The Best of the Rest

[gilgamesh]

I figure this could be a fun thread. The Bonecrusher vs Quarry thread in the Mythical Fights section got me thinking of it actually.

I'm too drunk to think of any examples right now, but the concept I'm going for with this thread is Let's say the All Time Top 10 in any weight class you wish. That were never World Champion.

Not an Alphabet Title. Not a Disputed Title. Nothing on the World level. If they were European Champion or some other Regional Champion, that's fine.

We can do this for every weight class really. Should be interesting. And it may help us in better defining the Champions as well as these guys will be their top flight competition for the most part, aside from the other Champions obviously.

[Ezzard]

Do Greb and Tunney count?

Greb was a great 175 fighter but never won the title there. same for Tunney. Same for Charles.

[gilgamesh]

Do Greb and Tunney count?

Greb was a great 175 fighter but never won the title there. same for Tunney. Same for Charles.

Any fighter that wasn't World Champion in any particular weight class they competed in counts. Though it should be noted the spirit of the thing is in finding the guys that aren't decorated Hall of Fame Champions to give some shine to.

[Ezzard]

Brit list

Pat Cowdell (lost to Sanchez and Nelson)
Colin Jones (got a draw with McCrory and lost to him and Curry)
Michael Watson (deserved to win Eubank I)
Martin Murray

Non-Brits

Bernard Taylor
Bennie Briscoe

[gilgamesh]

This is just off the top of my head, and there's certainly room for debate here.

Heavyweight.

1. Harry Wills
2. David Tua
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Earnie Shavers
5. Elmer Ray
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Ray Mercer


I can't even finish my Top 10. Bear in mind I'm drunk, and it's St. Patrick's Day

And no this list isn't in any order except for as I thought of them.

[DrDuke]

This is just off the top of my head, and there's certainly room for debate here.

Heavyweight.

1. Harry Wills
2. David Tua
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Earnie Shavers
5. Elmer Ray
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Ray Mercer


I can't even finish my Top 10. Bear in mind I'm drunk, and it's St. Patrick's Day

And no this list isn't in any order except for as I thought of them.

Louis f8cken Ortiz? There were more deserved fighters even in his era, for example Povetkin. Or do you count his Regular Sh1tstrap as real championship? Why you put Mercer in the list then? In Mercer's time WBO was about the same irrelevant, like the Regular nonsense today.

Those idiot mutiple titles make this thread a bit tricky.

[gilgamesh]

This is just off the top of my head, and there's certainly room for debate here.

Heavyweight.

1. Harry Wills
2. David Tua
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Earnie Shavers
5. Elmer Ray
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Ray Mercer


I can't even finish my Top 10. Bear in mind I'm drunk, and it's St. Patrick's Day

And no this list isn't in any order except for as I thought of them.

Louis f8cken Ortiz? There were more deserved fighters even in his era, for example Povetkin. Or do you count his Regular Sh1tstrap as real championship? Why you put Mercer in the list then? In Mercer's time WBO was about the same irrelevant, like the Regular nonsense today.

Those idiot mutiple titles make this thread a bit tricky.

In Mercer's era the WBO Title was a blip on the radar screen. To the point that people forget who the WBO Champions were in the 90's. I remember the exact moment when the WBO became relevant, and it wasn't when Ray Mercer had the title.

Luis Ortiz is the best of this era that doesn't have a title to me yes. Povetkin does have a title. Yes I count his WBA reign, in spite of it's questionable nature.

For the sake of simplicity let's say that the WBO Title didn't mean sh*t before the year 2000 because frankly....it didn't.

It didn't mean sh*t IN 2000 either, but that's neither here nor there.

[DrDuke]

This is just off the top of my head, and there's certainly room for debate here.

Heavyweight.

1. Harry Wills
2. David Tua
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Earnie Shavers
5. Elmer Ray
6. Luis Ortiz
7. Ray Mercer


I can't even finish my Top 10. Bear in mind I'm drunk, and it's St. Patrick's Day

And no this list isn't in any order except for as I thought of them.

Louis f8cken Ortiz? There were more deserved fighters even in his era, for example Povetkin. Or do you count his Regular Sh1tstrap as real championship? Why you put Mercer in the list then? In Mercer's time WBO was about the same irrelevant, like the Regular nonsense today.

Those idiot mutiple titles make this thread a bit tricky.

In Mercer's era the WBO Title was a blip on the radar screen. To the point that people forget who the WBO Champions were in the 90's. I remember the exact moment when the WBO became relevant, and it wasn't when Ray Mercer had the title.

Luis Ortiz is the best of this era that doesn't have a title to me yes. Povetkin does have a title. Yes I count his WBA reign, in spite of it's questionable nature.

For the sake of simplicity let's say that the WBO Title didn't mean sh*t before the year 2000 because frankly....it didn't.

It didn't mean sh*t IN 2000 either, but that's neither here nor there.

Why you give a sh1t about WBA Regular then?

[gilgamesh]

I don't.

I don't give a shit about any of 'em. I'm just trying to recognize fighters that DIDN'T win a title.

[DrDuke]

I don't.

I don't give a shit about any of 'em. I'm just trying to recognize fighters that DIDN'T win a title.

So, do you consider Povetkin a legit titlist?

If not, how Ortiz is better?

[Ezzard]

I left out Wills and Langford etc as they did win the world coloured title which was probably a higher level back then than some of the world titles kicking about now.

[gilgamesh]

I don't.

I don't give a shit about any of 'em. I'm just trying to recognize fighters that DIDN'T win a title.

So, do you consider Povetkin a legit titlist?

If not, how Ortiz is better?

I consider him a Titlist.

I don't consider any of them except the #1 guy at any one time legitimate.

[gilgamesh]

I left out Wills and Langford etc as they did win the world coloured title which was probably a higher level back then than some of the world titles kicking about now.

That's true.

I'd include 'em personally because I'm sure nobody really gave that title as much credit as they should've.

[HomicideHenry]

This would be cool if you went by decade. Like, the best of the rest in the 1970s heavyweights probably was Jimmy Young. 1980s, probably Gerry Cooney. 1990s, probably Andrew Golota. 1960s, probably Jerry Quarry. 1950s, probably Nino Valdes. 1940s, probably Elmer Ray. 1930s, probably Tommy Loughran. 1920s, probably George Godfrey. 1910s, probably Sam Langford. 1900s, probably Joe Jennette. 1890s, probably Peter Jackson. 1880s, probably George Godfrey.

[franciscojavier]

Lucas Matthysse won the “interim” WBC 140 pound title and the “regular” WBA 147 pound title but I don’t think either of those are considered to be real titles so he would be one of my personal picks. At his best, he was a machine(per his nickname) and better than probably at least 80% of modern alphabet champions.

For heavyweights I don’t want to name the usual suspects cuz that’d be boring, so I’ll throw in the name Gary Mason. If it weren’t for his eye problems he probably would’ve been a world champion.

[Ambling Alp II]

Hw-

1. Langford
2. Wills
3. Jeannette
4. McVey
5. Young
6. Quarry
7. Lyle
8. Mercer
9. Ray
10. Shavers

Lhw
1. Charles
2. Tunney
3. Bivins
4. Stribling
5. Greb
6. Gibbons
7. McCoy
8. Kid Norfolk
9. Kates
10. Martin

* Could probably put Langford in there. Probably someone else that I'm not thinking of.

[writehooks]

HW:
1. Sam Langford
2. Luther McCarty
3. Sam McVea
4. Joe Jeannette
5. George Chuvalo
6. Jerry Quarry
7. Harry Wills
8. Ron Lyle
9. Elmer Ray
10. Ray Mercer

[Ambling Alp II]

Thought I would take a weight at some more weight classes. Have to be missing someone. Tons of close calls. This was kind of fun. Anyway:

Middleweight
1. Mike Gibbons
2. Holman Williams
3. Charley Burley
4. Les Darcy
5. Eddie Booker
6. Benny Briscoe
7. Spider Webb
8. George Benton
9. Jack Chase
10. Florentino Fernandez

Welterweight
1. Charley Burley
2. Bill Graham
3. Cocoa Kid
4. Jimmy Leto
5. Ralph Dupas
6. Dave Shade
7. Ernie Lopez
8. Colin jones
9. Harold Weston
10. Andy Price (Just had to put him in there)

Lightweight:
1. Bily Petrolle
2. Packey McFarland
3. Lew Tendler
4. Joe Napoles
5. George Benton
6. Jack Blackburn
7. Jack McAulliffe
8. Dave Holly
9. Terrence Alli
10. Rafael Gonzalez