Greatest Contenders - Junior middleweights (super-welters)

I'm good with it. I always thought Griffith was a champ years ago because my old RRB gave it some designation. But clearly it was only the Austrian Board that gave it any credence. This bout was scheduled 3 days before the inaugural Denny Moyer-Joey Giambra jr. middleweight title fight, which had WBA recognition. Then, in Moyer's first title defense against Stan Harrington, the WBC gave their blessing to the title. So Griffith was only recognized by Austria. He made one defense against the hapless Chris Christainsen and then apparently forgot about the title altogether. Maybe the Austrian's are still waiting for Griffith to make his second defense. So, yeah, Griffith didn't hold the title so he is good here as a great contender.

 

Here we have it, the greatest junior middleweight contenders who never won the title, so deemed by the Classic Boxing Forum (always open for additions).

-Emile Griffith
-Joey Giambra
-Teddy Wright
-Stan Harrington
-Stan 'Kitten' Hayward
-Gypsy Joe Harris
-Eddie Pace
-Ralph Palladin
-Donato Paduano
-Charkey Ramon
-Ryu Sorimachi
-Vito Antuofermo
-Tony Chiaverini
-Herol Graham
-Tony Ayala
-Clint Jackson
-James 'Hardrock' Green
-David Braxton
-Tony Braxton
-Charley Weir
-Fred Hutchings
-Said Skouma
-Luigi Minchillo
-Chris Pyatt
-Tony Marshall
-Gregory Clark
-Rodney Jones
-Louis Acaries
-Jorge Castro
-Aaron Davis
-Sergio Martinez
-Antonio Margarito
-Kermit Cintron
-James Kirkland
-Vanos Martirosyan
-Guillermo Jones
-Erickson Luban
-Kofi Jantuah
-Jamie Moore

For a 'thinner' division, I'd say we did pretty good.

Next up: the glamor division, the middleweights

 

Mike, it's never too late. Regarding your picks, really Joe DeNucci and Ralph Hollett were career middleweights and Manny Gonzalez and Isaac Logart were career welterweights and we'd only be shoe-horning them in. However, I think Charley Ramon, Donato Paduano and Ryu Sorimachi are terrific picks. I will edit them in.

 

Al, Vito is a bit of a stretch, but like you said, he did win the Euro 154 lb. title, made 2 defenses, beat Eckhard Dagge and the bout with Maurice Hope was supposedly even going into the 15th, so I think it checks the required boxes.