Heavyweight championship claimants

Discussion in 'Classic Boxing Forum' started by mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011.


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  1. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    For information/discussion below see a list of mainstream claimants to the world heavyweight championship by decade;
    1890's - 4
    1900's - 4
    1910's - 3
    1920's - 2
    1930's - 6
    1940's - 2
    1950's - 5
    1960's - 8
    1970's - 7
    1980's - 14
    1990's - 16
    2000's - 19
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    #1
  2. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    1950s: Charles, Savold, Walcott, Marciano, Patterson, Johansson...I have 6. Yes, Lee Savold counts.
     
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
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  3. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    From BBB of C Yearbook 2000:

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    As you can see, quite a few more than suggested, even early on!
     
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
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  4. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    I have stuck to alfa champs, wba/wbc/ibf and wbo.
    We could expand it to include black title holders, interim champs and claimants like Slavin, Maher, Sharkey etc. Savold seems a weak claim to me, too regional bit like the EBU title in the 1910's. Then again a lot of people think the WBO is a weak claim.
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
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  5. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    Every fighter listed there, was at least the equivalent of today's alphabet title holders.
     
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
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  6. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    Savold was a legitimate Alpa Champ. The World Heavyweight Champion of BBBC title was imo equivalent to the WBA title in the 60s, 70s, 80s.
     
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
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  7. lufcrazy

    lufcrazy requiescat in pace Full Member

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    Plenty of men have claims. It's down to the individual if they see the claim as legitimate. I've give my thoughts on a thread prior.

    But any coloured or alpha champ has a legitimate claim certainly.

    Contenders doing better than claimants is one I look into also; liston in 60 was doing better than any title holder imo.
     
    lufcrazy, Nov 17, 2011
    lufcrazy, Nov 17, 2011
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  8. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    Savold had won seven of his previous 14 fights-he was selected as a patsy because the Brits thought he would lose to Woodcock. He was having his first fight for a year and a half against the man who beat him in that fight. Not many outside the UK took it serious, I don't either.
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
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  9. SuzieQ49

    SuzieQ49 The Manager Full Member

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    He still won the fight! Had Woodcock won, would you have recognized Woodcock?
     
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
    SuzieQ49, Nov 17, 2011
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  10. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    George Foreman challenged Michael Moorer like Savold, with a weak record; three wins and two defeats, in the previous four years. Although in due course many would question his claim, the moment on November 5th 1994 he steamrolled Moorer, Foreman was the generally considered Heavyweight Champion of the World. Savold was fighting in an era when Louis had seemingly retired and there was a need for a new Champion. For a period of time Savold had a major claim.
     
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
    TBooze, Nov 17, 2011
    #10
  11. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    You serious?
    Neither were top heavyweights, it was a blatant attempt to give England a champion, Bruce lost every big fight he had bar the Oma "contest".
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    #11
  12. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    World of difference, Moorer was the champion, Foreman became the champion. Simple?
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 17, 2011
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  13. TBooze

    TBooze Obsessed with Boxing Full Member

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    No, it is nearly on par with the Savold claim, just different circumstances.

    No one was Champion, so GB/Commonwealth/Empire recognized the winner of Savold/Woodcock as Champion. As the British Empire and now Commonwealth, is over half the world land mass, the claim is not without merit and for a few months, substance.
     
    TBooze, Nov 18, 2011
    TBooze, Nov 18, 2011
    #13
  14. mattdonnellon

    mattdonnellon Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    "land mass"?
    BTW Canada, India, Aussieland, the uk, South Africa and a few more countries do not make up half the worlds land mass, not that it has any relevance.
     
    mattdonnellon, Nov 18, 2011
    mattdonnellon, Nov 18, 2011
    #14
  15. Boilermaker

    Boilermaker Boxing Junkie Full Member

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    One interesting thing with regards to title claiming is to look at the WBO and how it is viewed now. There are people who will think today that Tommy Morrisson was a world champion or that Vitali had a world championship on the line when he quit against Byrd. Yet the same people would not even consider Peter Jackson as the world champion even though he was often referred to as the world champion (unlike Vitali or Morrisson)
     
    Boilermaker, Nov 18, 2011
    Boilermaker, Nov 18, 2011
    #15
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