toughest run of world title challenge defeats

[littlepug]

So out of the guys that fought for but didn't win a world title multiple times who has the best resume ? will nominate Juan Roldan whose 3 challenges came against peak versions of hagler,hearns and Nunn, any better ?

[APerno]

Mustafa Hamsho - only three shots with one being a 'Continental' title - so not sure if he fits the catagory - but always felt that he got unlucky being around when Hagler was at his best - would have held the middleweight title (if for only a short time) otherwise.

[scartissue]

Armando Muniz - Jose Napoles (twice) and Carlos Palomino (twice)

[Ambling Alp II]

You guys have named some good ones.
Here are a few more:

Carl Williams - lost to Larry Holmes and Mike Tyson
Eddie Cotton- lost to Harold Johnson and Jose Torres
Pierre Fouri lost to Bob Foster (twice) and Victor Galindez
Yaqui Lopez - lost to John Conteh, Victor Galindez (twice), and Mathew Saad Muhammad
Jerry Martin - lost to Eddie Mustapha Muhammad, Mathew Saad Muhammad, and Dwight Braxton
Eddie Davis lost to Dwight Qawi and Michael Spinks
Davey Boy Green - lost to Carlos Palomino and Ray Leonard
Alan Rudkin - lost to Fighting Harada, Lionel Rose, and Ruben Olivares

Jorge Ahumada lost to John Conteh and Victor Galindez. He had a draw with Bob Foster.

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Marcos Villasana lost in world title fight's 4 time's before winning the vacant WBC Featherweight title by 8th round Tko at his 5th attempt against Paul Hodkinson he lost when Challenging Azumah Nelson twice by MD/UD both over 12round's he also lost UD 12 when challenging Jeff Fenech and he had a Draw with Antonio Esparragoza when Challenging for the WBA Featherweight title.

[hhaehre]

Hedgemon Lewis lost to Napoles twice and Stracey in his final fight

[Counter-puncher]

Ruben Castillo- Arguello, Sanchez, Laporte, Chavez.

[elmersalsa]

I will add Mitsunori Seki of Japan. He challenged for a world title 5 times. A world record.

[littlepug]

I will add Mitsunori Seki of Japan. He challenged for a world title 5 times. A world record.

Manuel medina had 6 unsuccessful world title challenges

[elmersalsa]

I will add Mitsunori Seki of Japan. He challenged for a world title 5 times. A world record.

Manuel medina had 6 unsuccessful world title challenges

He became champion. Mitsunori Seki fought 5 times for the title without success.

[Boxing Writer]

Francois Botha was knocked out by Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis and Wladimir Klitschko in the world title fights. Also by ancient Holyfield if you count WBF title

[littlepug]

I will add Mitsunori Seki of Japan. He challenged for a world title 5 times. A world record.

Manuel medina had 6 unsuccessful world title challenges

He became champion. Mitsunori Seki fought 5 times for the title without success.

My mistake

[ClivePatrickLyons]

Aussie Champ Troy Waters had 3 go's but came up short against 3 Very Tough opponent's in Gianfranco Rosi/Terry Norris/ Simon Brown

[bwu]

How about Larry Holmes? He won 21 world title fight in a row before he lost the belt to Michael Spinks. After that, he dropped four more world title bouts. Holmes had the very controversial rematch loss to Spinks. He then faced prime Tyson and Holyfield, going the distance with the latter. Finally, he was edged out on points by Oliver McCall for the WBC belt in 1995. Tough run.

[Kalan]

Joe Warcott lost twice to Joe Louis... then lost twice to Ezzard Charles... He finally beat Charles when he was 37 -- but I think that was a different Charles.. I think the creeping nerve disease ALS started taking it's hidden toll on Charles about that time.. Charles lost 4 of his last 5 fights and finally gave it up.. He died of ALS 14 years later, completely immobilized.

[littlepug]

juan laporte had a short run as world champ but also had losing challenges to salvador sanchez, eusebio pedroza, julio ceasar chavez. john john molina, azumah nelson, charles murray and zack padilla (only stoppage loss), also lost a defence of his world title to wilfredo gomez and non title fights to barry mcguigan and kostya tszyu, phew !

[Keko]

Joe Warcott lost twice to Joe Louis... then lost twice to Ezzard Charles... He finally beat Charles when he was 37 -- but I think that was a different Charles.. I think the creeping nerve disease ALS started taking it's hidden toll on Charles about that time.. Charles lost 4 of his last 5 fights and finally gave it up.. He died of ALS 14 years later, completely immobilized.

18th 07th In 1951 when he won the title of Walcot, Charles was healthy before this fight was won by Maxim for the same belt.
Half a year before he won the belt Jersey.
Disease came later!
Unfortunately because it had so many defeats later.

[davie]

Macklin and Murray facing Sturm, Martinez and Golovkin (as well as Abraham for Murray)

[ElJefe]

Hero graham had mike McCallum,Julian Jackson then sambu kallunbay for the European then Charles brewer not an easy run

Imagine a fight like Kalambay vs Graham being made for a European title these days!

[littlepug]

Would of loved graham to have gotten his shot at the aging hagler, still a tough job for herol but the older version of hagler would of suited him better

[Tomasino]

juan laporte had a short run as world champ but also had losing challenges to salvador sanchez, eusebio pedroza, julio ceasar chavez. john john molina, azumah nelson, charles murray and zack padilla (only stoppage loss), also lost a defence of his world title to wilfredo gomez and non title fights to barry mcguigan and kostya tszyu, phew !

I came on to post Juan LaPorte. Even though he came up short often he was a truly excellent fighter IMO.

[Tomasino]

Hero graham had mike McCallum,Julian Jackson then sambu kallunbay for the European then Charles brewer not an easy run

Imagine a fight like Kalambay vs Graham being made for a European title these days!

Yeah, it would be unification fight at least

Pay per view etc. Changed days.

[Tomasino]

Yeah, it would be unification fight at least

Pay per view etc. Changed days.

if i remember rightly grahams fights vs kalambay wasn't a massive deal at the time in that kalambay had already lost a 2/3 fights and was seen as european level not world level which he became even mccallum wasn't that well regarded when he brought over to fight graham herol was expected to win at the time . i guess hagler had recently retired and hearns and leonard was still going and the likes of kalambay and mccallum weren't seen as top top boxers .

Crazy isn't it. Both Kalambay and McCallum would be big name fighters in today's game.

[Bricks]

Would of loved graham to have gotten his shot at the aging hagler, still a tough job for herol but the older version of hagler would of suited him better

Ah yes in 1986. So close yet so far away. If it had been 1980-1984 I feel Hagler would have taken a herol fight but once the hearns thing came in he only wanted superfights. The mugabi fight was almost seen as that so overrated was john at the time with his network tv knockout after knockout of contenders. KO Magazine had him p4p number 4!!!

Herols mind weren't right for kalambay 1 and he lost a close but clear one. The rematch he was robbed in another close one flooring his man twice.

The p4p Mccallum he met head on punch for punch and only lost for a point deducted for a debatable throw to the floor

Jackson he was close to a stoppage but was hardly crushing Jackson who had a history of this kind of win. Still if herol had just boxed comfortably at range for 2-3 more it was his.

Brewer he floored twice and just needed to survive 4 minutes 1 punch swung it

The lesson- Has any man ever been so close so many times.

herol is a legend . People will be talking about him in Britain in another 100 years. He should be proud. Its a travesty A travesty.........Sky havnt used him.....the ABA don't use him as a coach.......

[Kalan]

Joe Warcott lost twice to Joe Louis... then lost twice to Ezzard Charles... He finally beat Charles when he was 37 -- but I think that was a different Charles.. I think the creeping nerve disease ALS started taking it's hidden toll on Charles about that time.. Charles lost 4 of his last 5 fights and finally gave it up.. He died of ALS 14 years later, completely immobilized.

18th 07th In 1951 when he won the title of Walcot, Charles was healthy before this fight was won by Maxim for the same belt.
Half a year before he won the belt Jersey.
Disease came later!
Unfortunately because it had so many defeats later.

You can't tell when ALS starts.. It's not diagnosed for a very long time after it sets in.. It can be very subtle and slow in effecting your movements and reflexes, which sometimes takes years to progress.. You have good days and bad days, but you think you're just got too tired and worn down, and getting old.. Doctors told Charles to get more rest.. Finally when he couldn't hold a fork one day he told them "something else is going on here" and got properly diagnosed.