BoxRec

With Samuel Peter and Shannon Briggs ready to face their respective Klitschko brother, I want to pose the question of who are the worst of the worst heavy weight challengers?
First that comes to mind is Riddick Bowe vs both Michael Dokes and Jesse Ferguson. Next would be Tyson vs Tony Tubbs. Holmes' worst would be Zanon, Evangelista, LeDoux, Leon Spinks and a washed up Ali. Of Ali's opponents, I would say Coopman, Dunn and Evangelista. Joe Louis had a few duds during his tenure though my favorite has to be the aptly named Johnny Paychek, who lasted one round to earn his pay cheque.

Sorry, I guess Paychek made it to the second round. Jack Roper was another sterling Louis opponent I forgot to mention and he didn't make it past the first.

Tom McNeeley?

Pete Rademacher
Damon Reed
Willie Flischer (sp)
Joe Hipp
Jesse Ferguson
Jose Roman
Ron Stander

sevenofgeorge wrote:With Samuel Peter and Shannon Briggs ready to face their respective Klitschko brother, I want to pose the question of who are the worst of the worst heavy weight challengers?
First that comes to mind is Riddick Bowe vs both Michael Dokes and Jesse Ferguson. Next would be Tyson vs Tony Tubbs. Holmes' worst would be Zanon, Evangelista, LeDoux, Leon Spinks and a washed up Ali. Of Ali's opponents, I would say Coopman, Dunn and Evangelista. Joe Louis had a few duds during his tenure though my favorite has to be the aptly named Johnny Paychek, who lasted one round to earn his pay cheque.

There is a difference between guys who were inherently undeserving of a title shot and not very good fighters..........and those who are undeserving of a title shot and once good/great fighters shot and a shell of a man they once were.

As you rightly pointed out guys Larry Holmes feasted on such as Scott Frank, Evangelista David Bey,Le Doux, Leon Spinks and Randall Tex Cobb fall into the first category.

Guys like Holyfield, Dokes fall into the latter.

Samuel Peter was perhaps the no 1 challenger to the Klitchkos the first time he met Wladimir but he was totally shot in his match against Vitali and it is a wretched wretched fight to have been made right now, just shows the sorry state of the HW division.

Everyone can save themself a lot of thinking and just look at the WBA's string of "challengers" in the last 6-7 years. Between the round robin with Ruiz, Valuev, and Chagaev they have had to defend against someone else once in a while. This crop includes Owen Beck, Monte Barrett coming off a loss, and Carl Davis Drumond.

Hopefully they are able to continue their legacy of greatness by green-lighting Audley Harrison for David Haye. Why not?

Tony Tubbs does not deserve to be mentioned NEAR this list . . .neither does Stander.

If we are including paper titles, I think Damon Reed makes the top of the list.

Hasim Rahman deserves a mention...damndest thing is, he won

Wepner should be on the list. Tubbs was not a great fighter but he does not belong on such a list at all.

Zyglewicz

Arreola

yes including tubbs is very very harsh. Tony was a talented and good guy.

There is a difference between guys who were inherently undeserving of a title shot and not very good fighters..........and those who are undeserving of a title shot and once good/great fighters shot and a shell of a man they once were.

As you rightly pointed out guys Larry Holmes feasted on such as Scott Frank, Evangelista David Bey,Le Doux, Leon Spinks and Randall Tex Cobb fall into the first category.

Guys like Holyfield, Dokes fall into the latter.

Samuel Peter was perhaps the no 1 challenger to the Klitchkos the first time he met Wladimir but he was totally shot in his match against Vitali and it is a wretched wretched fight to have been made right now, just shows the sorry state of the HW division.[/quote]

Bit harsh on David Bey, he ended up as a trialhorse but at the time he was unbeaten and coming off a win over Greg Page. I would say Roman, Roper, anyone Herbie Hide beat in his paper championship bouts, Zyglewicz, Terry Daniels, Ray Austin, Coopman and Zanon, for starters.

Pete Rademacher without doubt. No professional bouts and never went on to do anything significant. Far worse challenger then the likes of Peter, Arreola, Cobb, Wepner, etc...

crusader wrote:Pete Rademacher without doubt. No professional bouts and never went on to do anything significant. Far worse challenger then the likes of Peter, Arreola, Cobb, Wepner, etc...

In fairness to Rademacher, he made a decent fist of his career, all things considered. They threw him to the wolves from the outset, & looking over the rest of his career, they never stopped doing just that. His competition is fantastic.

Flump wrote:There is a difference between guys who were inherently undeserving of a title shot and not very good fighters..........and those who are undeserving of a title shot and once good/great fighters shot and a shell of a man they once were.

As you rightly pointed out guys Larry Holmes feasted on such as Scott Frank, Evangelista David Bey,Le Doux, Leon Spinks and Randall Tex Cobb fall into the first category.

Guys like Holyfield, Dokes fall into the latter.

Samuel Peter was perhaps the no 1 challenger to the Klitchkos the first time he met Wladimir but he was totally shot in his match against Vitali and it is a wretched wretched fight to have been made right now, just shows the sorry state of the HW division.

Bit harsh on David Bey, he ended up as a trialhorse but at the time he was unbeaten and coming off a win over Greg Page. I would say Roman, Roper, anyone Herbie Hide beat in his paper championship bouts, Zyglewicz, Terry Daniels, Ray Austin, Coopman and Zanon, for starters.[/quote]


I dont think I was "harsh" on Bey. A win over Greg Page in the mid 1980's didnt mean much. It was the worst time of Gregs career even a 78 year old Joe Bugner beat him! and he was reduced to sparring partner for Tyson even though that was one hell of a posting in some respects!

mugabi wrote:

Flump wrote:There is a difference between guys who were inherently undeserving of a title shot and not very good fighters..........and those who are undeserving of a title shot and once good/great fighters shot and a shell of a man they once were.

As you rightly pointed out guys Larry Holmes feasted on such as Scott Frank, Evangelista David Bey,Le Doux, Leon Spinks and Randall Tex Cobb fall into the first category.

Guys like Holyfield, Dokes fall into the latter.

Samuel Peter was perhaps the no 1 challenger to the Klitchkos the first time he met Wladimir but he was totally shot in his match against Vitali and it is a wretched wretched fight to have been made right now, just shows the sorry state of the HW division.

Bit harsh on David Bey, he ended up as a trialhorse but at the time he was unbeaten and coming off a win over Greg Page. I would say Roman, Roper, anyone Herbie Hide beat in his paper championship bouts, Zyglewicz, Terry Daniels, Ray Austin, Coopman and Zanon, for starters.

I dont think I was "harsh" on Bey. A win over Greg Page in the mid 1980's didnt mean much. It was the worst time of Gregs career even a 78 year old Joe Bugner beat him! and he was reduced to sparring partner for Tyson even though that was one hell of a posting in some respects![/quote]

One fight later Page beat Coetzee for the title, I'm not saying Bey was the last action hero but going in he was an unbeaten prospect, not a recognised stiff like Roman. Of course some time later when he was getting beaten up by Sweet D Williams it was legitimate to ask why the hell he fought for the title but going in in he was seen as a live underdog.

Still you have a point, the other way of looking at it is, that Larry took on all the young prospects. Williams and Witherspoon were good fighters.

mugabi wrote:yes including tubbs is very very harsh. Tony was a talented and good guy.

Harsh perhaps, but considering he came in over weight and only lasted two rounds makes him not the best of choices. Then again Tyson was killing everyone at that time so maybe Tony was screwed period. Tony could kick my ass any day of the week, in shape or not, but he was often labeled as an under achiever who never made the most of his in ring skills. Of all the guys I mentioned in the first post minus a faded Ali and a washed up Dokes, Tubbs is the best of the bunch.

Bruce Seldon was awfull.
Buster Douglas was in terrible shape when he fought Evander
Sosownski wernt that good either.