Which Brit has had most failed attempts at a world title?

[davie]

I googled it and found the following, but none from these shores surpass 4 that I know of

Orlando Salido - 6 Failed Attempts
vs. Martinez September 2015 (WBO)
vs. Martinez April 2015 (WBO)
vs. Gamboa 2010 (WBA)
vs. Cruz 2008 (IBF)
vs. Guerrero 2006 (IBF)
vs. Marquez 2004 (WBA, IBF)

Zab Judah - 6 Failed Attempts
vs. Garcia 2013 (WBC, WBA)
vs. Khan 2011 (WBA)
vs. Clottey 2008 (IBF)
vs. Mayweather 2006 (IBF)
vs. Spinks 2004 (WBC, WBA, IBF)
vs. Tszyu 2001 (WBC, WBA)

Bernard Hopkins - 5 Failed Attempts
vs. Sergey Kovalev 2014 (WBO)
vs. Jean Pascal 2010 (WBC)
vs. Jermain Taylor 2005 (WBC, WBA, WBO)
vs. Segundo Mercado 1994 (IBF)
vs. Roy Jones Jr 1993 (IBF)

Rocky Juarez - 5 Failed Attempts
vs. Chris John September 2009 (WBA)
vs. Chris John February 2009 (WBA)
vs. Marquez 2007 (WBC)
vs. Barrera September 2006 (WBA)
vs. Barrera May 2006 (WBA)

Yaqui Lopez - 5 Failed Attempts
vs. De Leon 1983 (WBC)
vs. Muhammad 1980 (WBC)
vs. Galindez 1978 (WBA)
vs. Galindez 1977 (WBA)
vs. Conteh 1976 (WBC)

Some of the other ones in this thread had less:
Juan Manuel Marquez - 4 Failed Attempts
Frank Bruno - 4 Failed Attempts
Martin Murray - 3 Failed Attempts
Gerrie Coetzee - 3 Failed Attempts
Matthew Macklin - 2 Failed Attempts

I don't think that's right though, as Bruno won on his 4th attempt
Macklin is listed as challenging for the WBC diamond belts vs Martinez, which is interesting.
And Murray we know is on 4 and I would be shocked if he can't work his way into a position to have another failed attempt.

of the international names above, we know Salido, Judah and Hopkins all held titles between those failed attempts
Rocky Juarez and Yaqui Lopez however just fell on their face every time they tried and are the only men I know of to beat Murray for successive failed attempts

I'd hardly describe Yaqui Lopez as falling on his face in title fights. He was an excellent fighter and unlucky to be around at an immensely tough time to win a world title at his weight. His losing efforts were legendary.

If I was being pedantic I probably wouldn't describe any of them as such
but I'm not so I did

It was figure of speech, geez.

[bripez]

Bump for this one.

Other than the names already mentioned I am struggling ..

OK - answer is Danny Porter - see http://boxrec.com/boxer/3445 - one Area shot, one British, three Commonwealth, three EBU, one WBO. To be fair to him, he does not deserve to have this accolade - I recall he was utterly robbed in the second EBU challenge.

Never would of got that great question

Same here - I bet there aren't many boxing officionados who would get that one, even though it wasn't that long ago.

[forestbox]

Sakio bika had 6,2 draws 4 losses.

[davie]

Sakio bika had 6,2 draws 4 losses.

He was the holder of the WBC when he drew with Dirrell, so not a failed attempt

[reggaereggae]

Sorry, Jersey Joe Walcott, 5. No love for this fact?

Plenty of love for it (although I am not sure you were first to it in this thread )!

Thank you bro. I guess the main thing that makes this so significant on my eyes, is that there were only 8 weight divisions at the time and only 2 governing bodies.....

[tobyh5]

I must be in a minority of one here as I have always taken then discussion of failed attempts to be someone who lost title tilts consecutively and before winning a title / total of challenges if they never won a title rather than purely counting up all challenges over a careers.

So B-hop for example had two failed tilts before winning so we say "He won the title at his third attempt". Although technically we can list them all as we are talking about failed challenges but half of them came after he had been a world champion.

It is just not how I have ever interpreted these discussions.

[Boxing Prospect]

On the international front Jose Antonio Aguirre deserve a a mention. He won on his first attempt, in Thailand in 2000, run up a bunch of defenses until 2004. Then he went 0-5 in subsequent world title challenges. Overall world title record 8-6.

Satoshi Hosono is on 3 and said to be eyeing up Lee Selby, so he will likely have a 4th failure later this year.

After digging-
Betulio Gonzalez had 6 (though did win titles between those failed challenges)

[littlepug]

alan rudkin, mickey cantwell and billy hardy all had 3 cracks each

Cantwell had four (wins over Dave Coldwell to 'earn' two of them)

WBU isn't counted mate just the main 4

[orbtastic]

Rudkin had the misfortune to face the best comp around at the weight.

[Counter-puncher]

Satoshi Hosono is on 3 and said to be eyeing up Lee Selby, so he will likely have a 4th failure later this year.

yup. Selby is all wrong stylistically for a diligent but limited tryer like Hosono, the featherweight Nashiro.

[littlepug]

Rudkin had the misfortune to face the best comp around at the weight.

yep no shame in losing to rose, olivaries and harada

[Tomasino]

I googled it and found the following, but none from these shores surpass 4 that I know of



I don't think that's right though, as Bruno won on his 4th attempt
Macklin is listed as challenging for the WBC diamond belts vs Martinez, which is interesting.
And Murray we know is on 4 and I would be shocked if he can't work his way into a position to have another failed attempt.

of the international names above, we know Salido, Judah and Hopkins all held titles between those failed attempts
Rocky Juarez and Yaqui Lopez however just fell on their face every time they tried and are the only men I know of to beat Murray for successive failed attempts

I'd hardly describe Yaqui Lopez as falling on his face in title fights. He was an excellent fighter and unlucky to be around at an immensely tough time to win a world title at his weight. His losing efforts were legendary.

If I was being pedantic I probably wouldn't describe any of them as such
but I'm not so I did

It was figure of speech, geez.

I know, it was just a very inaccurate figure of speech.

[Rexob]

alan rudkin, mickey cantwell and billy hardy all had 3 cracks each

Cantwell had four (wins over Dave Coldwell to 'earn' two of them)

WBU isn't counted mate just the main 4

Just the main 4

[Bodyshot3]

May have been mentioned earlier...but Nicky Piper is keeping some very good company, got three cracks of the whip.
Bit early against Benn, not really so good against Barber, then a bit late against Michalczewski.

[bripez]

May have been mentioned earlier...but Nicky Piper is keeping some very good company, got three cracks of the whip.
Bit early against Benn, not really so good against Barber, then a bit late against Michalczewski.

Forgot about Piper - however he reminded me of Crawford Ashley who had 3 attempts at a world title (although the third g was for the WBU).

[Rexob]

Ryan Rhodes failed 4 times WBO X2, WBU? AND WBC.

[Kit]

Not British but Rocky Juarez had 6 unsuccessful attempts and never picked up any version of a world title.

[Kit]

Double post

[bripez]

Not British but Rocky Juarez had 6 unsuccessful attempts and never picked up a version of a world title.

I didn't realise it as so many - the calibre of the boxers he faced was unreal.

I am finding this thread really interesting - I am surprised at the number of British boxers who had multiple opportunities.

It is a strange sport, Martin Murray has had 4 goes and Jamie Moore didn't get any.

[magwitch]

Think Michael Brodie had 4 failed attempts

Two against Chi and one against Scott Harrison I think...not sure the other one.

Ryan Rhodes had 2, something like 12 years apart.

Didn't Michael Watson have 3? 2 against Eubank and one against McCallum?

[magwitch]

Joe Bugner has 12 round defeats listed against Ron Lyle, Joe Frazier and Muhammad Ali that were not listed as World title attempts, at least as far as I can make out using Boxrec.

[littlepug]

Ryan Rhodes failed 4 times WBO X2, WBU? AND WBC.

Why you giving WBU recognition ? am assuming your new to the sport, its bad enough having 4 governing bodies without giving props to all the others

[littlepug]

Think Michael Brodie had 4 failed attempts

Two against Chi and one against Scott Harrison I think...not sure the other one.

Ryan Rhodes had 2, something like 12 years apart.

Didn't Michael Watson have 3? 2 against Eubank and one against McCallum?

Also Willie jorrin for brodie

[Tomasino]

Think Michael Brodie had 4 failed attempts

Two against Chi and one against Scott Harrison I think...not sure the other one.

Ryan Rhodes had 2, something like 12 years apart.

Didn't Michael Watson have 3? 2 against Eubank and one against McCallum?

Also Willie jorrin for brodie

That was a sad night, had Brodie well winning that.

[magwitch]

Think Michael Brodie had 4 failed attempts

Two against Chi and one against Scott Harrison I think...not sure the other one.

Ryan Rhodes had 2, something like 12 years apart.

Didn't Michael Watson have 3? 2 against Eubank and one against McCallum?

Also Willie jorrin for brodie

Think Richie Woodhall had 3 attempts but I've just realised he doesn't count as he was WBC champ.
I think he took it from a German....in Germany, but I could be wrong there he may have lost in Germany.
He also fought Calzaghe. And Robin Reid....unless I've imagined the last one.

EDIT: i had that all wrong. Lost TWO WBC contests to Keith Holmes and Markus Beyer and a WBO, which was Calzaghe. The fight against Beyer was in England not Germany.
Woodhall won the WBC and also successfully defended it a few times. Never realised that. Always thought Woodhall won it then lost it.
Has wins over Catley, Nardiello and Malinga - but didn't fight Reid as I thought.