Champions at Light Heavyweight or below who didn’t win the HW WT but were capable of it in their era

Loughran - had wins over 3 hw champs (Baer, Braddock, & Sharkey).
Harold Johnson - wins over Charles, Moore, Valdes, Satterfield, Bivins, & Machen.

 

and Doug Jones

 

Moores NSAC title would have become the lineal title if he just swallowed his pride and didn't campaign to fight Marciano.

The problem with the 40s LHW golden age is Louis exists. Even duration title Bivins would have gotten wrecked by Louis, Lloyd Marshall was too small. John Henry Lewis is the LHW GOAT couldn't win for that reason too.

Five windows I see would be Jeffries, Johnsons, Willards reign, the early 30s and the post Lennox pre Wladimir transition.

1)While most LHW claimants during this era won or fought for some version of a HW title one who didn't was George Gardner. He was capable of it. I think most of the Schreck, Root, Twin Sullivan, Hart, O Brien group could have beaten Jeffries.

2)Dave Smith stayed in Australia and won the Australian belt at MW, LHW and HW. Arthur Cripps maybe if he was still around. Angel Rodriguez in South America was a LHW who might have been capable too. Weinart who was a near unbeaten LHW could have been champion if he gets a shot right away in 1915.

3)Miske would have beaten Willard and theres a few LHWs who've got a really good chance to. Gibbons might have been a little too young. Norfolk beat Miske at LHW but he lost his Clay Turner trilogy after. Levinsky? Maybe.

4)Loughran could have been HW champ in the early 30s easily if things fell a different way. Hes the best non claimant of that era for sure.

5)Tarver if he went to HW could probably win something at that time.

Stribling won the NBA title but it was retconned because he lost to Schmeling in the unifier in his next fight. Striblings the only ex Featherweight to win any version of the HW crown.

 

Would be a lot easier to do over the last 30 years with 4 belts to select from.

Whole different ballgame than a guy like Bob Foster had to play--fight a prime Frazier while continuing to defend his lh title. Fight a guy like Muhammad Ali in a non tile bout and move back down in weight and keep defending that title.

In a land of 4 titles---who in their right mind would sign for those bouts instead of the path of least resistance type matchmaking?