worse boxer to ever hold a title?

[BoxBuzz]

Oh and Reggie Strickland is the answer. He holds the title to his Studebaker.

[barry]

While he isn't one of my more favorite of fighters Sharkey was a very solid heavyweight in his prime who beat some very good opponents and he was getting the better of Dempsey until the lights went out.

Leading up to the bout with Dempsey Sharkey beat a couple of journeymena along with an older Harry Wills and a young and formidable Jim Maloney. After Dempsey Sharkey went on to be the following fighters, almost all of whom were in their primes at the time...Young Stribling, Max Schmeling, Primo Carnera, Tommy Loughran and Jack Delaney.

He also done away with up and coming fighters KO Christner and Athur DeKuh, who would turn out to be stepping stones later on, but at the time were considered to be dangerous opponents that had a good chance to fight for the title one day in the future, which of course neither ever did. Overall Sharkey has a very solid record against very good opposition.

I don't know where I would have him ranked at as I only made my list to 20, which neither Sharkey, nor Bowe made.

[hawaiianpunch]

Leon Spinks and Bruce Seldon in recent times. I'd say Ruiz, but hey he beat Rahman so that means he should be above Hasim!

[raylawpc]

Al McCoy. He was so bad, he didn't defend his middleweight championship for something like three years after winning it with a lucky punch against George Chip. When somebody asked his manager why McCoy didn't defend his title, his manager forthrightly replied, "Because he'd lose."

[sharkey]

Babe Risko was at one point a pretty good fighter. But, looking at him, in the period bookending his winning the 'title' shows he should be a contender for some sort of 'worst champion' award. As I am sure most know, Risko floored title-holder clever (aka, box no punch) Teddy Yarosz in a non title-tile, and Yarosz hurt his leg. Badly. Risko held tha twin over Yarosz and it would pay him back handsomely. The interim period of Yarosz healing saw Risko lose several fights. Still, Risko on the strength of having beaten Yarosz once, got a shot when Teddy was 'healed' and Yarosz' injury appeared again. The compromised Yarosz loses to Risko, Risko wins the title, and from there loses to anyone who was decent, including a non-title mauling in one-round at the hands of Jock McAvoy. When he finally defends the title, as expected, he is then bounced all over creation by Freddie Steele. Now, given McAvoy and Steel were very good, it isn't like Risko was bad an dlost to crappy guys. Still.

Red Cochrane of course is a serious claimant to worst champ.

JB Williamson may be the worst LH champ I ever saw.

Maussa?

[JDC]

Henry Akinwande would lose to everyone mentioned so far

[crusader]

Leon Spinks and Bruce Seldon in recent times. I'd say Ruiz, but hey he beat Rahman so that means he should be above Hasim!

Ruiz had an ugly style, but there have probably been hundreds of worse titilists.

[The Great John L]

Eddie Gazo comes to mind.

[ryanst1982]

Valuev for me, what an.awful lump of meat that man is

[jaclem2]

...i let this one slip by..... lauro salas belongs in here. he's one of the guys who played win the title, lose it back with jimmy carter.

[raylawpc]

Jaclem, are you saying Salas was a bad fighter (like Al McCoy) and thus one of the worst boxers to ever hold a title, or is one of the worst because of his lack of longevity as champion? I hope the latter. I've always thought Salas was a double-tough fighter who had the misfortune of competing in an era when the featherweight and lightweight classes were loaded with talent. He beat a number of good fighters including Carter, Manuel Ortiz, Harold Dade, Cisco Andrade, and Carlos Chavez among others.

[jaclem2]

..ray..yeah, i remember seeing salas on tv a few times, including both carter fights. he was tough, as you say, and fought in a tough era....but,his record of wins and losses is not one of a champion. and i guess that's what i'm judging him by. even his title win over carter is tainted...i thought carter clearly won and you could hear voices from the crowd yelling for carter to take off the handcuffs. in the rematch carter won decisively.

but he was a good competitor...i'll give him...and you...that.

[raylawpc]

..ray..yeah, i remember seeing salas on tv a few times, including both carter fights. he was tough, as you say, and fought in a tough era....but,his record of wins and losses is not one of a champion. and i guess that's what i'm judging him by. even his title win over carter is tainted...i thought carter clearly won and you could hear voices from the crowd yelling for carter to take off the handcuffs. in the rematch carter won decisively.

but he was a good competitor...i'll give him...and you...that.

I see. Thanks.

[keithmoonhangover]

Linear Champions.....

1. Briggs
2. Spinks
3. Carnera
4. Willard
5. Douglas

[dr_devious]

Rene Jacqout is probably the worst fighter I've seen hold a world title

[SpecialJC]

Nikolai Valuev he's just a great big oaf

[BoxBuzz]

Nikolai Valuev he's just a great big oaf

You will no doubt be hearing from the Oaf's union once they get wind of this libelous claim.

[SpecialJC]

Nikolai Valuev he's just a great big oaf

You will no doubt be hearing from the Oaf's union once they get wind of this libelous claim.

He's awful at boxing he just slobbers around like a troll intimidating oppents with his size as he has no ability what so ever.

[BoxBuzz]

Wow, first all Oaf's are insulted, and now Troll's are being verbally belittled.

Oaf's and Troll's must now be feeling the same embarrassment that was once exclusively reserved for all manner of "Beast's".