BoxRec

I'm not sure that just because you have held the belt, you were the best of the best. Some better talent was unlucky, some were denied the opportunity or simply did not pursue the championship. Maybe someones life was cut short before he attained the belt.

But for whatever reason.

If you had to put together a list of 15 HW's that may or may not end up in the top 15 best of all time, but NEVER attained championship status....who would they be?

I don't have a list but a few names I would might include.

Jerry Quarry
Sam Langford....(I think he qualifies....)
Harry Wills
Joe Jeanette
Did Tim Witherspoon own a belt? I never knew of him as champion...not sure if he qualifies.
Archie Moore
Joe Bugner......Don't laugh just because you can....
Jimmy Bivins Or was he exclusivey a LHW? Old Brain on this one and I'm too lazy to check the record
Billy Conn.....ok maybe he is only a LHW as well. but I may still include him.
Eddie Machen
Sam McVea
After seeing more names I might have to roll some of these off my list. And would any of these non champions belong in the top 15 list with our without attaining the status?

Witherspoon was a world champ. Elmer Ray another big punching dangerous HW who certainly deserved a shot

In no particular order; a few names into the mix:-

David Tua
Sam Langford
Joe Bugner
Jimmy Young
Ron Lyle
Gerry Cooney
Jerry Quarry
Gregorio Peralta
Oscar Bonavena
Ikemefula Ibeabuchi

Choynski
Quarry
Langford
Young
Wills
Farr
Machen
Bugner
McVea
Jeanette
Bonavena
Bivins
Moore
Folley
Ibeabuchi?

(Not in that order)

Many felt that Axel Schulz should have been declared the winner against George Foreman.
In 2004 Andrew Golota was 'robbed' in his two title fights against Chris Byrd and John Ruiz.

BOB PASTOR - bursted the bubbles of Roscoe Toles, Tiger Warrington, Lem Franklin, Turkey Thompson, Booker Beckwith, Jimmy Bivins. Joe Louis always talked of Pastor with great respect.

Earnie Shavers
Cleveland Williams
Ernie Schaff
Larry Gains

A few more to consider:

Tom Sharkey
Harold Johnson
Carl Williams
Renaldo Snipes
Razor Ruddock
Really, Ray Mercer should count. He did win the WBO title, but the WBO didn't have nearly the status of the major paper titles at the time Mercer won it.

Joey Maxim & Tommy Loughran are two I haven't seen mentioned. Maybe George Godfrey.

Peter Jackson

Went 61 rounds with James Corbett, stopped Peter Maher and George Godfrey, held the "World Colored Heavyweight Title" for 8 years and apparently John L Sullivan wouldn't fight him because he was black. Possibly the best of all non-title holders.

Godfrey is a good call.

Bugner....well I think he's under rated. But I understand if some see him as a lightweight in this company.

BoxBuzz wrote:I'm not sure that just because you have held the belt, you were the best of the best. Some better talent was unlucky, some were denied the opportunity or simply did not pursue the championship. Maybe someones life was cut short before he attained the belt.

But for whatever reason.

If you had to put together a list of 15 HW's that may or may not end up in the top 15 best of all time, but NEVER attained championship status....who would they be?

I don't have a list but a few names I would might include.

Jerry Quarry
Sam Langford....(I think he qualifies....)
Harry Wills
Joe Jeanette
Did Tim Witherspoon own a belt? I never knew of him as champion...not sure if he qualifies.
Archie Moore
Joe Bugner......Don't laugh just because you can....
Jimmy Bivins Or was he exclusivey a LHW? Old Brain on this one and I'm too lazy to check the record
Billy Conn.....ok maybe he is only a LHW as well. but I may still include him.
Eddie Machen
Sam McVea
After seeing more names I might have to roll some of these off my list. And would any of these non champions belong in the top 15 list with our without attaining the status?

Good topic, but Bugner doesn't belong.

Don't know much about the real old-timers, but I would think Quarry, prime Folley, Machen, and Big Cat Williams would make a Top 15 Non-champion all-time list. Shavers and Jimmy Young also would be possibilities.

Gee Harry Wills has to be #1 on this list by a wide margin.

yancey wrote: Good topic, but Bugner doesn't belong.

Yep, agreed. He stands out like a sore thumb in that list of stellar talent.

I don't think Bugner is one of the top 15, but he was a good fighter. He beat Mac Foster and Greg Page. He also gave Joe Frazier a tough fight and barely lost to Ron Lyle.

Ambling Alp II wrote:I don't think Bugner is one of the top 15, but he was a good fighter. He beat Mac Foster and Greg Page. He also gave Joe Frazier a tough fight and barely lost to Ron Lyle.

Not saying he wasn't a good fighter just that he is out of place in that list.

I am probably going to regret asking, but how in the world should Bugner be rated below Roy Williams? Besides giving Shavers a tough fight, there really isn't much else good to say about Williams. Williams really has no quality wins, and he even lost to Richard Dunn.

Il Duce wrote:Roy 'Tiger' Williams

On paper, there might not be enough 'quality wins' on Roy Williams' resume, but on
the overall, 'Tiger' was one of the most avoided Heavyweights during the early/mid
1970's.

Throw out the 'bizarre' Richard Dunn fight in the United Kingdom, as Roy was under
orders to 'not' smash up the weak-chinned southpaw.

Have you seen the fight?

Have you seen the fight?

I hope nobody is actually believing this crap.

Well that's just the thing. Nobody buys the zanier stuff....AND he posts some things that are believable. So it's just like the market place. Buyer beware.

Harmless.

Ambling Alp II wrote:I hope nobody is actually believing this crap.

They'd have to be a few slices short of a loaf to take anything this mumbling moron posts seriously.

BoxBuzz wrote:Well that's just the thing. Nobody buys the zanier stuff....AND he posts some things that are believable. So it's just like the market place. Buyer beware.

Harmless.

Hahahahahaha.

Which things are believable?

The stuff about Big Jim picking Ali up by his throat?

Maybe the one about Tiger bashing Ali up in the dressing room?

Or the monologue by Chuckles on his fight with "Clay"?

Patterson forced to dress up as Uncle Tom?

Ali wearing a funny hat while stealing money from african orphans?

OK, the funny hat bit was true.

And that story about you botching diagnoses due to being on the wacky baccy had a ring of truth to it.

see...you found the authentic info.....just a matter of proper perusing....