Best heavy from each decade that did not win a single major belt (WBC, WBA, IBF and yes, even WBO) 1910's: Langford 1920's: Harry Wills 1930's: George Godfrey 1940's: Ray Elmer 1950's: Cleveland Williams 1960's: Jerry Quarry 1970's: Joe Bugner 1980's: Gerry Cooney 1990's: Ike Ibeabuchi 2000's: David Tua 2010's: ????? 2020's: Zhang
1910's: Langford 1920's: Harry Wills 1930's: Tommy Loughran 1940's: Jimmy Bivins 1950's: Archie Moore 1960's: Jerry Quarry 1970's: Ron Lyle 1980's: Tim Witherspoon 1990's: Frank Bruno 2000's: David Tua 2010's: Alexander Povetkin 2020's: to be determined
Langford won the IBU belt in the 1910s. His fight with Lang was also promoted as for the world title.
I don’t know how good Ray Elmer was, but I doubt he was as good as Elmer “Violent” Ray. Too bad they never fought.
10s - Langford/Wills 20s - Wills/Godfrey 30s - Pastor 40s - Bivins 50s - Moore 60s - Folley 70s - Young 80s - Ruddock 90s - Ibeabuchi 00s - Tua 2010s - Luis Ortiz? Didn't Povetkin win a title by beating Chagaev? Hard to keep track after the '90s.
But he also has wins over Shavers, Bonavena, Ellis, Middleton and Bugner and took Foreman life and death. I have no problem w picking Young here he was just super inconsistent
But the OP specified that abcs be included - "did not win a single major belt (WBC, WBA, IBF and yes, even WBO)."
