I think Manny must have won the most fights as a challenger for a title but including beating former champs too has anyone outdid his tally? Update: I meant alphabet titles but people have given info about lineal wins also which is great too.
Not sure. you'd have to clarify whether alphabet titlists count or if its just for the legit championships? That kind of complicates the question. For example does beating Ernie Terrell count as beating a former champion for Ali? Also, does the guy get credit for each win over a champion or does he only get credit one time for beating a champion, no matter how many times he beat him. If we're only talking about legit, undisputed champions, and you're giving credit for duplicate wins over champions past, present, and future, it would probably be Sugar Ray Robinson: Lamotta (5X), Fritzie Zivic (X2), Armstrong, Graziano, Basilio, Fullmer, Bobo Olso (4X), Turpin, Gavilan (X2), Dupas, Denny Moyer, and Sammy Angott (X2 or X3?). If we're counting alphabet 'champs' then it could be someone like Hopkins, Chavez, or PBF.
Robinson also defeat champion Marty Servo twice. I think he has it. If there had been no racial politics and members of the 'Black Murderers Row' had all gotten the title shots they deserved when they deserved them, then Ezzard Charles would probably have enough wins over champions to rival SRR's total.
It'll depend who counts as a champion. Lineal massively favours earlier ones, while counting alpabelts favours recent fighters.
This is certainly true. In the modern age (last 20 years or so), there really are no "lineal" champions, there are only alphabet champions. The question then becomes how many alphabet champions have there been who have never defeated a true lineal champion, i. e., a champion who has cleaned up all the supposed titles in his division ala Bernard Hopkins,etc.? Ninety-five percent? Ninety-nine percent? Ninety-nine point nine percent (99.9%)? If anybody can figure out today's "lineal" champions, he/she is a better person than I.
Counting Servo that's 13, Greb had 13 too: Chip, McCoy, O'Dowd, Wilson, Flowers, Walker, Dillon, Levinsky, McTigue, Loughran, Delaney, Rosenbloom, Tunney.
I think it’s Chavez. Pretty sure Chávez has had more title fights than anyone else and I also believe that he fought more world champions (past, current and future) than anyone else, too.
Also if The Funny Man's Robinson win count is correct i believe he won 24-25 over those 13 champions, Greb won 28. George Chipx2, Al McCoyx2, Mike O'Dowd, Johnny Wilsonx3, Tiger Flowers, Mickey Walker, Jack Dillonx2, Battling Levinskyx5, Mike McTiguex2, Tommy Loughranx4, Jimmy Delaneyx3, Maxie Rosenbloom, Gene Tunney.
If we're counting Alphabet Titles then i'm sure he's up there but he only beat three lineal champs: Mayweather, Lockridge and Randall. He also fought De La Hoya, Whitaker and Tszyu of course but he didn't beat any of them.
Ok, but OP didn’t specify lineal or anything else. If we’re talking about Pacquiao’s acievements then I assume we’re just talking about alphabet straps. In that case, I’m pretty sure Chávez holds the record.
Didn't say otherwise was just pointing that out, that's why i mentioned him being "up there" if we count alphabet belts. I think this would work better as two questions with lineal and alphabets treated seperately because like mentioned earlier lineals favour old fighters and alphabet favours modern ones. Plus modern fighters are favoured more in general since there's four champions at any one time.
Louis whipped Carnera, Baer, Braddock, Schmeling, Sharkey, Conn, & John H. Lewis. Not a very long list. but a good cross-section of the 1930's
Most world champions fought: DLH/Pacquiao 24. Most world champions defeated: Mayweather 22. Most fights against world champions: Soldier Bartfield 41. Most fights won against world champions: Greb 26.
Alphabet straps that were established and respected when they won even though lineal is more impressive, I got the question from Quora.com and the OP there was even more vague so I added former champs also and it`s turned into the thread I was looking for, thanks.