Average Guys Who Almost Became Champs??

Dave Tiberi vs James Toney springs to mind for me.

 

Otto Wallin.

 

Keith Mullings did win a world title despite finishing with a 16-8 -1 record.

 

Paul Wesley came within a half-point of becoming British Champion.

Retired with a record of 16-50 yet knocked out future WBO light-middleweight champ Paul Jones in 2, future British middleweight champ, Neville Brown in 1 and came so close to beating Robert McCraken for the British light-middleweight title.

Almost knocked out future WBC Super-middleweight champ Glenn Catley!

 

Micky Ward won an alphabet title off Shay Neary but he wasn’t really a title holder.

Did he fight Gatti for a legitimate strap? I can’t recall.

 

Carl “ the truth “ Williams with only 16 pro fights and a victory over a faded James Tillis as his sole big win very nearly lifted the title off an aging Larry Holmes. Now to be clear Williams was a pretty good fighter in some ways. But again he was only a prospect when he challenged for the title and never really rose to prominence after that shot

 

Yvon Durelle is the first guy that comes to mind. He was a good fighter but was a 4 to 1 underdog when he fought Archie Moore. He was as close as it gets to becoming the light heavyweight champion of the world when he floored Moore three times in the first round.

 

Troy Waters against Terry Norris

 

Kali Meehan vs. Lamon Brewster

 

Wallins the sort of guy who people on the internet are going to consider underrated in 50 years.

 

Wallin is the type of fighter that absolutely nobody will remember even 5 years from now.

 

Anthony Yarde nearly beating Sergey Kovalev in the eighth round.

 

Terrible fighter, but he could crack, I'm guessing?

 

He´s a bit of an enigma because he had tools as well as a big punch but he could give a world class fighter (McCraken was at the time and would fight for a WBC crown soon after) hell and then lose to a journeyman.

Here´s his fight with future WBO light-middle champion Paul "Silky" Jones (Jones would become champ 6 fights later)

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