Best fighters that never won an (official) title

Obviously, Sam Langford. Some other names that spring to mind include: Billy Miske, Harry Wills, Joe Choynski and Lew Tendler.

Miske beat Light Heavyweight champions Dillon and Levinsky a few times each and beat many, many excellent heavyweight contenders during the 20's. He also took Jack Dempsey to a 10 round draw. He was a master boxer, a swift puncher with good power and excellent finishing ability and he had one of the greatest chins of all time.

Choynski gave heavyweight champions Corbett and Jeffries pure hell (even despite being outsized by Jeffries by upward towwards 60 pounds), as well as knocking out a green Jack Johnson. He was a smart, crafty fighter, with good handspeed. He was also perhaps the pound for pound hardest puncher of all time and an all time great finisher.

Lew Tendler retired with an excellent record of 135-15-8. He gave perhaps the best lightweight of all time, Benny Leonard, a couple of great fights and arguably beat him in one. He also did very well against Mickey Walker. I'm not incredibly well read on the weightclass during the era, so I can't really point out many of his other good victories.

We should all already know the stories of Wills and Langford. Wills is one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, and perhaps the best heavyweight to not actually win the title. Langford is my P4P No. 1, and could be conceivably ranked in the top 10, head to head, if not in terms of resume, for any of the numerous weightclasses he fought in.

On a related note: who here thinks that had Stanley Ketchel not been murdered he may have given Langford a legitimate shot at his middleweight crown?

Feel free to throw out some names as you please.

Oh, and what you think of my new avatar? Pretty ****ing scary, huh? Not as scary as Sweet Pea's, though.

 

Did Ketchel ever draw the color line against any fighters? His first bout against Langford wasn't for the title, but I've read that it may have been just to hype a future fight between the two. I don't think Ketchel was an idealistic racist, I've actually read that he and Johnson were freindly and ejoyed drinking and man-whoring about together. I also don't think Ketchel was afraid of any fighter, he was a ****ing maniac, and one of his best qualites was his gameness.

Were they to have fought an actual title shot I doubt Ketchel would have won. Ketchel was a massive hitter and probably the most vicious fighter to ever set foot in the ring, he was a natural born fighter, with god-given ability. Much like Jack Dempsey fought numerous unofficial bouts, as well as getting in many street/bar fights. Plus he had a top chin and astounding durability and stamina. But Langford matched or exceeded him in power, and was also the much smarter, crafiter fighter and a far more skilled boxer. It could and probably would have been ****ing epic, and I can see both scoring a few KD's. I think Langford would have won a decision, or possibly scoring a TKO. Ketchel would have a chance, his power and ability to land would give him a chance against pretty much anyone, but I'd make Langford the favorite. It'd be hell for the both of them, one way or the other.

I also heard that when Ketchel was murdered he was preparing for a fight with McVea, but I'm not sure if there's any truth to that. That would have been quite a brutal affair, to say the least. Also, who do you think would have won if Ketchel fought Klaus in a rematch?

 

Good shout on Mike Gibbons. Wins against Harry Greb and Jack Dillon, plus Leo Houck and Al McCoy, Kid Lewis. Only lost nine fights out of 133 and never knocked out. Good chins must have run in the family. Very unheralded fighter.

 

Very, very interesting information. Thanks a lot, man. Rickard was a racist *****, and was one of the primary reasons Wills never got his shot at the title, but Ketchel at the time was kind of a mess, so I have no reason to doubt that statement.