Most significant title fights that didn't happen per decade?

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by BitPlayerVesti, Nov 7, 2021.



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  1. BitPlayerVesti

    BitPlayerVesti Boxing Drunkie Full Member

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    1890s
    James J Corbett Vs Peter Jackson II
    Okay the fight happened (in arguably a title fight), but the fight was very inconclusive, and after Corbett's win over Sullivan and Jackson's win over Slavin it would have been much more significant. These were the two main sucessors to Sullivan and it wasn't clear which was the best.
    Runners up: James J Corbett Vs Joe Goddard, John L Sullivan Vs Peter Jackson, Bob Fitzsimmons Vs Kid McCoy.
    1900s
    James J Jeffries Vs Jack Johnson
    Even though this fight eventually happened, it's the obvious standout, had it happened in 1905 while both were atleast near their primes it would have been much more significant
    Runners up: James J Jeffries Vs Marvin Hart, James J Jeffries Vs Jack Root
    1910s
    Jack Johnson Vs Sam Langford
    Runners up: Jess Willard Vs Harry Wills, Jack Johnson Vs Harry Wills, Jess Willard Vs Fred Fulton, Jack Johnson Vs Gunboat Smith
    1920s
    Jack Dempsey Vs Harry Wills
    Arguably this would have been better the previous decade, though Dempsey only won that title late in 1919. As I've stated before, if all was fair Harry Wills would have been giving Jack Dempsey a title shot.
    Runners up: Gene Tunney Vs Jack Sharkey, Jack Dempsey Vs Harry Greb
    1930s
    Max Schmeling Vs Tommy Loughran
    This was the trickiest one so far for me. I think this was the most interesting potential fight we never saw for the title. Really unlike the previous decade there were no eggregious omisions.
    Runners Up: James J Braddock Vs Max Schmeling, Joe Louis Vs Tiger Jack Fox
    1940s
    Joe Louis Vs Elmer Ray
    Unlike many of the the previous ones, this failed to happen through no fault of Louis, this one didn't happen due to WWII. Still Ray showed himself as competitive with Jersey Joe Walcott and Ezzard Charles, so I think would have been a very interesting fight
    Runners up: Joe Louis Vs Jimmy Bivins, Joe Louis Vs Lem Franklin

    I'll need to think more about the later ones
     
    BitPlayerVesti, Nov 7, 2021
    BitPlayerVesti, Nov 7, 2021
    #1
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  2. janitor

    janitor VIP Member Full Member

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    I don't think that this one was ever on the cards, as far as I can tell.
     
    janitor, Nov 7, 2021
    janitor, Nov 7, 2021
    #2
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  3. Turnip mk3

    Turnip mk3 Active Member Full Member

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    90 s Lewis v Bowe .
    Mercer v Tyson
    Benn v Jackson.
    The second too were probably more fun than significant but I don't care .
     
    Turnip mk3, Nov 7, 2021
    Turnip mk3, Nov 7, 2021
    #3
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  4. Journeyman92

    Journeyman92 I’m become seeker of milk Full Member

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    Not well versed enough in the sports politics and all that to know which fights really “could” have happened. Yuh vs Chang “could” have happened and so “could” Moore vs Robinson.
     
    Journeyman92, Nov 7, 2021
    Journeyman92, Nov 7, 2021
    #4
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  5. blackfella96

    blackfella96 Active Member Full Member

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    2000’s:
    Vitali vs Wlad
     
    blackfella96, Nov 7, 2021
    blackfella96, Nov 7, 2021
    #5
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  6. Jel

    Jel Obsessive list maker Full Member

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    Lewis v Tyson in the 90s should be included too. Yeah, they fought in the 2000s but they should have fought in 1996, but Tyson chose Holyfield instead and dumped the WBC title a la Bowe in '93.
     
    Jel, Nov 7, 2021
    Jel, Nov 7, 2021
    #6
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  7. Mike Cannon

    Mike Cannon Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Conteh v Galindez
    McGuigan v Nelson
    Cuevas v Palmino
    fights that should have happened .. keep well.
     
    Mike Cannon, Nov 8, 2021
    Mike Cannon, Nov 8, 2021
    #7
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  8. Turnip mk3

    Turnip mk3 Active Member Full Member

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    Cuevas v Duran in 79 would of been awesome.
     
    Turnip mk3, Nov 9, 2021
    Turnip mk3, Nov 9, 2021
    #8
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  9. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    1970s should include James Scott vs. Matthew Saad Muhammad (or Galindez or Marvin Johnson) … for obvious reasons.
     
    Saintpat, Nov 9, 2021
    Saintpat, Nov 9, 2021
    #9
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  10. ChrisJS

    ChrisJS Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Chandler vs. Pintor, 1980s. Trinidad-Mosley, Marquez-Morales 2000s.
     
    ChrisJS, Nov 9, 2021
    ChrisJS, Nov 9, 2021
    #10
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  11. Rope-a-Dope

    Rope-a-Dope Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Duran vs. Arguello at LW in '78.
    Sanchez vs. Arguello at....LW I guess?...'83 or so.
     
    Rope-a-Dope, Nov 10, 2021
    Rope-a-Dope, Nov 10, 2021
    #11
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  12. ironchamp

    ironchamp Boxing Addict Full Member

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    Mostly because Seth Abraham from HBO wouldn't allow Lewis to fight on Showtime even when Don King proposed an offer of $16 million with the promise to host the rematch on HBO plus a Felix Trinidad title fight on the under card of the Tyson vs Lewis rematch if Lewis beats him on Showtime. Showtime agreed, HBO didn't. In the end, Lewis chose to enforce an $4 million court settlement and the right to go to purse bid.

    I get it, it's much simpler to say that Tyson paid $4 million to Lewis because he didn't want to face him. Same with Bowe, he was going to get stripped anyway, the belt in the trash was a publicity stunt which backfired over the years.

    The reality is, it was the Lewis camp who turned down a career high offer of $11 million from the Bowe camp only to crawl back to the table for it later when their hard ball negotiations didn't work.

    Moving on:
    Joshua vs Wilder should have happened in the 2010s;
    Roy vs DM should have happened in the 2000s;
    Bowe vs Lewis should have happened in the 1990s;
     
    ironchamp, Nov 10, 2021
    ironchamp, Nov 10, 2021
    #12
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  13. sweetsci

    sweetsci Well-Known Member Full Member

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    So many…

    Ellis vs. Liston, WBA title, 1969
    Patterson vs. Folley
    Holmes vs. Weaver II, 1981
    Holmes vs. Thomas, September 1985
    Frazier vs. Ali II, 1972
    Curry vs. Leonard, 1984
    Hagler vs. Hearns, 1982 canceled
    Foreman vs Quarry, 1973
    Ali vs. Patterson II, 1967 canceled
     
    sweetsci, Nov 10, 2021
    sweetsci, Nov 10, 2021
    #13
  14. Rubber Glove Sandwich

    Rubber Glove Sandwich A lot of people have pools Full Member

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    Really good picks. The winner of Yuh vs Chang would've decided who the greatest light flyweight was and who the greatest South Korean boxer was.
     
    Rubber Glove Sandwich, Nov 10, 2021
    Rubber Glove Sandwich, Nov 10, 2021
    #14
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  15. Man_Machine

    Man_Machine Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Both Lewis/Tyson and Lewis/Bowe are fights that should have happened in the '90s.

    And, given that both Bowe and Tyson vacated their belts in each case, some of the nonsense stories that have been publicized since, to somehow imply their respective management teams were blameless, are simply not credible.

    Neither Newman nor King had confidence that their guys could beat Lewis which, to them, meant a huge risk of financial loss. It is really that simple.
     
    Man_Machine, Nov 10, 2021
    Man_Machine, Nov 10, 2021
    #15
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