Who is the best heavyweight that never won the title? Who is the best heavyweight that never got a title shot? Are they the same man? In your opinion.
Several come to mind. Harry Wills would be my first choice. Others that were good but didn't win are for instance Jimmy Young and Tim Witherspoon, Langford, Jeannette, Mcvey.
Tua deserves a shout...a short, stout, hard-punching heavyweight with an iron chin and good stamina is always a contender. ...unless the champ is Lennox Lewis.
Let me give my vote for Cleveland williams, although he did get his shot. I believe he could beat a good many title holders currently and through the years.
Joe Chyonski. Gave many champs hell. Beat Jack Johnson early in Johnson's career, punched Jefferies front teeth through his lip during a 20 round draw, and universally regarded by his peers as one of the if not the hardest punchers of the era. Johnson thought Choynski hit harder than Dempsey.
Chronologically, I think the best heavyweights never to win the legitimate world title were Peter Jackson, Tom Sharkey, Sam Langford, Harry Wills, Billy Conn, Jimmy Bivins, Elmer Ray, Archie Moore, Jerry Quarry, Jimmy Young, Ken Norton, Tim Witherspoon, and Ike Ibeabuchi (excluding current fighters, since their historical greatness and status as having fought for/won the title are in flux). With that being the case, the best never to receive a title shot would be Jackson, Langford, Wills, Bivins, Ray and Ibeabuchi. Narrowing it down to only one, I'm leaning towards Langford as the very best never to receive a shot, and I think it's probably between Langford and Norton in terms of who was the very best never to win the title, period.
Peter Jackson has a strong claim to being the first modern (Queensberry Rules) Heavyweight Champion of the World.
Based on resume I would have to say Sam Langford. Peter Jackson and Harry Wills were both the best heavyweight breathing for a few years IMHO.
I guess what the question comes down to is who would have been the most given a title shot. A. Who could give the champion a good fight? B. Who could win the title? C. Who could retain the title? D. Who could perhaps even dominate an era because they were so much better than the rest of the field? Who falls into each category?