Who's the Greatest Non-Champion in History???

[elmersalsa]

Who is the greatest non-champion in history??? There were a couple of hall of famers that could have been easily world champs today.

[tonyevs]

Burley and Langford are two good names to start with, but start from the beginning.

Peter Jackson

There will be many names inbetween.

BOXSCRIBE will give many a worthy and deserving name to add to the list also.

[jimglen]

Jock McAvoy and Bert Gilroy,
both SHUT-OUT of their 'rightful title chances!!!

[silkov]

Lazo Papp....

[kovit]

Harry Wills, he was shut out of his title chances against Jack Dempsey.
You left out Bennie Briscoe who failed to win the world middleweight title 3 times. Even Sam McVey and Joe Jeannette you left out were shut out to face Jack Johnson.

[elmersalsa]

Harry Wills, he was shut out of his title chances against Jack Dempsey.
You left out Bennie Briscoe who failed to win the world middleweight title 3 times. Even Sam McVey and Joe Jeannette you left out were shut out to face Jack Johnson.

I know, I know my friend. It's that the computer won't let me put all the names possible. But anyway, very, very good are your choices.

[kovit]

Thanks elmersalsa.
Actually there are some more to be added:
1. Johnny Risko
2. Len Harvey
3. George Godfrey
4. Tony Galento
5. Arturo Godoy
6. Abe Simon
7. Buddy Baer
8. Elmer Ray
9. Bob Satterfield
10. Roland La Stara
11. Nino Valdez
12. Eddie Machen
13. Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson
14. Cleveland Williams
15. Zora Folley
16. George Chuvalo
17. Jerry Quarry
18. Oscar Bonavena
19. Earnie Shavers
20. Ron Lyle
21. Gerry Cooney
22. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
23. Jimmy Young
That's the long list right there.

[The Scranton Assassin]

Shavers without a doubt. He was robbed and should have been champ. Tim Witherspoon too.

[Eric the Viking]

Worth mentioning: although he went on to win the World Heavyweight Title, Ezzard Charles was shut out of the light-heavyweight title scene of the mid-to-late 40s, he is widely considered one of the top 2 or 3 (if not *the* top) light-heavies of all time - beat the great Archie Moore all 3 times they faced off. That surely makes him the greatest light-heavy to never win a title (at least at that weight).

[elmersalsa]

Shavers without a doubt. He was robbed and should have been champ. Tim Witherspoon too.

Nothing against you, but I know you know better than that. Tim Witherspoon was in fact a 2-time Heavyweight Champion.

[silkov]

Thanks elmersalsa.
Actually there are some more to be added:
1. Johnny Risko
2. Len Harvey
3. George Godfrey
4. Tony Galento
5. Arturo Godoy
6. Abe Simon
7. Buddy Baer
8. Elmer Ray
9. Bob Satterfield
10. Roland La Stara
11. Nino Valdez
12. Eddie Machen
13. Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson
14. Cleveland Williams
15. Zora Folley
16. George Chuvalo
17. Jerry Quarry
18. Oscar Bonavena
19. Earnie Shavers
20. Ron Lyle
21. Gerry Cooney
22. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
23. Jimmy Young
That's the long list right there.

excellent list Kovit! 8)

[elmersalsa]

Thanks elmersalsa.
Actually there are some more to be added:
1. Johnny Risko
2. Len Harvey
3. George Godfrey
4. Tony Galento
5. Arturo Godoy
6. Abe Simon
7. Buddy Baer
8. Elmer Ray
9. Bob Satterfield
10. Roland La Stara
11. Nino Valdez
12. Eddie Machen
13. Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson
14. Cleveland Williams
15. Zora Folley
16. George Chuvalo
17. Jerry Quarry
18. Oscar Bonavena
19. Earnie Shavers
20. Ron Lyle
21. Gerry Cooney
22. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
23. Jimmy Young
That's the long list right there.

I like that list, too. For me is very interesting the name of Elmer Ray. (Hey, he got my name, ha ha ha ha ha!!!). I saw his record and it seems that he was a very good heavyweight that fought the greats like Ezzard Charles and Jersey Joe Walcott. He even won 53 fights in a row.

[silkov]

AMando Muniz, Ralph 'tiger' Jones and Yaqui Lopez are three more that come to mind..... Mumniz and Lopez had several brushes at winning the world title in their divisions but lost out after thrilling fights..... Jones though never got a world title shot despite beating Ray Robinson in '55 prior to Ray regaining his Middleweight crown.... 'tIGER' should have got a shot I think!... 8)

[silkov]

Owen Moran!... 8)

[Marciano Frazier]

Thanks elmersalsa.
Actually there are some more to be added:
1. Johnny Risko
2. Len Harvey
3. George Godfrey
4. Tony Galento
5. Arturo Godoy
6. Abe Simon
7. Buddy Baer
8. Elmer Ray
9. Bob Satterfield
10. Roland La Stara
11. Nino Valdez
12. Eddie Machen
13. Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson
14. Cleveland Williams
15. Zora Folley
16. George Chuvalo
17. Jerry Quarry
18. Oscar Bonavena
19. Earnie Shavers
20. Ron Lyle
21. Gerry Cooney
22. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
23. Jimmy Young
That's the long list right there.

That's mostly a good list, but what's Johnny Risko doing on there? He was very mediocre, a journeyman with an iron jaw but nothing else really who retired with a record of something like 75-50 with a bunch of draws and no decisions.

[Cap]

Thanks elmersalsa.
Actually there are some more to be added:
1. Johnny Risko
2. Len Harvey
3. George Godfrey
4. Tony Galento
5. Arturo Godoy
6. Abe Simon
7. Buddy Baer
8. Elmer Ray
9. Bob Satterfield
10. Roland La Stara
11. Nino Valdez
12. Eddie Machen
13. Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson
14. Cleveland Williams
15. Zora Folley
16. George Chuvalo
17. Jerry Quarry
18. Oscar Bonavena
19. Earnie Shavers
20. Ron Lyle
21. Gerry Cooney
22. Donovan "Razor" Ruddock
23. Jimmy Young
That's the long list right there.

Many of these guys had their shot at the title and failed. Sam Langford did not. Neither did Harry Wills, Jack Renault, Joe Jeannette, George Godfrey, Paolino Uzcudun, or a few others who could be mentioned.

Cap

[neil r]

Dick McTaggart, Felix Savon, Tefelio Stevenson