Second greatest fighter of all time to never win a world title

[Andyland]

Great fighters

Jimmy Young was NOT a great fighter!!

[Prince Mongo]

Herol Graham. He was around the time of Benn and Eubank and many considered himma much better boxer. he had an awkward style trat made him avoided as he made his opponents look bad.

[mickey malone]

Herol Graham. He was around the time of Benn and Eubank and many considered himma much better boxer. he had an awkward style trat made him avoided as he made his opponents look bad.

Both Herol Graham and Michael Watson are without doubt, the best non-titlists to have come from the UK.. Both had quality resumes..

Honorable mention to Colin Jones.

Jones 'the punch' drew and lost a questionable split dc to Milton McCrory for the wbc ww title, and shortly afterwards, was doing ok vs Donald Curry for the wba strap, but was stopped with an awful cut to the bridge of his nose.
Speaking of Jones, it's difficult not to mention Kirkland Laing, 'the gifted one' who let it all slip away.. Another 'could've been' who when he did turn it on, had a pretty amazing counter punching technique, which confused the hell out of a near prime Duran, but a lover of dope and whiskey, he'll just be remembered as a flash in the pan.. Had two fights with Jones that are well worth a watch. Jones comes from behind to ko Laing in the 9th, in both fights!

[SBleeder]

If you're talking just light heavyweights, how about Ezzard Charles? I know he won the heavyweight title though.

Light Heavyweight indeed has several great fighters who never won the LHW World Title.

Charles, Tunney, Greb, and Bivins were all great light heavyweights who never claimed a title there. Floyd Patterson was an excellent light heavyweight, as was Young Stribling.

[Bodyshot3]

Good call Mr. Malone.....

... Laing was exceptionally gifted.

That win over a prime Duran was not a fluke and showed exceptional class - and I think Mickey Duff (even now) still cannot believe that KL did not go on to superfights with the likes of Leonard, Hearns and Duran (again) in Vegas.

Of course, Duff struck gold just a few years later when Lloyd Honeyghan became the undisputed world welterweight champion; but despite that sweet and historical moment with the Ragamuffin Man I still think Duff knows that Laing was the man who could have gone even higher and further.

[mickey malone]

Good call Mr. Malone.....

... Laing was exceptionally gifted.

That win over a prime Duran was not a fluke and showed exceptional class - and I think Mickey Duff (even now) still cannot believe that KL did not go on to superfights with the likes of Leonard, Hearns and Duran (again) in Vegas.

Of course, Duff struck gold just a few years later when Lloyd Honeyghan became the undisputed world welterweight champion; but despite that sweet and historical moment with the Ragamuffin Man I still think Duff knows that Laing was the man who could have gone even higher and further.

Despite his finest hour, Laing is'nt at all highly rated outside of the UK.
I've found the general concensus of oversea's opinion to be, that it was a fluke. All the usual, Duran was sick and so on, but i've never bought any of it.
To understand Kirk, and to have seen him at his outrageous best, you had to be watching Duff's mid-week promotions during the early 80's..
Duran was probably the only opponent he ever took seriously in his life, and displayed very little of his trademark eccentricity..
I met him at a party once.. A straight up Rasta, had us all in stitches with stories of fights he'd had when he was stoned.

[Ray Corso]

I agree with mentionng Billy Graham, as a welter he was in tuff in that era but he also fought all the time!! Never was stopped in 125+ bouts with only 15 lost decs.
thats amazing!!! Slick fighter void of power which makes his "no KO" record incredible! Truely fought like a champion, lots of skills and talent, tons of experience and a determined fighter too! Easy guy to rout for, great style!
Ray

[danthepoetman]

Many great names already came out. I'll try to find others.

There's Billy Petrolle, who fought in the 20's to the begining of the 30's. He was as good as Canzoneri (whom he decisioned once), Kid Berg and Jimmy McLarnin (whom he also decisioned). They all became champion, he didn't. Just bad luck, just a matter of chance and circumstances...

There's also Lloyd Marshall, a middleweight-light-heavy who had the misfortune of probably being at his best during WW2 (Gus Lesnevich didn't defend for 5 years). He also had many off nights, and in the end finished his career with a record of 70-25-4 with 36 kos. He was an outstanding puncher and fought many great, great fighters. At one point or another, he beat Ezzard Charles (arguably the best light-heavyweight of all time), decking him 7 or 8 times in the process, Tommy Farr (a heavyweight who gave Joe Louis a tough first defence), Holman Williams, Charley Burley, Joey Maxim (to whom he was conceding 20 pounds, and still managed to kd him), Jake LaMotta, Lou Brouillard, Freddie Mills and Ken Overlin. He had what it takes to be champion. Just bad luck, once again.

Hungarian Laszlo Papp, 3 times Olympic gold winner, end of 40's, 50's. 300 amateur victories. I think he was the first fighter from the Eastern block to be given the right to turn pro. Became European champion, climbed atop the ranks and was considered for a title shot by a few champions. Although he never lost, he didn't beat the right guys at the right time and never secured the shot. In 65, Hugarian governement said enough and he had to hang them up. 27-0-2-15 final record.

Hollman Williams, maybe less known or talked about than some of his era because he was a defensive fighter, always cautiously keeping opponents at the end of the jab. He beat amongst others Steve Belloise, Izzy Jannazzo, Jose Basora twice, Joe Carter, Cocoa Kid, Gene Buffalo, Charley Burley, Archie Moore and Lloyd Marshall at one point or another. He could have won a title at middleweight. But he never had a shot. Fought from the beginning of the 30's to the end of the 40's.

Georgie Abrams was a stablemate of middleweight champion Ken Overlin, and for that reason, had to wait for a shot. He beat Billy Soose twice in 39 and 40, then Soose proceeded to take the title away from Overlin in 41. He then cautiously, the same year, fought Abrams in a 10 rounds non-title bout and lost to him again. The real champ was obviously Abrams...
Soose retired and Abrams then lost a very close decision (8-7) to Tony Zale...
Cerdan, S.R. Robinson and Fred Apostoli retired him after the war...

A case could also be made for Bennie Briscoe, imo...

[danthepoetman]

Jimmy Young was NOT a great fighter!!

Maybe not.
He had a few bad outings at the beginning of his career, then was kayoed by Shavers in 3 after only 10 fights. But he came back, drew with Shavers and decisioned Ron Lyle in 1975. Many would probably disagree but I felt the decision could have gone his way when he fought old Ali for the title in 76, and I was not the only one to feel that way. But once again, his style was boring and difficult to get excited about; the decision, no matter how close it could have been, was no outrage; how could it be with such a style?
He beat Lyle a second time, then Foreman in an outstanding performance (in his boring way), which seemed like a humongus accomplishment at the time, and fought Kenny Norton in 1977. The winner was supposed to have a shot at the title, but when new champ Spinks decided to give a rematch to Ali, the WBC splitted him of the belt and gave it to the winner of their fight. In my opinion, once again, the Norton-Young fight was very close, and could very well have gone to Young. But Norton was declared the winner by a few points.
But after that one, it was all over for Young though...

[greeh]

If Herol Graham and Jimmy Young gets mentioned then Eddie Booker sure as hell is worthy of a shout.

/greeh