BoxRec

Interested to see people's opinions on who are the WORST world champions of all time (across all divisions), as we have the ongoing BEST heavyweight champion thread..

I always say it...john ruiz

aliboy123 wrote:I always say it...john ruiz

You think John Ruiz would lose to Charles Martin?

The End wrote:

aliboy123 wrote:I always say it...john ruiz

You think John Ruiz would lose to Charles Martin?

I can't think nothing worse than Luis Santana

Charles Martin is among the worst I've seen, and he even won his title on a fluke.

I'm sure there's been other horrible Champs, but he's one of the worst I've seen that comes to mind.

Charles Martin

Personally I'd stick Canelo on the list, nothing to do with his ability but for defending at the 155 catchweight for so long and for the way he called out Golovkin and then dropped his title

It's hard to look past Charles Martin.

Shocking so-called 'world champion' that didn't even really 'win' his title then lost it pathetically without barely a wimper.

DannyMCR wrote:Personally I'd stick Canelo on the list, nothing to do eith his ability but for defending at the 155 catchweight for so long and for the way he called out Golovkin and then dropped his title

That's a fair & nuanced way of looking at it.

Alvarez clearly is a good fighter, but his so-called world title reign at 160 leaves a sour taste in the mouth.

Golden Boy are really tarnishing Canelo's legacy & I think he will regret it one day.

Satoshi Shingaki was very average indeed

Hitoshi Kamiyama,

aliboy123 wrote:I always say it...john ruiz

Most boring champion but far from the worst

Just sticking to recognised alphabelts, everything about Charles Martin's reign was embarassing.

Maussa was so ungainly and awful to watch.

Seldon, well...yeah that wasn't his finest moment against Tyson.

Valuev by far

Seldon, well...yeah that wasn't his finest moment against Tyson.

Seldon was definitely a nadir and so was the whole Valuev end-of-the-pier freak show.

.....some of the 'elevated' champs of recent years after someone has been stripped rather than actually being beaten in the ring are also deeply depressing, seems to be a bit of a WBC-thing which won't surprise WBC watchers.

Sebastian Zbik 'crowned' after Sergio Martinez was stripped; all wrong and really?

Bika got the title after Ward was stripped but at least faced the mighty Marco Periban and had to throw a punch in anger...probably a low one as well and followed by a blatant head butt

Another vote for Charles Martin.

A lot of World Champions were surprisingly bad -- here's a few:

Michael Bent... Daniel Santos... Antonio Margarito... Willie Pastrano... Billy Backus... Cory Spinks... Gus Lesnivich... Felix Sturm... Marvin Hart… Daniel Geale... Pauli Malignaggi… Alan Minter… Ernie Terrell... Leon Spinks... Jeff Lacy… Vivian Harris... Yuri Foreman… Jess Willard... Rocky Graziano

Kalan wrote:A lot of World Champions were surprisingly bad -- here's a few:

Michael Bent... Daniel Santos... Antonio Margarito... Willie Pastrano... Billy Backus... Cory Spinks... Gus Lesnivich... Felix Sturm... Marvin Hart… Daniel Geale... Pauli Malignaggi… Alan Minter… Ernie Terrell... Leon Spinks... Jeff Lacy… Vivian Harris... Yuri Foreman… Jess Willard... Rocky Graziano

Good calls.

Michael Bentt must be almost up there with Charles Martin, although, to be fair to Bentt, he actually won his 'world' title as opposed to being lucked it with an injured opponent.

orbtastic wrote:Maussa was so ungainly and awful to watch.

Seldon, well...yeah that wasn't his finest moment against Tyson.

I'm staggered that Seldon got paid for that 'fight'.

One of the most pathetic surrenders of a so-called 'world' title I have ever seen.

I wouldn't have minded if he was obliterated by a superior guy, much like Michael Spinks was by Tyson, but the way he pretended to me hurt when the referee asked him about his condition was truly laughable.

PRimo Carnera. DEspite the efforts to be kind to his memory in the wake of the passing years.


He was an honorable fella without a doubt. But a fluke champ.

BoxBuzz wrote:PRimo Carnera. DEspite the efforts to be kind to his memory in the wake of the passing years.


He was an honorable fella without a doubt. But a fluke champ.

Carnera was no fluke. He won 18 straight fights, including 3 World Title Fights up until his loss to Max Baer... It should have been 22 straight wins, because Carnera got robbed in one fight where the referee got suspended for crappy scoring. Carnea had over 100 fights and scored more KO wins than any other Heavyweight Champion. He was a very serious professional fighter and a very hard trainer ... unlike Willard and other slackers.

Jack Sharkey gave Carnera a lot of credit for being an extremely dangerous and difficult guy to fight, because he was so big and powerful. Carnera clearly beat the light hitting, but highly skilled Tommy Loughran with his sheer size and strength. He won that one handily.

Primo was better than Spinks, Bentt, Hart, Morrison, Hide, Seldon, and Willard to be sure. I'd make him about tied with Ingemar Johansson for 8th worst Heavyweight Champion. None of that group could defend themselves skillfully. Any great puncher was going to flatten every one of them.

Here's Carnera winning the title form Sharkey. He's not a terrific defender and not fast. Sharkey was averagely skilled among all Heavyweight Champions, but Carnera was far from overwhelmed by Sharkey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1QA7Q1hOA0

Kalan, Sharkey posed for that landing.....and you know it.

But as long as we agree that he was bottom tier, you're making progress.

Anyway...you can sit down now, we've all seen your new shirt.

I'll chuck in Vicenzo Nardiello. Awful fighter, sat through his "challenge" to Nigel Benn. How he ever won a respected strap is beyond me.