavyweight Champion.

[DavidPayne]

True.

But he had beaten Muhammad Ali previously.

Alex Arthur had beaten Boris Sinitsen.

[NaFianna]

Valuev is just too tall that nobody can touch him- he's a brutal boxer though

[slapbangwhallop]

Valuev is just too tall that nobody can touch him- he's a brutal boxer though

not seen ya in a while bud!

[slapbangwhallop]

Amir Khant was slaggin Andreas Kotelnik off the other week saying he was the worst world champion other there.

However, I saw him school Gavin Rees!

therein lies my answer

[oliverfennell]

Aye, shame for Ken, in mitigation he did lose to the very best at world title level, he also had to defend his newly won title against Larry Holmes. I think that puts him on a better footing than the likes of Rees and Alex Arthur.

Ya think? DD