Greatest Pro Boxers Who Never Received Title Shot?

1992-10-31 227 Donovan Ruddock 231½ 27 3 1 Earls Court Exhibition Hall, Kensington
W
TKO 2/12


time: 0:46 | referee: Joe Cortez | Chuck Hassett | Tom Kaczmarek | Franz Marti
Commonwealth (British Empire) Heavy Title

Eliminator for WBC Heavyweight Title
Ruddock down once in 1st, twice in 2nd
Shortly after this fight, Lewis was proclaimed the WBC Heavyweight Champion as Riddick Bowe refused to face him

 

I guess from reading some of your other posts and from our conversation about the Don the other week that perhaps you knew Mickey ? If so you may well have seen a side to him that others didn't.
He had a brief involvement with Pat Cowdell which I cannot go into detail about but left me having no time at all for the bloke. Don't wish to speak ill of the dead or offend you Mac but we speak as we find.
I'm sure you'll agree though, Kevin was more than deserving of a World Title shot.

 

What a list. I won't even pretend I know 1/2 of this, maybe a 3rd?! LOL!

 

Loaded Glove, one only need look at the London/British way of 'Business' or making money - the manner of which means nothing, but rather the outcome, namely Your OWN... this was Duff, Levene, Solomon and many more...

look at King in the U.S and Mob Controlled 'Business' before him.

so many great fighters suffered at the hands of these men and their type.

 

I met Duff a few times at his promotions his secretary Davey Jones used to get us tickets for his bills.Duff rated Kevin better than his brother Chris and I would agree with that.Mickey was a hard man but true to his own lights imo.
Speak as you find is a sensible practice imo.
Kevin certainly deserved a shot he beat Sibbo who had got one.

 

Duff presided over the golden age of UK boxing,under his reign and , Astaire, Lawless and for a brief while Barrett, the following British world champions were crowned.
Magri
Stracey
Honeyghan
Edwards
Hope
Watt
Minter
McKenzie
Duff was also the matchmaker of or significantly involved in the careers of the following fighters.
Downes
Winstone
Conteh
They made Duff,and his partners a lot of money ,but they made money with him too.And would they have become world champions without their backing?
In terms of numbers of world titles , UK boxing has never been so successful ,neither before or since.

 

Even Chris said Kevin was the better fighter. Apparently their sparring sessions were legendary.

 

Two very tough men and like Terry Downes ,you always knew when they were in the arena!

 

Ha ha ! Larger than life barely scratches the surface. Especially if a drink or two had been taken. Downes's book is still one of my favourite Boxing autobiographies.
When I met Chris he had a very impressive chauffeur. John Conteh !

 

Jim Driscoll

 

Haven't noticed their names mentioned and without checking their records, did any of these get a shot at a 'real' world title?

Joe Choynski
Leo Houck
Jeff Smith
Sam Mcvey
Joe Jeannette

 

Didn't Sam Burns manage the Finnegans? I thought Hill was the trainer.

 

This should be enshrined and headline all your posts,it completely encapsulates all that you are!

 

Yes you're right ,and I am wrong, Hill was the trainer Burns the manager .Burns was Solomons man but a good guy .
Sam became a big wheel in William Hill's betting empire.He managed Downes too,but you know that.

 

Oh good Lord yeah.