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

Agreed on every point.

Managers by default would have a lot of influence and control. Some could argue that a Champion could still defy them - which I agree with to an extent - so it’s possible that some fighters could hide behind managerial decisions that they actually were agreeable to anyway.

But you highlighted a very important point in Floyd’s favour - the follow through - it seems he pushed directly back on management in order to face Liston - and he did part ways with D’Amato following the first Liston defeat (? need to confirm that) and then there were Floyd’s fights post title reign to further prove that Floyd himself was willing and gutsy enough to mix it with the best.

During his reign I think Floyd not facing certain eligible challengers is often falsely rationalised.

By nature, It is far easier to technically DISPROVE eligibility than it is to PROVE outstanding worthiness for a title shot.

Eligibility should be measured against those who got a shot but didn’t deserve it over X, Y or Z contenders. There were several challengers who, if they weren’t granted a shot, could’ve been more easily rationalised as not deserving the chance they were afforded.

Another argument posited against deserving contenders who didn’t get a shot is some hiccups on their record - but among a high quality and competitive field those hiccups are natural and will certainly occur if deserving challengers are held off for long enough.

On superficial address, based on who Floyd faced as Champ, you’d be shocked at the “sub culture” of quality fighters who were shut out, left to fight amongst themselves - for different reasons (colour line) the Langford, McVeys and Jeanettes were similarly left out in the cold by Champ Jack Johnson.

There’s a degree of justification in allowing contenders to fight it out and sort their rankings and eligibilities out amongst themselves - but if taken to the nth degree - the so called Champ ONLY ends up proving himself against a very narrow field. During Floyd’s time , it became so ridiculous that a draw between Machen and Folley (# 1 and # 2 respectively IIRC) resulted in Patterson fight NEITHER man.

Anyway, small rant, LOL, …….

 

Yeah, I don't think Martinez etc wanted too much to do with him.

 

Well this thread hasn't aged well at all. Dillian Whyte is more of a diva version of Chisora than the heavyweight Marvin Hagler.

 

He came out in southpaw like Hagler switching against Leonard. He studied the greats.