Who from boxers in history of heavyweight...

[Dynamite76]

Carl "The Truth" Williams

[hellfire508]

1. Sam Langford
2. Ken Norton
3. Jerry Quarry
4. Archie Moore
5. Tom Sharkey
6. Earnie Shavers
7. Ron Lyle

[Dynamite76]

James "Quick" Tillis

[Briman15]

Richie Melito

[Dynamite76]

Harry Wills

[Troy Fine]

Billy Conn the guyed weighed something like 168 and fought a over 200 pound joe loius in his prime (and he is one of the greatest fighters in history)and Conn almost beat him

[butterfly1964]

I really see seven true competitors that fell short. Here they are.

1) Zora Folley - he fought Ali in 1967, the prime of the butterfly's career. He won the first two rounds from Ali. He almost confused Ali in the early going and he was the number one contender in the ten years prior to that fight.

2) Archie Moore - although a light heavyweight most of his career, he was top contender for that division for 12 years. But because of his being black he was denied a title shot for that long period of time. Had he won the LH title about eight years quicker, he would have had more chances to win the heaveweight crown and would have done it. He would have destroyed Marciano at say 37 than at 43 when he actually fought him, and he would have been champion before the great Floyd Patterson came on the scene in the mid 50s. Moore would have had the crown by the time Joe Louis retired.

3) Jerry Quarry - He put up two good fights against Smokin' Joe Frazier.

4) (A forgotten one) Karl Mildenburger - fighting Ali in 1966, he gave the greatest some trouble with his southpaw stance.

5) Doug Jones - He matched Cassius Clay in 1963 blow for blow and actually won on points. However the officiating was horrendous that night and Clay's hands were raised. Had it gone the other way, Jones would have fought Liston and not Clay.

6) Henry Cooper - Flooring a 21 year old Cassius Clay, he almost won that fight when Clay was bought more time to recover and then win. If it wasn't for Clay's manager and trainer at the time Angelo Dundee, Cooper would have been fighting Liston for the crown and not Clay.

7) George Chuvalo - He never was knocked down and fought over 90 times. He had one title shot at Ali in 1966, he fought other heavyweight greats such as George Foreman, Joe Frazier, and Floyd Patterson.