Give me examples of fighters who never held the lineal title, who could have been something truly special in another era. It is obviously difficult to prove, but do you have any examples?
Jerry Quarry Harry Wills Rex Layne David Tua Tom Sharkey I'd easily favor all over the likes of Marvin Hart and Leon Spinks, to say the least in terms of Lineal alone, Vitali. Tommy Gibbons Charley Burley Packey McFarland Jimmy Bivins are but a few picks from the lower weight classes that were all terrific fighters and would've been champ in a weaker era
Rodrigo Valdez comes to mind. But in the land of 4 titles, you get guys almost froze out. a guy to consider in recent times like that is Nazarov---never got a sniff of the big names around at the time. Another guy kind of similar to a smaller degree was Erdei. Nobody wanted him for an opponent either.
I think James J Corbett was (even though he held the lineal title). There probably isn't a worse era that the early gloved period of minimal hand protection, finish fights, for a fighter who relies on speed and reflexes, with mediocre power and bad hands. Atleast in the bareknuckle era the grappling could help him spare his hands. Just something I've thought about before (or maybe someone else came up with it, and I just think I did)
I think McFarland and Burley easilly had the ability to be champions in their own eras, had they just gotten fair breaks.
I can give you dozens of heavyweights who would have been truly special in the late 19th/early 20th century, if that counts.
kovalev Comes to mind. had he fought in a different era other fighters wouldnt have able to avoid him so easily like Stevenson did….
With his stamina and conditioning issues, I think adding an additional 9 minutes or 3 rounds would not be a good place to put him. He has nice power but unless he stops everyone (I doubt at the championship level), he would likely do worse.
Part of me thinks that Emanuel Augustus could have gone past journeyman level if he were around the 70s or 80s era.
