Longest a title challenger has been stoned walled (post Color Line)?

On the subject of 'stonewalling', it's sort of hard to get around how badly Bob Baker got run over the coals back in the '50s. We've gone over in recent posts that he was a deserving challenger to Marciano. Far moreso than Don Cockell (who had only had 10 fights at heavyweight), especially after Baker beat Nino Valdes twice and Rex Layne 3 times as well as several others. But that aside, after Rocky retired, most only remember a 3 fighter elimination tourney involving Archie Moore, Floyd Patterson and Hurrricane Jackson for the vacant title. But it wasn't. It also consisted of Bob Baker and Johnny Holman, who were matched a month before Patterson v Jackson. Baker won the 12 round decision, which should have set in motion Baker v Patterson, who was the victor over Jackson the following month. All the media covered Baker v Holman as part of the elimination tournament, but apparently it was a bit of a tedious bout and the IBC (International Boxing Club - the power brokers at the time) stated that his involvement hinged upon a good showing or something like that. I'm sure if Baker and Holman knew this they would have been fighting like two alley-cats. I don't know if anything was written into the contract regarding advancing in a tournament due to exhibiting a thrilling performance, but they simply ignored Baker and got on with the finals between Patterson and Moore. Now I know back in the day it was bums in seats that the promoters were looking for and if there wasn't a good performance, you weren't asked back. Today, with everything being PPV, streamed or a cable network picking up the tab, a fighter can concentrate on strategy and technique over getting into an unnecessary dust-up. But still, I can't ignore or deny that Bob Baker really got screwed.

 

It’s interesting how triggered you’re starting to sound. Stiverne and Breazeale got their mandatories after events involving eliminators falling through. The difference is that they did what was asked by the WBC. Stiverne got his at the end of 2017, Breazeale in 2019, then COVID happened and Whyte tested positive for steroids and got laid unconscious by a forty year old. Now he gets his shot. Harry Wills would be proud /sarcasm.
https://talksport.com/sport/boxing/...tay-wilder-dominic-breazeale-explanation/amp/

I believe Ortiz was a voluntary defense. Here is an annual ranking of The Ring from 2014 that shows top twenty gatekeeper Jennings in the top 5 contenders and again in the top ten:
2014 2015

Wladimir Klitschko, Champion

1. Alexander Povetkin
2. Bermane Stiverne
3. Tyson Fury
4. Kubrat Pulev
5. Bryant Jennings
6. Deontay Wilder
7. Vyacheslav Glazkov
8. Mike Perez
9. Chris Arreola
10. Ruslan Chagaev

Tyson Fury, Champion

1. Wladimir Klitschko
2. Alexander Povetkin
3. Deontay Wilder
4. Kubrat Pulev
5. Luis Ortiz
6. Bermane Stiverne
7. Vyacheslav Glazkov
8. Bryant Jennings
9. Ruslan Chagaev
10. Anthony Joshua

 

You are familiar with the politics of the sport? Whyte is getting over 5x what Fury got to fight Klitschko and Fury had to sign a rematch clause.

The thread you made actually questioned if Whyte is the most hard done to and stone walled challenger in almost 100 years which is absolutely ridiculous.

I've simply pointed out he's had offers of a title shot, eliminators, been knocked out, failed drugs tests and there's been a lockdown etc.

Also if you're acknowledging Whyte was only #5 with the WBC after the first Chisora fight then it hasn't been 6 years has it like you basically tried to imply.

To even mention a multi millionaire diva is being treated in the same way as fighters who have achieved far more with the knowledge that they'd never get a shot and probably retired broke is ridiculous.

I don't rate this thread at all very agenda driven in my opinion I'm not replying anymore should be a good fight tomorrow let's see what happens.

 

I take it you have bad teeth and look like you’ve never seen sun light.

PS no time for vids

 

Beat me to it.
If my memory serves me right he turned down 7 million pounds when rejecting the Joshua fight.

 

Given that Liston was stopping everyone else at this time in the early rounds and that Machen only had full use of one hand, I'd say he did pretty well. I agree it's hard to say that he would have beaten Liston even with two hands. I never wrote otherwise.

 

Actually, not many have been stonewalled since the colour line. Liston had to wait mainly due to rematch clauses between Floyd and Ingo. It was about contracts more than stonewalling.

Norton was a bit unlucky during Ali's second reign and never got another shot at the lineal title. Holmes stonwalled just about anyone he considered dangerous between '82-'85, so take your pick.

Outside the HW division, we have Moore and Charles as LHWs in the 40's... Charles lost patience and moved up to HW, but Moore said he waived his purse to get a shot at Maxim. Golovkin had to wait until 2017 to get a shot at the lineal title, but these days with all the belts it's harder to say who's ducking who. GGG definitely wasn't the first choice, though.

 

Damn. Poor Bobby

 

I've heard Cus had a lot of influence as to who was given a shot at Floyd. And I really despise the idea that there were plenty of excellent contenders who Floyd was unable to face likely due to management. I wouldn't imagine it was Floyd's decision himself as he ended up fighting Liston twice on his own volition. I could be incorrect though, I am not positive management was the deciding factor. I do know Floyd was a marvelous fighter, and there were plenty of marvelous contenders who weren't given a shot and I think we missed out on many fights that could have been gems.