NY Times, March 26 '61. Billy Conn only made 2 or 3 defenses of his LHW title before vacating it, but he is generally considered a fixture in that division's top 10. Fidel LaBarba retired and vacated his flyweight title without ever making a single defense of it. Marcel Cerdan died without ever having made a single successful defense of his MW title.
Congratulations!!! Somebody willing to do the research and make a stand!! Next question....Is it arguable that none of these fighter belong inb the top 10 of their respective divisions? This is a difficult question for me to ask because I DO rank Conn in the top 10 at 175. Cerdan I don't,....and I am not familiar enough with the flyweight to comment on LaBarber.
Liston's people via Jack Nilon offered Johannson £1000,000 to fight Sonny in1962, he turned it down,and tried to get a fight with Archie Moore.
Then again, you are the guy who picks Walcott over Ali & Holmes...... https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/larry-holmes-vs-jersey-joe-walcott.569710/
I see. Jimmy Young beat Foreman and, arguably, Ali, but Gene couldn't. Billy Conn beat Louis for 12 rounds, but Gene couldn't. Marty Marshall beat Liston, but Gene couldn't. An over the hill, 190ish Walcott almost beat Marciano, but Gene couldn't. Oh dear .....
So you pick Tunney to beat Liston? Because middleweight Harry Greb beat Tunney and Liston couldn't? See how stupid this analogy is?
No he is not a top ten heavyweight, but it might be that he chose not to be! Nobody took his title off him, or scared him into retirement. He chose to retire at his absolute prime, when he was considered unassailable. Had he chosen to hold onto the title until somebody took it from him, his ranking might have escalated rapidly!