The great non champions

[AntonioMartin]

I was thinking..dude, when we mention the 70s Heavyweights, that's a lot of great fighters there many who were legends, but not champions!

So that got me to think..who among non champions can be considered boxing legends?? Some better than others, others not so much but people who fought for world titles multiple times and even beat a champion or two without winning the world title? Many are even in the IBHOf. So here is my list, feel free to add to it or comment...

Heavyweights:
Tommy Farr
Tony Galento
Bob Pastor
Tami Mauriello
Lee Savold
Lee Oma
Karl Minderberg
Joe Bugner
Earnie Shavers
Ron Lyle
Jimmy Young
Chuck Wepner
James Tillis
Carl Williams
David Tua
Andrew Golota

Cruiserwieghts:
Jose Maria Flores Burlon-he is a legend in Argentina, trust me, I watch those boxing shows from there,they revere him

Light Heavyweights:
Ray Anderson
Yaqui Lopez
Jorge Ahumada
Melio Bettina
Tami Mauriello

Super Middleweights:

Middleweights:
Bennie Briscoe
Jean Claude Bouttier
Tony Sibson
Juan Roldan
Jose Basora
Rubyn Carter

Junior Middleweights:
Luigi Minchillo-fought two times for world title and gave good account..

Welterweights:
Clyde Gray
Randy Shields
Pete Ranzany was very good
Tommy Bell
Dave Green
Lew Tendler
Kid Azteca

Junior Welterweights;
Akio Kameda-two time challenger, dropped Aaron Pryor

Lightweights:
Kenny Lane
Orlando Zulueta
Vilomar Fernandez
Edwin Viruet
Hector Thompson
Billy Petrolle
Howard Davis Jr.
Orlando Romero
Lew Tendler

Junior Lightweights:
Benedicto Villablanca
Orlando Zulueta
Leonel Hernandez

Featherweights:
Bernard Taylor
Juan Malvarez
George Araujo
Leonel Hernandez

Junior Featherweights:
Carlos Mendoza

Bantamweights:
Paul Ferreri
Baby Casanova

Junior Bantamweights:
Juan Carazo

Flyweight:

Junior Flyweight:

Strawweight:
Andy Tabanas

So Im sure I missed some...

[chrisjs1985]

At bantamweight you've got to have Jose Medel. He is almost without question the best bantam to never win the title. He has a stacked resume, and had a lengthy career. He was Mexican bantam champ for about eight years in a golden era for Mexican bantams which he won by defeating the very popular Jose Toluco Lopez. Medel also won the North American bantam belt, defeated many top Asian fighters such as Danny Kid, and was wildly successful (and popular) in Japan where he even managed to KO the great Fighting Harada.

Alan Rudkin was also a fine bantamweight who was unlucky not to be cheap. Ran Harada close in Japan, arguably deserved the verdict over Rose in Australia, and then his third attempt was past his peak against a prime Olivares. Rudkin beat a slew of really good fighters.

[Woldemar]

Junior Bantams : Akeem Anifowoshe

Junior Feather : Jemal Hinton,Alexander Bakhtin

Cruiser : Sergey Kobozev,Vadim Tokarev,Oleksandr Gurov

Lightweights : Denis Shafikov,David Tetteh

Junior Light : Tyrone Everett,John Sichula,Chung Il Choi

Welterweights : Oba Carr,Jose Stable

Super Welterweights : Kofi Jantuah,Mamadou Thiam

Super Middleweights : Vitali Tsipko

Featherweights : Rocky Juarez,Floyd Robertson,

Middleweights : Michael Watson,Marco Antonio Rubio,James Shuler,Florentino Fernandez,Cyclone Hart

Bantamweights : Alberto Sandoval

Light Heavyweights : Isaac Chilemba

Junior Welterweights : Frankie Warren,Mickey Ward

[Onetimeonly]

Sam Langford is worth mentioning.

[goose 5]

The Black Murderers' row guys.

[AntonioMartin]

At bantamweight you've got to have Jose Medel. He is almost without question the best bantam to never win the title. He has a stacked resume, and had a lengthy career. He was Mexican bantam champ for about eight years in a golden era for Mexican bantams which he won by defeating the very popular Jose Toluco Lopez. Medel also won the North American bantam belt, defeated many top Asian fighters such as Danny Kid, and was wildly successful (and popular) in Japan where he even managed to KO the great Fighting Harada.

Alan Rudkin was also a fine bantamweight who was unlucky not to be cheap. Ran Harada close in Japan, arguably deserved the verdict over Rose in Australia, and then his third attempt was past his peak against a prime Olivares. Rudkin beat a slew of really good fighters.

How could I forget them??

[AntonioMartin]

Junior Bantams : Akeem Anifowoshe

Junior Feather : Jemal Hinton,Alexander Bakhtin

Cruiser : Sergey Kobozev,Vadim Tokarev,Oleksandr Gurov

Lightweights : Denis Shafikov,David Tetteh

Junior Light : Tyrone Everett,John Sichula,Chung Il Choi

Welterweights : Oba Carr,Jose Stable

Super Welterweights : Kofi Jantuah,Mamadou Thiam

Super Middleweights : Vitali Tsipko

Featherweights : Rocky Juarez,Floyd Robertson,

Middleweights : Michael Watson,Marco Antonio Rubio,James Shuler,Florentino Fernandez,Cyclone Hart

Bantamweights : Alberto Sandoval

Light Heavyweights : Isaac Chilemba

Junior Welterweights : Frankie Warren,Mickey Ward

Great list!

[AntonioMartin]

The Black Murderers' row guys.

Indeed and I forgot also Luis Angel Firpo!!

[AntonioMartin]

Sam Langford is worth mentioning.

Again how could I forget him?

[AntonioMartin]

Mario Martinez!!!!!

[Woldemar]

Flyweights :

Martin Vargas
Alexander Makhmutov
Alberto Castro


Heavyweights:
Ike Ibeabuchi
Donovan Ruddock
Gary Mason
Gerry Cooney
Alexander Zolkin


Super Middleweights :
Andrey Shkalikov

Lightweights :
Yuri Ramanau
Vilomar Fernandez
Terence Alli
Darryl Tyson
Tracy Spann

Junior Welter :
David Kamau


Welterweights :
Harold Weston

Light Heavyweights :
Jerry Martin
Vonzell Johnson
James Scott

Middleweights :
Howard Eastman
Edison Miranda

Junior Light:

Harold Knight

[margaret thatcher]

gary mason is a guy that so many brits love like he's a teddy bear, but didnt do nearly enough to deserve a mention as being among the greatest non champs. basically he spent tons of fights dining on british level or below opposition, then finally took a huge step up vs len and essentially got beaten into retirement

a crude clubbing win in what had been an even fight for 7 over biggs coming off 2 straight stoppage losses might be his very best in an almost 38 fight career. slow, clumsy, clubbing.....a strong guy no doubt though

maybe among the best brits not to win a euro title, true

[AntonioMartin]

Flyweights :

Martin Vargas
Alexander Makhmutov
Alberto Castro


Heavyweights:
Ike Ibeabuchi
Donovan Ruddock
Gary Mason
Gerry Cooney
Alexander Zolkin


Super Middleweights :
Andrey Shkalikov

Lightweights :
Yuri Ramanau
Vilomar Fernandez
Terence Alli
Darryl Tyson
Tracy Spann

Junior Welter :
David Kamau


Welterweights :
Harold Weston

Light Heavyweights :
Jerry Martin
Vonzell Johnson
James Scott

Middleweights :
Howard Eastman
Edison Miranda

Junior Light:

Harold Knight

You mentioned some greats no question about it..

Guido Rinaldi now that I remember beat Archie Moore then went 15 in a title rematch..and Ivon Durelle also was a great one..and George Chuvalo!

[AntonioMartin]

Roberto Elizondo beat one world champion and fought twice for world titles...and gave Boza Edwards all he could handle..

[Controversial]

Charley Burley
Holman Wiliams

[elmersalsa]

At bantamweight you've got to have Jose Medel. He is almost without question the best bantam to never win the title. He has a stacked resume, and had a lengthy career. He was Mexican bantam champ for about eight years in a golden era for Mexican bantams which he won by defeating the very popular Jose Toluco Lopez. Medel also won the North American bantam belt, defeated many top Asian fighters such as Danny Kid, and was wildly successful (and popular) in Japan where he even managed to KO the great Fighting Harada.

Alan Rudkin was also a fine bantamweight who was unlucky not to be cheap. Ran Harada close in Japan, arguably deserved the verdict over Rose in Australia, and then his third attempt was past his peak against a prime Olivares. Rudkin beat a slew of really good fighters.

You got that right, my man! Obviously, you know your stuff. Guys like Jose Medel and Alan Rudkin would have been world champions today in some capacity. Medel whupped one of the finest fighters from the Far East in the great Fighting Harada and lost to the great Brazilian Eder Jofre in Los Angeles in a slugfest. Those are two great fights to watch.

Alan Rudkin's style remembers me of Ken Buchanan. A typical British style of boxing.

[chrisjs1985]

At bantamweight you've got to have Jose Medel. He is almost without question the best bantam to never win the title. He has a stacked resume, and had a lengthy career. He was Mexican bantam champ for about eight years in a golden era for Mexican bantams which he won by defeating the very popular Jose Toluco Lopez. Medel also won the North American bantam belt, defeated many top Asian fighters such as Danny Kid, and was wildly successful (and popular) in Japan where he even managed to KO the great Fighting Harada.

Alan Rudkin was also a fine bantamweight who was unlucky not to be cheap. Ran Harada close in Japan, arguably deserved the verdict over Rose in Australia, and then his third attempt was past his peak against a prime Olivares. Rudkin beat a slew of really good fighters.

You got that right, my man! Obviously, you know your stuff. Guys like Jose Medel and Alan Rudkin would have been world champions today in some capacity. Medel whupped one of the finest fighters from the Far East in the great Fighting Harada and lost to the great Brazilian Eder Jofre in Los Angeles in a slugfest. Those are two great fights to watch.

Alan Rudkin's style remembers me of Ken Buchanan. A typical British style of boxing.

On the theme of hard-luck bantams, I'd also say Bernardo Caraballo. He's another who'd be a multi-weight champ and considered a modern "great" in the recent era. He beat a bunch of good fighters to earn the title shot at Jofre, beating the likes of Rollo, Arias, Ben Ali, Choinoi, (a faded) Perez, Elias, and even after he lost to Jofre beat guys like Solomon, Ronnie Jones, Waldemir Pinto, who was over 50-0 etc; too bad his second shot came against another great in Harada. Caraballo fell off after that but fought on for years. He was a showman, a bit ahead of his time in that regard for Latino boxers and the first Colombian to box for a world title.

[Tuan_Jim]

Jerry Quarry!!!

[Djanders44]

Sam Langford is worth mentioning.

Yes! THE #1 non-Linear Champion of all time, IMHO.

[Bodyshot3]

Kevin and Chris Finnegan from the UK.

[Onetimeonly]

Sam Langford is worth mentioning.

Yes! THE #1 non-Linear Champion of all time, IMHO.

#1 period

[dr_devious]

Dave Sands
Les Darcy
Laszlo Papp
Harry Wills
Joe Jeanette
Sam McVey
Len Harvey
Jock McAvoy
Jim Driscoll
Owen Moran

[f read]

My pick would be Mustafa Hamsho. I believe he would have been a world champ if Marvin Hagler was not there at the time. Hamsho lost to Hagler twice. I do not think Hamsho would have had a long reign but i do believe his toughness and tenacity would have prevailed and i could see him having a few title defenses.

[dagosd2000]

When I was a kid the two names that would just about always pop up regarding great fighters who never wore a title belt were Sam Langford and Belly Petrolle.Remember those were the days when there was only ONE champion in the eight weight categories. Sometimes you'd see junior lightweight but no one took much stock in that.Some said Langford was the greatest fighter ever yet he never fought for a championship unless it was one of those "negro" championships.

Petrolle came along when there were a lot of great lightweights and welterweights-Barney Ross,Tony Canzonari.Jimmy McLarnin,Bat Battalino,Sammy Fuller,and Jackie "Kid" Berg. Petrolle got a shot at Canzonari's lightweight title and lost the decision in the Garden.He fought them all winning and losing some.The only guy he couldn't best was Ross who was probably a tick above all the rest.

Today when we bring that topic up we add Charley Burley to that group.He never came close to getting a title shot though Ring Magazine had him ranked number 1 for a couple of years and not many fighters wanted anything to do with him Sugar Ray Robinson.

And since I hang around the West Coast Boxing thread I'll have to nominate Art "Golden Boy"Aragon. He lost against Jimmy Carter for all the marbles,but like I said,back in those days there was only ONE champ per division.

Today there's so many divisions(junior and super)and so many different associations all with their champions,,if you were a good fighter and hadn't won a "championship" then you must not have been that good.


Barney Ross

[Crease]

At Heavyweight, Jerry Quarry deserves a strong mention, I'd probably say Henry Cooper as well to a lesser degree.

The black Heavyweights of the early 1900s were tough, tough men and serious operators in the sport, so yo6ud definitely be mentioning Joe Jeanette, George Godfrey, Sam McVey and Sam Langford.

Speaking of Langford, reading about him is a bit of a mystery wonderland of a journey - were this man was beaten top contenders from Welterweight through to Heavyweight... That's unthinkable these days... And rumours will always persist that he was the man that Jack Johnson would not defend against...

Harry Wills also deserves a strong shout because his fight against Jack Dempsey not happening...

Nino Valdes was a top operator in the 50s, but he always seemed to fall short at the final hurdle before earning his title shot...

Looking back, I am disappointed that Zelko Mavrovic never continued his career after his loss to Lennox. He really could have had a say after the titles splintered off...