Who is it then im thinking of maybe Tua at the top of the list.

Who is it then im thinking of maybe Tua at the top of the list.
Sam Langford, Jerry Quarry, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Ike Ibeabuchi, Jimmy Young, Eddie Machen, Joe Bugner, Gerry Cooney, Joe Choynski, Harry Wills, Joe Jeannette, Sam McVey, Zora Foley and Tua, all fall into this criteria..

Jerry Quarry

Harry Wills. Langford comes in second place.

Ken Norton?

Ken Norton?

Norton was WBC champion (paper)

Norton was WBC champion (paper)
Just being whimsical as Ken Norton never won a title fight

Sam Langford.

He fought and defeated some of the best (including world champions) but never got his chance at the title. He did have a 'claim' as the colored champion, though.

Of our era..I would say Fres Oquendo..robbed in the Chris Byrd fight and the Tua fight..he beat them both.....and some would argue Toney and Holyfield.

Who is it then im thinking of maybe Tua at the top of the list.

exactlyhttp://www.boxingscene.com/forums/images/icons/icon14.gif

I would certainly go with Jerry Quarry but I would also put Carl "The Truth Williams" in that category. I think he beat Holmes.

I would certainly go with Jerry Quarry but I would also put Carl "The Truth Williams" in that category. I think he beat Holmes.
True, (or should I say, 'the truth') but it was an isolated performance.. Williams never once re-produced the kind of form that he displayed against Holmes..
KO defeats to Bruno, Tyson and Weaver didn't help either..
'Unluckiest', as opposed to 'Best' heavyweights, not to win the title, would categorize him perfectly..

True, (or should I say, 'the truth') but it was an isolated performance.. Williams never once re-produced the kind of form that he displayed against Holmes..
KO defeats to Bruno, Tyson and Weaver didn't help either..
'Unluckiest', as opposed to 'Best' heavyweights, not to win the title, would categorize him perfectly..

Ike was a good one mate. I always remember him as winning a title but it was just the WBC Int. HW title. Crazy fighter though and it's a real pity he was a nutjob otherwise we could have had a great fighter still on the scene in today's HW's.

Some good choices in here. Of recent memory throw in Golota too.

All the above

Sam Lamgford is a good one, Jack Johnson ducked him and wouldnt give him a shot

Sam Langford, Jerry Quarry, Ron Lyle, Earnie Shavers, Ike Ibeabuchi, Jimmy Young, Eddie Machen, Joe Bugner, Gerry Cooney, Joe Choynski, Harry Wills, Joe Jeannette, Sam McVey, Zora Foley and Tua, all fall into this criteria..

Ike was a good one mate. I always remember him as winning a title but it was just the WBC Int. HW title. Crazy fighter though and it's a real pity he was a nutjob otherwise we could have had a great fighter still on the scene in today's HW's.

Never been sold on Ike and disagree completely. His career against top comp was to short to take him into consideration in my opinion. Good wins over Byrd and his close decision over Tua, but that doesn't tell us how he'd do against the bigger and more skilled fighters during his era. We have no idea how he would have dealt with Wlads jab or Lewis's right. No idea how he would have fared against even a guy like Hasim Rahman. Great potential from what we did see, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best to never win a championship. Jmo.

Never been sold on Ike and disagree completely. His career against top comp was to short to take him into consideration in my opinion. Good wins over Byrd and his close decision over Tua, but that doesn't tell us how he'd do against the bigger and more skilled fighters during his era. We have no idea how he would have dealt with Wlads jab or Lewis's right. No idea how he would have fared against even a guy like Hasim Rahman. Great potential from what we did see, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best to never win a championship. Jmo.
If Ike could get the better of Tua & Byrd after less than 20 fights, it does suggest that he would have gone places..

Never been sold on Ike and disagree completely. His career against top comp was to short to take him into consideration in my opinion. Good wins over Byrd and his close decision over Tua, but that doesn't tell us how he'd do against the bigger and more skilled fighters during his era. We have no idea how he would have dealt with Wlads jab or Lewis's right. No idea how he would have fared against even a guy like Hasim Rahman. Great potential from what we did see, but I wouldn't consider him one of the best to never win a championship. Jmo.

I don't really think he was close to being one of the best to never win a title. That was more of a reference to me thinking that he had won a title.

I agree too. His win over Byrd was spectacular in my opinion and no one got close to doing anything similar until he was dead and the win over Tua was also very good, but it was basically only those two and it would have been very difficult to say how he would do against much bigger guys.

He wasn't that big from memory was he? Maybe a bit over six foot I think? I have the feeling he would have beaten guys like Rahman, Ruiz etc etc, but lost to the Klit's maybe as we really have no idea how he would have fought the taller boxers.

Maybe he would have been able to use his speed and combination punching to win or even crunch out a KO. I don't know. Much too short of a career to guess with any solid point of perspective.

In my opinion, the best heavyweight to never win the world heavyweight title is Sam Langford. He defeated some of the best heavyweights of his time but couldn't get a title shot.

Before Jack Johnson became champion, he beat Langford by points. I think Langford was outweighed by about 30 pounds.

After Johnson became champion, Langford was chasing him but to no avail. Johnson is believed to have said "Sam, nobody wants to see two black heavyweights fight for the title".

Langford even attempted to fight Dempsey. He was around 40-years-old and was blind in one eye. His promoter refused because of the possibility of there being another riot, like the one that happened after Johnson defeated Jeffries, if Langford won.

Even though he didn't become the world heavyweight champion, Langford will still be remembered as one of the greatest fighters of all-time.

Donovan Ruddock.

its a shame ike couldn't keep himself on his square long enough....if not for his mental health issues I think he would of been a dominant champion !....as far as how he would of faired against vitali wvlad or lennox....i think he would of beat them.....if he could take several clean left hooks from tua without even blinking....that says alot!!!!!!!! the bigger guys rights wouldn't be a deciding factor against ike.....dude had all the tools except his sanity

Donovan Ruddock.
Fought some good world champs but never for a world title..
Against Lewis was for the Commonwealth belt.. Tyson had lost to Douglas, and like Ruddock, was also a contender.. This was also the case when he lost to Morrison for one of the unrecognized titles..

You have to respect him for not ducking them, but sadly, this is why he gets overlooked because in effect, he always got beat by the best contenders, but b4 they became champs (again) regards Tyson..
Did have a crazy left hand though, and while in contention, beat some washed up ex-champs in style.. Page, Dokes & Smith, being the victims.

its a shame ike couldn't keep himself on his square long enough....if not for his mental health issues I think he would of been a dominant champion !....as far as how he would of faired against vitali wvlad or lennox....i think he would of beat them.....if he could take several clean left hooks from tua without even blinking....that says alot!!!!!!!! the bigger guys rights wouldn't be a deciding factor against ike.....dude had all the tools except his sanity
He reminded me a lot of Sonny Liston..

jeremy bates

gerrie cooney,archie moore,tommy morrison (never a major title),alex stewart