Heavyweights Greats And their successful World Title Defences!

There is dispute over whether or not Marvis Frazier was a title defense, and it's been recorded as both a championship bout and non-title affair on boxWRECK. However, it was not an exhibition, but an officially sanctioned contest. Boxing tradition holds that all officially sanctioned competitive non-exhibition bouts with an active heavyweight champion participating, who has not been defeated for the title, must be for the championship. (Non-title bouts in the lower weight classes involve reigning champions and opponents competing above the limit of the division they are reigning in, which cannot happen with a heavyweight champion. A historic exception to the under the weight limit rule was when Lou Ambers did not attempt to claim the WW Title when he was awarded back the LW Title in his rematch with Armstrong. But Ambers would have been within rights to do so, as both were under the welterweight limit. Both Robinson and Angott weighed 136-1/2 for their first bout in 1941. If each had come in at 135 or under, Robby would have been credited with winning Angott's LW Title, at least as authorities like Guinness would record it.)

 

It is hard to put a number on Sullivan's title defences, because many of them were billed as exhibitions for legal reasons, and it is debatable exactly when Sullivan first became the champion.

Adam Pollack, in his biography of Sullivan, argues that if we recognise him as the champion from when he defeated Paddy Ryan then he defended his title 33 times. If we do not recognise him as the world champion untill he defeated Charlie Mitchell then he had 25 defences by Pollacks estimate.

Arguments can be made for him becoming champion on other dates, or indeed that he never truly settled the lineage issue.

 

Yeah, I think with the win over Berbick, Tyson was certainly established as the man to beat - or the win over Smith at the latest.
He was defending the top spot. Everyone was an underdog (even Berbick was), and Tyson had the champion status, over Tucker and Spinks even.

Comparisons across eras with the status of championship or titles are kind of confusing, and it's just stats anyway.
Tommy Burns IS probably underrated though, with his solid 11 defences.

 

Norton and Ali?

EDIT -Apologies. Just seen successful

 

I have all this info on my computer at home so i'll do that when I get back.

The thing i'll say is this: to keep it fair you have to only include lineal defences since that's all you could have for the first half of the century. Lewis beating ruddock is less meaningful than langford beating jeanette yet one is seen as a title bout and the other isn't?

When doing cross era comparisons I think lineal belts make it as fair as possible. Another example is wlad today, he never defeated his highest contender so shouldn't be seen as a champ since moore had to fight patterson for a new king to be crowned.

Anyways I have it all, plus i've broke the defences down into rankings as well. I'll stick it up when I get back home.

 

NO larry himles on your list WTF kinda list is this