Who is the greatest fighter never to win a linear world title?

[KnockoutTheFat]

Thread title

[Silencers]

Charley Burley.

[JAB5239]

Charley Burley.

I'll go with Sam Langford.

[El Jesus]

Charley Burley.

Nobody was ever nice enough to give him a shot.

[Tha_Greatest]

did tua ever win a real title, if not, its him

[El Jesus]

did tua ever win a real title, if not, its him

Hell no. There is nothing about tua that even remotely says "great". The man who ended up beating him (Ike) is more deserving of that title than he is.

[Silencers]

I'll go with Sam Langford.

I thought about him too, in the end I just decided to put down Burley's name but Langford definitely was a great fighter who never got his shot.

[JAB5239]

Nobody was ever nice enough to give him a shot.

Funny, but I just ordered a book tonight called "Charley Burley and the black murderes row" and the reviews speak about the book getting into detail on WHY he was never given a shot. First and foremost was the fact that there was to much risk and to little reward in fighting him. The second was because he never had the right connections because he was always changing managers. After I get the book and read it I'll give more of a summary on this in the History section.

[JAB5239]

I thought about him too, in the end I just decided to put down Burley's name but Langford definitely was a great fighter who never got his shot.

There have been a few, but these are the two names that stand out most in my mind when the subject is brought up.

[Thread Stealer]

Sam Langford and Charley Burley are the obvious mentions.

The lineage always gets a little fuzzy with fighters retiring, moving up in weight, alphabet soup, etc..

I know the 175 thing has been argued time and time again, but Roy Jones's claim to being lineal at 175 isn't too strong.