Fighters Who Were Boxing Stars But Never Won Title

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by Italian Stallion, Aug 27, 2020.


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  1. Italian Stallion

    Italian Stallion Active Member Full Member

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    No problem, thanks for clarifying! Interesting commentary about his Byrd, Witherspoon and other battles. I never thought of it that way, and now that you say this, I feel the same way. I'll take it a step further: I've always thought Golota as a heavyweght is underrated who's only remembered for the negatives. But if you have a different opinion I completely respect that. Boxing would be boring if we all had the same views.
     
    Italian Stallion, Aug 27, 2020
    Italian Stallion, Aug 27, 2020
    #31
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  2. bcr

    bcr Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Teofilo Stevenson
     
    bcr, Aug 28, 2020
    bcr, Aug 28, 2020
    #32
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  3. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Here’s an odd one:

    Courage Tshabalala

    Hard-hitting heavyweight who HBO fell in love with for his undercard highlight-reel knockouts. Seemed like every fight they had for a while between the semi and the main event they’d queue up his latest knockout earlier in the night and show it to the world and talk about him a bit.

    They were clearly grooming him and if he’d won a few more he’d have probably been given some carefully-selected step-up fights shown live on the network.

    Then he into journeyman Brian Scott, a 280-pounder who had lost two of his last three and would lose I think his next two or three ... and he knocked out Courage. A couple of fights later, Darroll Wilson got off the canvas and stopped him.

    He, naturally disappeared from the spotlight and was a win-a-couple/lose-a-couple guy after that and faded into oblivion.

    But for a short period of time if you walked into a gym on a Monday after a weekend where there was an HBO show he was the buzz.

    Not exactly famous but probably got more notoriety for a short time for knockout over cans than anyone I can remember. Two contenders could fight off TV on an HBO undercard and not get mentioned while this guy was getting hyped.
     
    Last edited: Aug 28, 2020
    Saintpat, Aug 28, 2020
    Saintpat, Aug 28, 2020
    #33
  4. sweetsci

    sweetsci Well-Known Member Full Member

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    Yeah, Courage must've had a great press agent. Seems like before he did anything he was praised to the hilt on TV. There's got to be a story there.
     
    sweetsci, Aug 28, 2020
    sweetsci, Aug 28, 2020
    #34
  5. Saintpat

    Saintpat Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Had like five fights in South Africa and moved the USA (don’t know the circumstances) and hooked up with Main Event and the Dupas.

    Got a lot of undercard fights and I think the HBO thing just started happening because he could really thump and his knockouts were spectacular.
     
    Saintpat, Aug 28, 2020
    Saintpat, Aug 28, 2020
    #35
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  6. Italian Stallion

    Italian Stallion Active Member Full Member

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    Even though Andy Golota wasn't a mainstream star like Cooney or Quarry, would you say Golota was indeed a boxing star only (and for a short time) thanks to the publicity the Bowe fights generated? Even if for a very short time between the first and second Bowe fights?
     
    Italian Stallion, Aug 28, 2020
    Italian Stallion, Aug 28, 2020
    #36
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  7. catchwtboxing

    catchwtboxing Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Howard Davis Jr was my pick but no one has said Ibeabucchi yet, who's fame was brief, but who to this day incites hysteria among his fanatics.
     
    catchwtboxing, Aug 28, 2020
    catchwtboxing, Aug 28, 2020
    #37
  8. AJ Pope

    AJ Pope New Member Full Member

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    Mickey Ward. Never held a legitimate world title. Maybe not a superstar but has become a cult hero after his fights with Gatti and the film based on his life. A true warrior
     
    AJ Pope, Aug 28, 2020
    AJ Pope, Aug 28, 2020
    #38
  9. William Walker

    William Walker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    A star yes, but in the worst way one can be known as a "star".
     
    William Walker, Aug 28, 2020
    William Walker, Aug 28, 2020
    #39
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  10. George forearm

    George forearm The forearm of George Full Member

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    Joey gimbra not a big star but still a great boxer that never won a title
     
    George forearm, Aug 29, 2020
    George forearm, Aug 29, 2020
    #40
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