Best fighters to never win a World title?

Possibly the only example of the lesser brother winning a title and the better one not.

 

Man, I forgot about him. You're on to something there.

 

Thanks. Harding is definitely an off the radar guy. I believe he is the only person to knock Tarver down and I know he broke Tarver's jaw in their first fight. Roy Jones has stated in multiple interviews that Harding was his toughest fight in his prime.

 

Very interesting.

 

He’s also a good example of why the ref needs to protect the fighter; he was never the same after Tarver put a horrific beating in him in the rematch.

 

And I sure don't remember that. Wow.. I'll have to look that one up too.

 

Yeah, he took a frightful beating in the second fight. I always liked him though and think he could have been a world champion had he not had a prime Roy Jones and Tarver to contend with.

 

Against Jones, he fought on even terms until rupturing his biceps. I don’t think he would’ve won, but it could’ve been a 5-7 decision type of loss.

Tarver was losing every round to him in the rematch before detonating a perfect left hand.

If he had craftier management, he definitely could’ve won a title.

 

I just rewatched the 2nd fight and you are right, he cleanly won the first three rounds before getting caught. He took a horrible beating to the point that Tarver was screaming at the ref to stop it in the 5th round. When the ref asked Harding if he could continue, Harding said "I'm from Philadelphia". He was a Philly fighter to his core.

 

Langford
Bivins
Graham
Holman Williams

 

Billy Petrolle
Sid Terris
Bud Taylor
Owen Moran
Billy Graham
Packey McFarland
Jim Driscoll
Les Darcy
Lloyd Marshall
Bert Lytell

 

The McCrory brothers are another example.

 

I have to go with James Scott.

Beat back-to-back No. 1 contenders (Eddie Gregory aka Mustafa Muhammad and Yaqui Lopez) and for a period was arguably the best 175-pounder in the world … with no way to prove it.

 

So far those listed who won world titles besides the obvious Langford include

Luis Ortiz
Lloyd Marshall
Jimmy Bivins
Len Harvey
Jock McAvoy
Jake Kilrain
Eddie Perkins
Les Darcy

 

@HistoryZero26 Jake Kilrain - the Scot's Welterweight