Who would you guys say were the greatest Heavyweights to never win the belt? Sorry if there's already been a thread like this one before, but I didn't see one.

sam langford

I always remember the old Don King quote, saying that Earnie Shavers was the greatest fighter to never win a world title...But yeah its not a good decision to try to make really, so much talent that never won the title or that we never even heard of in boxing!

Sam Langford and Earnie Shavers probably the top two, if Earnie had a better chin, and wouldn't have been in such a tough era, he def would've won one. Sam was ducked a lot, even by Jack Johnson. David Tua, Ike Ibeabuchi and Jerry Quarry deserve hon mention

Sam Langford and Earnie Shavers probably the top two, if Earnie had a better chin, and wouldn't have been in such a tough era, he def would've won one. Sam was ducked a lot, even by Jack Johnson. David Tua, Ike Ibeabuchi and Jerry Quarry deserve hon mention

My vote is Jerry Quarry,tough guy to bad he cut alot. Sam Langford and Earnie Shavers probably the top two, if Earnie had a better chin. Quarry knocked Shavers out in one round. 2) Eddie Machen 3) Nino Valdez who Patterson avoid for a long time.

Who would you guys say were the greatest Heavyweights to never win the belt? Sorry if there's already been a thread like this one before, but I didn't see one.


This from the International boxing hall of fame and is as good a choice as any in my opinion.

Harry Wills
Harry Wills fought in many great fights. But he forever be remembered for the one fight he never had. Wills was a top heavyweight contender in the early 1920s but was denied a title shot because of his race.
While heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey welcomed a fight against Wills, and they both signed contracts to face each other, the Govorner of the state of New York canceled the contest fearing that race riots would follow the fight. For compensation, Wills received $50,000 for the cancellation.

Wills was known as the Brown Panther of New Orleans. An intimidating presence, he stood 6-4 and weighed 220 pounds. From 1924 through 1926, he was ranked as high as No. 1 and no lower than No. 6.

Some of the top white heavyweights he beat were Willie Meehan in 1914 (Meehan beat Dempsey twice and drew with him twice), Gunboat Smith in 1921 and Charley Weinert. He also met Luis Angel Firpo in a No Decision bout.

Wills met many of the top black heavyweights of his day. He fought Sam Langford 22 times, going 6-2 with 14 No Decisions. He also beat Sam McVey three times and had two No Decision bouts with Joe Jeannette.

In 1926, Wills was disqualified in the 13th round for excessive holding in a bout with Jack Sharkey. The next year heavyweight contender Paolino Uzcudun knocked him out in the last significant bout of his career.

Sam Langford and Ike Ibeabuchi, I am also inclined to say Ray Mercer, Tua, Chuvalo, Quarry and Shavers.

Sam Langford and Ike Ibeabuchi, I am also inclined to say Ray Mercer, Tua, Chuvalo, Quarry and Shavers.

Just out of curiosity, why would anyone name Ibeabuchi? Ike, for all the potential he may have had, never fought a great fighter. Sure he beat Byrd who was decent and Tua who was powerful, but he never showed he could hang with a Lewis, Bowe, Holyfield or Klitschko. all of who I would pick to beat him with Evander being the closest fight. Truth is, Byrd was a very small heavy with nothing to keep Ike away, and Tua was a short and basicly one handed fighter. If you are basing your opinion on what you believe to be unfulfilled potential I can understand where you are coming from. But from a factual standpoint, Ike accomplished very little to be considered one of the greatest heavies to never win a title. Just my opinion.

peter jackson, sam langford, jerry quarry, earnie shavers, david tua, and ray mercer.

peter jackson, sam langford, jerry quarry, earnie shavers, david tua, and ray mercer.


Peter Jackson is a great shout out. Jackson was never granted a shot at the title, but did get a 61 round draw against James Corbett, one of the most technically gifted fighters of his era, and future heavyweight champ just a year later. In have read opinions in which many thought more highly of
Jackson than they did of Jack Johnson. I don't know how true that is, but it certainly says a lot about the man in my opinion.

Langford was the 'heavyweight champion of the world' and was also given a belt to indicate such. :boxing:

Sam was ducked a lot, even by Jack Johnson.

** Sam was ducked by Johnson, but there was another guy who came out of nowhere and almost got a shot.

Luther McCarty, a big cowboy in the mold of Willard was actually in negotiations with Johnson after his move to Paris. McCarty had been chewing up Johnson title contenders and actually got to Frank Moran before Johnson did.

McCarty was the real deal. He would've only been 21 for the Johnson bout, but at that stage of Johnson's career, t'ain't a given that he could beat still raw McCarty.

Sadly, McCarty died of a brain injury in the opening stanza of a keep busy bout against Arthur Pelkey in a clinch.

One of the great "What ifs" in boxing history. Probably a future HOFer, but forgotten today.

Here's a good contemporary newspaper account of the LRR mentioned, Luther McCarty, for anyone who doesn't know his story or for anyone else interested. This is a writeup of the Calgary Daily Herald printed right after his death;

http://www.ourfutureourpast.ca/newspapr/np_page2.asp?code=n2op0462.jpg

McCartny Suffer Brain Damage from Falling off a horse had he not died we likly never would have heard of Jess Willard

as for my vote I say Billy Miske

The Bellflower Bomber gets my vote.

Who would you guys say were the greatest Heavyweights to never win the belt? Sorry if there's already been a thread like this one before, but I didn't see one.

Ike Ibeabuchi is ONE of them

[QUOTE=JAB5239;3873606]This from the International boxing hall of fame and is as good a choice as any in my opinion.

Harry Wills
Harry Wills fought in many great fights. But he forever be remembered for the one fight he never had. Wills was a top heavyweight contender in the early 1920s but was denied a title shot because of his race.
While heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey welcomed a fight against Wills, and they both signed contracts to face each other, the Govorner of the state of New York canceled the contest fearing that race riots would follow the fight. For compensation, Wills received $50,000 for the cancellation.

Wills was known as the Brown Panther of New Orleans. An intimidating presence, he stood 6-4 and weighed 220 pounds. From 1924 through 1926, he was ranked as high as No. 1 and no lower than No. 6.

Some of the top white heavyweights he beat were Willie Meehan in 1914 (Meehan beat Dempsey twice and drew with him twice), Gunboat Smith in 1921 and Charley Weinert. He also met Luis Angel Firpo in a No Decision bout.

Wills met many of the top black heavyweights of his day. He fought Sam Langford 22 times, going 6-2 with 14 No Decisions. He also beat Sam McVey three times and had two No Decision bouts with Joe Jeannette.




Good choice here.

]

Sam Langford and Harry Wills? I figured somebody would mention them. How many fights have you seen of these guys? Not many have you so why do you think they were anything special? It is because old senile farts like Bert Sugar told you so? You cant compare fighters back then to todays fighters and you cant base a fighter you never seen on what you heard.


Anyway i would say Ron Lyle, David Tua and Ken Norton since he never won the title but he was given a title.

sure Ike never got the opportunity to prove himself against the division's best but you can't argue against what he showed in the ring; a great chin (remember that Tua shot?good hand speed & defense, great punching power & ability (nearly beheaded Byrd in his prime), great conditioning and a crazy work rate (damn near 100 punches a round when necessary). You can't exclude him from this list especially since it's based on guys who never got or didn't capitalize on their opportunities...

i have to throw andrew golata in there bad as i hate to.

Harry Wills seems like a good choice.