In the case of the Fulton fight, Boxrec references Dempsey's declaration that he would fight the winner.
Anybody that is high risk and low reward is typically avoided. Golovkin is a good call for the most avoided guy of recent times, but all-time there have been lots of dudes that weren't worth the hassle of tangling with.
I can't see how Wills can be considered to have blown the Firpo bout. WIlls won, by all accounts, and by many, he did so in the fashion of a complete shutout.
First mentions must be Langford and Wills, who never got title shots despite being long time top contenders. GGG is not a bad mention, though. He got a strap, but he was The Ring's nr 1 contender for four years, and generally thought of as best in the division for most of that time, before ge got a shot at the lineal title.
Yeah. "He wasn't exciting enough when he won his third eliminator to be granted a title shot" must be as weak an excuse as they get.
lol@GGG . He's not even the most avoided guy from this era , never mind of all time. Frampton dropped a belt to avoid Guillermo Rigondeaux. Santa Cruz and Scott Quigg also refused to face Rigondeaux. Felix Sturm avoided GGG. . Felix Sturm also avoided Arthur Abraham .. So what? Golovkin had no profile when Sturm was champ. The Arthur fight was much bigger and in far more demand so that was a far worse avoidance than a little known Golovkin. It turns out now that Golovkin has ducked more guys than vice a versa. Guys GGG blatantly avoided and still avoids. Andre Ward , Erislandy Lara , Callum Smith , Big Charlo , Demetrius Andrade
From what we have read Jake La Motta was avoided for a number of years, some reports say 5 !! we all know how he secured his title fight, so could be he is up there with the most.... keep well.
The title was frozen for much of those years because of WW2 and I don't know that he ever was the outstanding challenger. Burley and Williams were up there just as much.
Holman Williams, Charley Burley Lennox Lewis was avoided for a good portion of the 90s. His top rival threw away his belt and ran across the street. He couldn't get Holyfield, Foreman or Moorer to acknowledge he existed. Even Tyson when he came back in 95 paid Lewis $ not to have to fight him. Eventually when he had nowhere else to turn Holyfield Agreed to fight Lennox. 1999? Lewis had been a threat since about 1991.
Yeah. There's actual proof that fighters were unwilling to fight him. And this is in an era where match-making isn't as scattered. Fighters' careers might be better managed, even primped, but it's not the chaotic matchmaking of yore. Since Golovkin fights in a more structured and fair era, his claim actually holds weight. However, it's looking like Loma will exceed him. Some of it is timing: he's older than Stevenson, Davis, Lopez, Haney and Garcia. Naturally, matching him with those guys will always be difficult since they are all a generation younger and in the advent of their respective careers. But I won't be surprised, if Lomachenko is always avoided by them.
I agree Williams was more avoided than Liston, as while both were feared, Liston was the man to beat at the time. Williams was seen as Very high risk, no reward. Not sure he was the most avoided fighter in history though.
