Which world champion fought the most HOFers...

[Bundana]

... without being in the IBHOF himself?

[Controversial]

I'm sure there are better examples but Leon Spinks fought Ali, Qawi and Holmes. Unless you meant while they were world champ?

[Bundana]

No, I mean at any time during their career.

[Kalan]

Archie Moore fought Burley, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Johnson, Ali, and about 9 more HOFers... For me that's not the test.. What if you fight the HOFers when they're old men??? The Klitschko's fought few HOFers because the famers refused to fight them.

But Vitali destroyed Danny Williams, who then took out Tyson... Wlad battered Mariusz Wach, who put Kevin McBride in a hospital, and McBride stopped Tyson... Vitali is the only fighter to stop Larry Donald and Donald easily beat Holyfield... Louis fought his last fight versus Marciano when he was beyond washed up -- but Rocky collected another HOFer. He wasn't a good boxer, he just beat all the famers when they were old men.

I don't look at a guys' opponents.. Maybe the best guys refused to fight him for many, many years.. How good are his stance, footwork, feints, jab, lead hook, lead right, counters, body attack, defense, and his overall form.. Who could he have beaten if they didn't duck him, or if he could go back in History??? I think an undefeated record speaks volumes if the guy was never robbed and didn't duck people.. because if nobody will fight you, you're damned dangerous.

[Chuck1052]

Archie Moore fought Burley, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Johnson, Ali, and about 9 more HOFers... For me that's not the test.. What if you fight the HOFers when they're old men??? The Klitschko's fought few HOFers because the famers refused to fight them.

But Vitali destroyed Danny Williams, who then took out Tyson... Wlad battered Mariusz Wach, who put Kevin McBride in a hospital, and McBride stopped Tyson... Vitali is the only fighter to stop Larry Donald and Donald easily beat Holyfield... Louis fought his last fight versus Marciano when he was beyond washed up -- but Rocky collected another HOFer. He wasn't a good boxer, he just beat all the famers when they were old men.

I don't look at a guys' opponents.. Maybe the best guys refused to fight him for many, many years.. How good are his stance, footwork, feints, jab, lead hook, lead right, counters, body attack, defense, and his overall form.. Who could he have beaten if they didn't duck him, or if he could go back in History??? I think an undefeated record speaks volumes if the guy was never robbed and didn't duck people.. because if nobody will fight you, you're damned dangerous.

Were opponents avoiding the likes of Rocky Graziano and Tony Zale during the middle 1940s, to name a couple of fighters who fought far less than stellar opposition within that time frame? The fact is that the brain trusts of both Graziano and Zale were carefully selecting their charges' opposition while top fighters were making futile attempts to get fights with Graziano and Zale.

- Chuck Johnston

[Kalan]

Archie Moore fought Burley, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Johnson, Ali, and about 9 more HOFers... For me that's not the test.. What if you fight the HOFers when they're old men??? The Klitschko's fought few HOFers because the famers refused to fight them.

But Vitali destroyed Danny Williams, who then took out Tyson... Wlad battered Mariusz Wach, who put Kevin McBride in a hospital, and McBride stopped Tyson... Vitali is the only fighter to stop Larry Donald and Donald easily beat Holyfield... Louis fought his last fight versus Marciano when he was beyond washed up -- but Rocky collected another HOFer. He wasn't a good boxer, he just beat all the famers when they were old men.

I don't look at a guys' opponents.. Maybe the best guys refused to fight him for many, many years.. How good are his stance, footwork, feints, jab, lead hook, lead right, counters, body attack, defense, and his overall form.. Who could he have beaten if they didn't duck him, or if he could go back in History??? I think an undefeated record speaks volumes if the guy was never robbed and didn't duck people.. because if nobody will fight you, you're damned dangerous.

Were opponents avoiding the likes of Rocky Graziano and Tony Zale during the middle 1940s, to name a couple of fighters who fought far less than stellar opposition within that time frame? The fact is that the brain trusts of both Graziano and Zale were carefully selecting their charges' opposition while top fighters were making futile attempts to get fights with Graziano and Zale.

- Chuck Johnston

Yeah, they were ducking tough fighters back in the old days too... Robinson was offered tons to rematch Maxim and to fight Moore. He could be excused because he didn't want to go back to Light Heavyweight. Graziano fought Robinson for the money. He'd already been knocked out a couple times so he knew what that was all about. He had been fighting guys way out of Robinson's class, but he was looking to hang 'em up. I'm amazed at the number of early losses Zale had. He struggled like Hell for a long time. Zale and Graziano were very small guys for Middleweight. Welterweights are bigger today.

[T.M.K]

I think moden-day we're talking about people like Pat Lawlor?..... who sprung to mind when i gave it a bit of thought.

"T.M.K"

[Controversial]

I think moden-day we're talking about people like Pat Lawlor?..... who sprung to mind when i gave it a bit of thought.

"T.M.K"

He wasn't a world champ though was he?

[Ambling Alp II]

Mike McTigue fought at least 9 -Greb, Levinsky, Loughran, Stribling, Walker, Berlanbach, Flowers, Delaney, and Sharkey.

[gregor]

Archie Moore fought Burley, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Johnson, Ali, and about 9 more HOFers... For me that's not the test.. What if you fight the HOFers when they're old men??? The Klitschko's fought few HOFers because the famers refused to fight them.

So, who are the HOFers who did not fight Klitschkos because they refused to fight them?
Lewis fought Vitali.
There were plans (do not remember how advanced) for Vitali-Tyson, and they did not materialize since Tyson lost to Williams.
Holy was practically broke last 10 years, and was ready to fight anyone with a belt since it meant some money.

Did I miss anyone? Toney would be surely in HOF one day, but he hardly ducked anyone either...

[Bundana]

Mike McTigue fought at least 9 -Greb, Levinsky, Loughran, Stribling, Walker, Berlanbach, Flowers, Delaney, and Sharkey.

You can actually add Jeff Smith to that... which means McTigue fought 10 HOFers. I'm pretty sure no other non-HOF champion can top that!

[elmersalsa]

Tommy Paul fought lots of champions, too.

[Kalan]

Archie Moore fought Burley, Charles, Marciano, Patterson, Johnson, Ali, and about 9 more HOFers... For me that's not the test.. What if you fight the HOFers when they're old men??? The Klitschko's fought few HOFers because the famers refused to fight them.

So, who are the HOFers who did not fight Klitschkos because they refused to fight them?
Lewis fought Vitali.
There were plans (do not remember how advanced) for Vitali-Tyson, and they did not materialize since Tyson lost to Williams.
Holy was practically broke last 10 years, and was ready to fight anyone with a belt since it meant some money.

Did I miss anyone? Toney would be surely in HOF one day, but he hardly ducked anyone either...

Tyson made it very clear before the Golota, Nielsen, Lewis, Etienne, Williams, and McBride fights that he had no interest at all in fighting the Klitschkos... Evander also wouldn't fight the Klitschkos who both tried to get fights with him... He was easily beaten by Larry Donald who was stopped by Vitali... Often boxers don't deliberately put themselves into fights were they know they'll get knocked out.. Ray Mercer wanted to fight Wladimir but it didn't turn out very well for him as he was floored very hard, hammered really good and stopped -- and landed 5 power punches in 6 rounds.

[Ambling Alp II]

Mike McTigue fought at least 9 -Greb, Levinsky, Loughran, Stribling, Walker, Berlanbach, Flowers, Delaney, and Sharkey.

You can actually add Jeff Smith to that... which means McTigue fought 10 HOFers. I'm pretty sure no other non-HOF champion can top that!

I overlooked Smith, good catch.
That almost has to be the most.
Carnera had at least 6- Sharkey, Baer, Louis, Godfrey, Loughran and Stribling.

[elmersalsa]

The great Henry Armstrong fought a total of 13 Hall of Fame boxers:
Baby Arizmendi
Midget Wolgast
Petey Sarron
Benny Bass
Chalky Wright
Barney Ross
Lou Ambers
Pedro Montanez
Lew Jenkins
Fritzie Zivic
Sammy Angott
Beau Jack
Sugar Ray Robinson

[elmersalsa]

The great Ol' Mongoose, Archie Moore, fought a total of 15 hall of famers:
Teddy Yarosz
Eddie Booker
Jimmy Bivins
Holman Williams
Harold Johnson
Bobo Olson
Floyd Patterson
Willie Pastrano
Charley Burley
Lloyd Marshall
Cocoa Kid
Ezzard Charles
Joey Maxim
Rocky Marciano
Cassius Clay

[punchoutsb]

Armstrong and Moore are both in the Hall of Fame.

[HyacinthusTurnipseed]

Gunboat Smith faced 12 HOFers (or maybe 11 depending on how you look at it).

Harry Greb
Jack Dempsey
George Carpentier
Sam Langford
Jess Willard
Harry Wills
Leo Hauck
Kid Norfolk
Battling Levinsky
Jack Dillon
Billy Miske
Jack Blackburn (non-participant)

A dead link on his Wikipedia page quotes him as rating Langford as the best of who he fought FWIW.

[elmersalsa]

Armstrong and Moore are both in the Hall of Fame.

I am sorry. I thought the question was about what champion fought the most HOFs.

Any boxer that fought so many HOFs should automatically be in the hall of fame.

[punchoutsb]

Armstrong and Moore are both in the Hall of Fame.

I am sorry. I thought the question was about what champion fought the most HOFs.

Any boxer that fought so many HOFs should automatically be in the hall of fame.

This thread is very interesting for just that reason!

[gilgamesh]

Gunboat Smith faced 12 HOFers (or maybe 11 depending on how you look at it).

Harry Greb
Jack Dempsey
George Carpentier
Sam Langford
Jess Willard
Harry Wills
Leo Hauck
Kid Norfolk
Battling Levinsky
Jack Dillon
Billy Miske
Jack Blackburn (non-participant)

A dead link on his Wikipedia page quotes him as rating Langford as the best of who he fought FWIW.

Did Gunboat Smith beat any of those guys? Even if not that's an impressive run of names to have faced.

[Kalan]

Gunboat beat Willard...no major feat. Why would Willard be a HOFer??? ... He had no successful Title Defenses and sat on the Title for 4 years without defending it... His fight with Frank Moran was always represented as an exhibition match before Boxrec decided to proclaim it a Title Defense... I'm curious how do you defend your title in a No-decision fight??? There were no judges and it was agreed before hand that there would be no knockout. That's an exhibition---and it was noted as such for decades.

Stanley Ketchel agreed to fight Jack Johnson under a somewhat similar agreement... But Johnson changed his mind and decided to crush Ketchel.

[Ambling Alp II]

Gunboat Smith faced 12 HOFers (or maybe 11 depending on how you look at it).

Harry Greb
Jack Dempsey
George Carpentier
Sam Langford
Jess Willard
Harry Wills
Leo Hauck
Kid Norfolk
Battling Levinsky
Jack Dillon
Billy Miske
Jack Blackburn (non-participant)

A dead link on his Wikipedia page quotes him as rating Langford as the best of who he fought FWIW.

Did Gunboat Smith beat any of those guys? Even if not that's an impressive run of names to have faced.

He did beat Willard, also beat Langford once, (though he lost to him a few times) Levinsky (lost to him as well) and had a newspaper win over Norfolk.

However, he doesn't count since he wasn't a world champion. (Not counting being White Hope Champion)

[Ambling Alp II]

Found a few more guys with several:

Freddie Cochrane had at least 6 - Graziano, Zivic, Jenkins, Miller, Bass, and Jack Kid Berg.
Tippy Larkin also had at least 6 - Ike Williams, Armstrong, Beau Jack, Jenkins, Berg, and Graham.
Juan La Porte had 7 - Tszyu, Nelson, Chavez, McGuigan, Gomez, Pedroza, and Sanchez.

Vince Dundee had at least 8 - Conn, Teddy Yarosz, Freddie Steele, Thil, Harvey, Fields, Overlin, and Broulliard.

[Tomasino]

Found a few more guys with several:

Freddie Cochrane had at least 6 - Graziano, Zivic, Jenkins, Miller, Bass, and Jack Kid Berg.
Tippy Larkin also had at least 6 - Ike Williams, Armstrong, Beau Jack, Jenkins, Berg, and Graham.
Juan La Porte had 7 - Tszyu, Nelson, Chavez, McGuigan, Gomez, Pedroza, and Sanchez.

Vince Dundee had at least 8 - Conn, Teddy Yarosz, Freddie Steele, Thil, Harvey, Fields, Overlin, and Broulliard.

Good spots so far Alp