Best Heavyweight never to win the World title

[drclifton@couns]

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

[mickey malone]

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..

[BennyST]

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.

[MANGLER]

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

[cooper5]

All the above

[The Number 6]

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

[JAB5239]

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.

[mickey malone]

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..

[BennyST]

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.

[JCO]

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.