Only one linear HW champion was not knocked down in title fights.

Surely he must have become lineal after beating Ali? And Ali was lineal (but not undisputed) when he retired after winning the title back from Spinks.

 

Baer and Bowe. Were Vitaly ever considered lineal?

 

By some yes. By others no.

But by all he was considered the best HW until he retired.

So I'm not sure it is a matters.

 

He was retired. How can beating him do anything? Retired is retired.

 

Because the actual fans of pure linearity (not Morlocks Lineage)

State that a championship is never lost.

For example it goes Sullivan ->Corbett ->Fitzsimmons ->Jeffries -> Johnson

Schmelling -> Sharkey -> Carnera - > Braddock - >Louis - > Charles

Etc.

 

By your reckoning the lineage must have ended with Jeffries then?

 

My problem with the "the championship is never lost" approach is it essentially gives a champion carte blanche to do whatever he likes, go years without fighting, refuse to face deserving contenders, then come back when he wants, fight whoever he wants, and still be considered the champ. That's how you end up with lineal champs like Shannon Briggs and Mustafa Wassaja. After a certain point it gets kinda silly.

Suppose Ali never fought Larry Holmes, but instead came back to fight Tyson in '88 at the age of 46. Using the lineal approach Ali would be the champ in that fight and Tyson couldn't be the real champ without beating him.

 

Plus it means Lennox Lewis could announce a comeback, so then were Fury and Wlad not lineal?

 

A 120-year-old zombie Gene Tunney could make a comeback and trump all their claims!

 

Or even more ancient zombie Jem Mace

 

What's with this Walujew and Tschagajew?

 

He gets offended when people spell European fighters incorrectly.

 

It's predictable.

 

That's why I do accept retirements as a break in the lineal chain. Sometimes.