WBC "Interim" Champ for a couple months before getting wasted. Is that a real title? Povetkin was never a champion. Neither was Dillian Whyte. Neither was Charr. Neither was Bryan. If they were, then Luis Ortiz was a two-time heavyweight champion, too. Ortiz was the WBA "Interim" Champ TWICE.
Its certainly more real than the regular belt. The 4 major bodies have only had like 9 or 10 interim champs put together. Ortiz was only the WBA Interim Champ once. The first one officially never happened because it was a NC. Even if it counted I acknowledge Ortiz as champ for beating Jennings not before that. Interim belts are standard alphabet belts. Because Fury got his belts stripped and Martin won the IBF Ortiz actually had a case for being best champ when he held the WBA interim belt.
Ortiz won two WBA interim titles. He lost his first one two months after the fight when his drug results came back. REGARDLESS, he was never a heavyweight champion. Neither was Povetkin. Neither was Whyte. Neither was Bryan. Neither was Charr. Who is the heavyweight champion right now? Is Joseph Parker? **** no.
Parker is not "the" HW champ anymore than any other alphabet champ. I'm saying he is "a" alphabet champ. I'm not even saying I consider Parker titles to be real but if I don't its not cause its a interim title.
I don't consider anyone apart from The Champion as a champion tbh. But he did get introduced as heavyweight champion of the world when he fought.
There are a couple of names already mentioned that I think are very good, but to throw out a guy not much remembered, Larry Gaines, who has victories over Schmeling, Carnera and Godfrey.