Who is the best HWT to never win a belt?

mcrow · Post by **mcrow** » 07 Nov 2007, 15:07

I did a search and turned up no other threads like this.

I'm thinking Jerry Quarry.

Minotauro · Post by **Minotauro** » 07 Nov 2007, 15:18

Harry Wills

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 07 Nov 2007, 15:24

I seem to recall this topic being discussed several times before, but whatever.

If you don't count the black HW title:

Langford
Wills
Jackson, P.
Jeanette
Sharkey, T.
McVey
Quarry

Robinson · Post by **Robinson** » 07 Nov 2007, 17:52

I think Harry Wills, Elmer Ray from all acounts was a real talent.

Frank Slavin sounded like a tough old SOB and perhaps under other
circumstances could have held the title, which as an Aussie would have
been cool.

Jerry Quarry is up there most certainly.

Earnie Shavers and Ron Lyle in another era would most likely
would have won the strap but I doubt wither would have held
onto it for very long.

Kym

pundit · Post by **pundit** » 07 Nov 2007, 17:54

Sam Langford.

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 07 Nov 2007, 20:22

Well, if we're just talking about the linear title (which is the only one that matters) you'd have to toss in the following names for contention...

Kenny Norton
Jerry Quarry
Jimmy Young
Ron Lyle
Sam Langford

The one who I think would do the best overall against these guys I think is Norton. So I'll say him.

Seamus · Post by **Seamus** » 07 Nov 2007, 22:04

PFP Sam Langford
Head To Head Ike Ibeabuchi

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 07 Nov 2007, 23:20

Sam Langford was not a real heavyweight.

I will go with Joe Jeannette, Harry Wills or Jerry Quarry

Expug · Post by **Expug** » 08 Nov 2007, 02:36

He did alot of work at LH also , but Jimmy Bivins was a helluva fighter.

kovit · Post by **kovit** » 08 Nov 2007, 03:02

Earnie Shaver
For Ken Norton I don't think you can count him as the best heavyweight fighter to never win the title because he was awarded the WBC title after Leon Spinks was stripped for refusing to fight Norton in the first place.

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 08 Nov 2007, 03:15

Ali was still the linear champion, though. So Norton doesn't have a place amongst the championship tree, hence he's eligible.

I'm not too impressed with Earnie Shavers. He didn't have anything serious beyond his punch. Those others like Langford, Quarry, Ibeabuchi were multi-skilled & had other talents. Shavers didn't.

Of course, he cleaned out Norton in a round. But both were old by then.

KO Artist · Post by **KO Artist** » 08 Nov 2007, 03:16

mcrow wrote:I did a search and turned up no other threads like this.

I'm thinking Jerry Quarry.

Quarry is as good as any who never won a belt. And better than a lot who did.

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 08 Nov 2007, 03:20

Some Heavyweight champions Quarry might've beaten...

Jimmy Braddock
Tommy Burns
Primo Carnera
Marvin Hart
Hasim Rahman
Jack Sharkey

The Great John L · Post by **The Great John L** » 08 Nov 2007, 08:28

Robinson wrote:Frank Slavin sounded like a tough old SOB and perhaps under other
circumstances could have held the title, which as an Aussie would have
been cool.

Slavin is an excellent choice. A few others from that era would be Killen and Godfrey.

Nile4000 · Post by **Nile4000** » 08 Nov 2007, 12:19

jerry quarry

ringsider · Post by **ringsider** » 08 Nov 2007, 13:56

Sam "Blue Balls" Callahan comes to mind.

Crease · Post by **Crease** » 08 Nov 2007, 14:41

Jerry Quarry DEFINITELY.

But then you'll also have to look at Rex Layne.

dempseyfire · Post by **dempseyfire** » 08 Nov 2007, 16:44

I think the top choice would have to be someone who displayed championship calibre ability but never got his big shot. Quarry was an excellent fighter but he had NUMEROUS attempts to break out of his stigma as "the guy who can't win the big ones" and he never did . . in the case of the Ali and Frazier fights, he didn't even get close.

It's hard to judge but I'd say Willis is #1. I'm not sure if he could've defeated Dempsey but he certaintly had the credentials to get his shot, and at his best would've certaintly been Dempsey's toughest career opponent.

If we're only counting linear fighters I'd put Norton up there as well. I reckon in legit fights George Godfrey could've beaten several of the "caretaker" champs of the early 1930s (Schmeling, Carnera, Braddock, Baer) . . .possibly all of them.

Marlin · Post by **Marlin** » 08 Nov 2007, 20:51

Seamus wrote:PFP Sam Langford
Head To Head Ike Ibeabuchi

Ahh.. seven posts until he was mentioned...

lights-out · Post by **lights-out** » 09 Nov 2007, 00:49

Decagon wrote:I've always thought that "holding a belt" isn't much of an indicator of greatness. Jerry Quarry never "held a belt," but some extremely weak fighters whose records don't come anywhere near Quarry's did, like Frank Bruno, Vitali Klitschko, and anyone who's held a WBO belt at heavyweight besides Bowe, Moorer and Byrd.

Whats wrong with Tommy Morrison?

elmersalsa · Post by **elmersalsa** » 09 Nov 2007, 02:24

Decagon wrote:
elmersalsa wrote:Sam Langford was not a real heavyweight.

I will go with Joe Jeannette, Harry Wills or Jerry Quarry
He had no trouble beating two of those three fighters.

Wills beat him about 8 times though.

wsbuf · Post by **wsbuf** » 09 Nov 2007, 10:23

kovit wrote:Earnie Shaver
For Ken Norton I don't think you can count him as the best heavyweight fighter to never win the title because he was awarded the WBC title after Leon Spinks was stripped for refusing to fight Norton in the first place.

He never won it. Was awarded to him.

Martin Sosa Cameron · Post by **Martin Sosa Cameron** » 09 Nov 2007, 11:50

Oscar Bonavena
Joe Bugner
Gerry Cooney
Luis Firpo
Arturo Godoy
Ike Ibeabuchi
Joe Jeannette
Doug Jones
Sam Langford
Roland La Starza
Rex Layne
Ron Lyle
Gregorio Peralta
Jerry Quarry
Niño Valdés
Harry Wills

Goodnight, Irene · Post by **Goodnight, Irene** » 09 Nov 2007, 14:10

wsbuf wrote:
kovit wrote:Earnie Shaver
For Ken Norton I don't think you can count him as the best heavyweight fighter to never win the title because he was awarded the WBC title after Leon Spinks was stripped for refusing to fight Norton in the first place.
He never won it. Was awarded to him.

Isn't that the definition of winning something? ;)

wsbuf · Post by **wsbuf** » 10 Nov 2007, 17:57

Hmmm I wouldn't say so. But won't argue the point.

Who is the best HWT to never win a belt?

Who is the best HWT to never win a belt?

Re: Who is the best HWT to never win a belt?