Journeyman/gatekeeper/fringe contenders that actually came to fight?

Don’t really recall Holly Mims fighting for the world title but that being said, I would add:

Teddy ‘Red Top’ Davis
Raul ‘Lobito’ Montoya
Ralph ‘Tiger’ Jones
Tommy Tibbs

 

Darryl Pinckney
Eric Holland
John "Eastern Beast" Brown

 

Scott LeDoux

 

At the end if the day, Mickey Ward was a journeyman fighter that was pure hell for anyone that stood in front him. One thing that Mickey lacked, was speed. The key to beating him was to exploit his lack of foot speed and never stand in front of him. He was solid defensively and tough as nails.

 

James Tiberi
Bert Cooper
Brett Lally

 

Troy Dorsey was a bad MFer

 

Troy was I think a two-time boxing world champ and a three-time kickboxing world champ.

His final record isn’t all that pretty but he was more than a journeyman.

 

He was but he also had a very spotty sort of record… I don’t know what to call him, as a general thing a title holder, his function in the division at some points was more like a gatekeeper? What he did against Paez was fine stuff though… his style really was just break the punch counter.

 

Actually it’s a funny thing about Troy Dorsey he was a complete fighter… kicks, punches, knees and elbows, full kit of grappling skills he was basically an MMA fighter (but with better hands…) it’s wild to think technically he’d beat a lot of HWs in a Vale Tudo style “real” fight.

 

Bert Cooper, Ross Purritty, Corrie Sanders

 

Bert cooper being mentioned.
Loved watching the man fight, especially against Moorer, Holyfield and Mercer.
Tough sob

 

Scotland's ONLY Real Top Heavyweight Ken Shaw, deserves some memory & recognition.

he fought & beat near all the UK Heavies except Mills & Woodcock, fought 3 U.S Heavies to victory, fought in Sweden & South Africa and NZ and he was even 'ahead' on the Cards when a Cut denied him to continue against Britain's New HW hope Jack Gardner whom dethroned Woodcock.

Shaw was a short stocky HW at 5'10 or 11", was a fighter/boxer, strong and durable. He was the definition of this thread, a Fringe Contender in the Rings Annual Ratings for a few years and in Britain floating between No.1 Contender to No.3 at his peak 1945 - 49.

Scotland's ONLY Real Top Heavyweight, ended up training fighters in NZ for a period after his own career..

 

Angel Robinson Garcia
Joe Miceli
George 'Scrapiron' Johnson
Arthur Persley
Joe Tettah
Karl Zurheide

 

Derek Chisora.