What's the longest inactivity before a world-title shot?

[DavidPayne]

Jim Jeffries?

After Jim, who's next? Or can that be bettered?

[Jesus]

didnt george foreman have quite a long lay off before his fight with moorer? something like 2 years i think....

[bennie]

It has to be Foreman.

[stujones]

Sugar Ray Leonard?

[el_grande_mauro_mina]

Sugar Ray Leonard?

[bennie]

The Klit was out a while before Peter.

[stujones]

The Klit was out a while before Peter.

Nice shout. Around 4 years surely.

[bigjack]

Sugar Ray Leonard?

Leonard was 4 years, jim jeffries was 6 klit was 4

[SheffieldSteel]

Not technically a world title shot, but Henry Maske came back after about a decade for his rematch with Virgil Hill (and won) in a non-title 12 rounder when Hill was still reigning WBA cruiserweight champion.

[stujones]

Not technically a world title shot, but Henry Maske came back after about a decade for his rematch with Virgil Hill (and won) in a non-title 12 rounder when Hill was still reigning WBA cruiserweight champion.

Great shout.

I think Leonard was 3 and not 4 years. Remember he fought Kevin Howard 3 years before the Hagler fight, Big Jack. Unless you want to count his title fight vs Camacho (something like the IBU title on the line) - then it was about 6 years before the Norris and the Camacho fights.

[bobmee]

Billy Conn was out nearly 4 1/2 years before he challenged Joe Louis the 2nd time. I don't think anybody beats the almost 6 years for Jeffries when he fought Johnson though. Corbett was out three years between the Jeffries fights too.

Technically, though... that chap Rafael Lovera had been inactive all his life when he fought Luis Estaba for the WBC light-flyweight title - it was his first pro - and possibly pro or amateur fight (!?!)
(Pete Rademacher too, but at least he'd fought in the Olympics...)

[bigjack]

Not technically a world title shot, but Henry Maske came back after about a decade for his rematch with Virgil Hill (and won) in a non-title 12 rounder when Hill was still reigning WBA cruiserweight champion.

Great shout.

I think Leonard was 3 and not 4 years. Remember he fought Kevin Howard 3 years before the Hagler fight, Big Jack. Unless you want to count his title fight vs Camacho (something like the IBU title on the line) - then it was about 6 years before the Norris and the Camacho fights.

Yes your correct it was 3 years,i never considered the comacho fight a world title fight to be honest,although on paper i suppose it was

[oliverfennell]

Although not a title shot, Rocky Balboa came out of retirement after 21 years to immediately face the reigning world heavyweight champion.

[orbtastic]

Eder Jofre? Some distance between losing his bantam title and winning the featherweight title.

[bobmee]

Jofre retired for 3 years, then had a fairly lengthy comeback, more than a dozen fights I think, before boxing Legra for the featherweight title. Vicente Saldivar was out of the ring a couple of years before he fought Jofre in 1973.

[stujones]

Although not a title shot, Rocky Balboa came out of retirement after 21 years to immediately face the reigning world heavyweight champion.

You beat me too it!.