The great non champions

[Crease]

From Ireland, we've had a few crackers who never quite made it to World Champion honours...

Bernard Dunne looked well on his way but he suffered two really crushing losses... Maybe a case of the wrong fights at the wrong time.

Eamon Magee had the tools to be a Great but his partying lifestyle really let him down.

And I would definitely say the same about Darren Corbett... Corbie was probably a World-Class Super Middleweight trapped in the body of a flabby Cruiserweight...

Paul McCloskey can and should have done more...

Ah, i think I'm just going in to favourtism now...

[margaret thatcher]

dunne won some version of a world title, in an excellent fight vs a panamanian where he got off the canvas twice, then got ko'd in 3 in his first defense

never thought much of mccloskey tbh, he did well to reach a euro title, getting ko'd by 100 year old corley

[margaret thatcher]

while on oi'erland, you always gotta wonder about what darren sutherland coulda done.........shame

[AntonioMartin]

I just saw on TV, and therefore, remembered..Rocky Juarez!

[Woldemar]

Featherweights :
Pat Ford
Pat Cowdell

Light Welter:
Valery Kayumba
Jan Piet Bergman

Heavyweights:
Bert Cooper


Bantamweights :
Johhny Armour
Roberto Rubaldino

Flyweights :
Francis Ampofo

Cruiserweights :
Bash Ali
David Izegwire
Alexander Alekseev
Alexander Frenkel
Akim Tafer

[Crease]

There was a vast wealth of title at Welterweight back when their was only one Championship, so a lot of class fighters missed out...

I was going to say Marty Servo, but he was The Champ. Whatabout Charley Fusari? He was knocking about the top tier for a long while...

[Stevieaber]

From the Uk: Colin Jones, Dave Charnley, Herol Graham.
From the US: Bad Bennie Briscoe, Yaqui Lopez

[AntonioMartin]

From the Uk: Colin Jones, Dave Charnley, Herol Graham.
From the US: Bad Bennie Briscoe, Yaqui Lopez

Those guys were quality!

[Ambling Alp II]

None were great though. Many guys mentioned were not. There is a huge difference between say Sam Langford and say Benny Briscoe or Colin Jones.

Most great fighters who were non-Champions are going to black fighters from way, way back like Langford, Jeannette, McVey etc. Or someone from not quite as far back who were unlucky when there was only one champion per weight class, and less weight classes.

Not sure if there was a "great" non-champion in the last 70 years.

[Syntax Error]

None were great though. Many guys mentioned were not. There is a huge difference between say Sam Langford and say Benny Briscoe or Colin Jones.

Most great fighters who were non-Champions are going to black fighters from way, way back like Langford, Jeannette, McVey etc. Or someone from not quite as far back who were unlucky when there was only one champion per weight class, and less weight classes.

Not sure if there was a "great" non-champion in the last 70 years.

Don't you agree about Herol Graham?

He could easily have been a champion with a bit more luck.

He certainly had more ability than many so-called champions.

[Ambling Alp II]

He was not a great fighter. Certainly than some "champions". Not a great fighter.

[Onetimeonly]

Yeah, better thread title would be best. Some of the initial list weren't particularly good and how Langford wouldn't be included is baffling.

[AntonioMartin]

Yeah, better thread title would be best. Some of the initial list weren't particularly good and how Langford wouldn't be included is baffling.

Just a case of forgetfulness.

[AntonioMartin]

How about Jim Johnson? Held the "other Johnson", Jack to a draw for the world title back in the day..

And Fireman Jim Flynn is supposed to have been a great one also...

Also no one has mentioned Ruben Castillo yet....he had a very good run and lost 4 times for the title but three of those were to some of the absolute, top 50+ of all times...

[DavidKehler]

This is such a terrific thread! It leads to debates about who was great and raises questions about the arc of a boxer's career, when greatness may have been fleeting, and whether won-loss records are true measures of greatness.

Here are ten who come immediately to mind:
Packy McFarland #036384
Mike Gibbons #011267
Dave Shade #013658
Eduardo Lausee #010911
Young Stribling #012052
George Benton #016258
Billy Graham #009689
Ace Hudkins #013688
Robert Villemain #011078
Joey Giambra #016494

I particularly appreciated the mention in previous posts of Dave Sands #024688 and Lew Tendler #011936.

[HeavyHitters]

Heavyweights: Jorge Luis Gonzalez



Just kidding!! ha ha ha ha

IKE IBEABUCHI, of course!!!

[bwu]

Joey Archer?

[AntonioMartin]

This is such a terrific thread! It leads to debates about who was great and raises questions about the arc of a boxer's career, when greatness may have been fleeting, and whether won-loss records are true measures of greatness.

Here are ten who come immediately to mind:
Packy McFarland #036384
Mike Gibbons #011267
Dave Shade #013658
Eduardo Lausee #010911
Young Stribling #012052
George Benton #016258
Billy Graham #009689
Ace Hudkins #013688
Robert Villemain #011078
Joey Giambra #016494

I particularly appreciated the mention in previous posts of Dave Sands #024688 and Lew Tendler #011936.

Thanks man!

Stribling is in the IBHOF IIRC..

[AntonioMartin]

Joey Archer?

Yeah he held a win over SRR..(a super old SRR I admit!) and lost twice on split decisions for the world title!!

[AntonioMartin]

Heavyweights: Jorge Luis Gonzalez



Just kidding!! ha ha ha ha

IKE IBEABUCHI, of course!!!

[AntonioMartin]

I forgot Ringooooooooooooooooooo! Dropped Frazier twice and gave him and Ali hell...

[Woldemar]

Earnie Shavers
Ron Lyle
Jimmy Young
Jerry Quarry

[Onetimeonly]

Yeah, better thread title would be best. Some of the initial list weren't particularly good and how Langford wouldn't be included is baffling.

Just a case of forgetfulness.

Fair enough, but you forgot all of the great ones.

[AntonioMartin]

Yeah, better thread title would be best. Some of the initial list weren't particularly good and how Langford wouldn't be included is baffling.

Just a case of forgetfulness.

Fair enough, but you forgot all of the great ones.

Well, I did forget Jim Johnson and Fireman Jim Flynn on the original post too....

That's the thing about this thread, though....trying to bring out the non champion legends, the fighters that either beat a world champ or two (or three) or had many chances for a title and were oh so close or who became household names without being champs, the "great non-champions" so to speak.

And, I heard Jimmy Bivins was also a great one (Hall of Famer).

[Onetimeonly]

Just a case of forgetfulness.

Fair enough, but you forgot all of the great ones.

Well, I did forget Jim Johnson and Fireman Jim Flynn on the original post too....

That's the thing about this thread, though....trying to bring out the non champion legends, the fighters that either beat a world champ or two (or three) or had many chances for a title and were oh so close or who became household names without being champs, the "great non-champions" so to speak.

And, I heard Jimmy Bivins was also a great one (Hall of Famer).

Bivins, burley, Holman Williams, packet McFarland, wills, Jeanette, McVey, Driscoll, stribling, Mina, Mike gibbons, Darcy, Booker, all fit the bill along with Langford as being clearly superior to anyone you listed.