A contender by definition is a boxer that is ready to step onto the limelite to mgo to the next step...a title holder... There's have been some gret contenders in boxing history and this is a little ESB tribute to them... My top 5 ATG's are: 1. Jerry Quary 2. Bennie Briscoe 3. Yaqui Lopez 4. Mustafa Hamsho 5. Ray Lampkins.... Honorable mention: George Chuvalo, Yvone Durel, Kenny Lane
Exactly...by definition they never won a title,buit have contested for one....Oba Carr also deserved honorable mention without a doubt..... Hell we can add Sugar Ray Seals to this list.....another cat that came along the wrong time...Gold medalist in 72 in Munich, the only from the USA boxing team
The problem is anybody can get a title now. Hell, even Ward and Gatti held minor titles at some point. Id say Frank Bruno wouldve been the undisputed HW champ if it wasnt for Lewis and Tyson. Im sure he had some belt in his career but he was never the considred the MAN in his division so could he be considered a ATG contender?
great list! off all time i think, charley burley would have been a champion in any era (including his own) if he was just given a chance. there where also many great african americans fighters in the early 1900's that would have been champions. oba carr was a great pick at being a contender a tough era- other contenders with title winning potential in recent memory which i believe are worthy of mentsion are, -ivan robinson -adan vargas -howard davis jr -wilfredo rivera -andrew galota -antwon echols -mike ayala -tony ayala jr -herol graham -kirkland lang -donnovan ruddock -angel manfredy -andy price -dave sands im worried that i may have to put david tua on the list if he doesnt act fast.
You probably find more contenders at HW that any other weightclass- We can add: Tony Galento Bonavena Zora Foley Firpo Ron Lyle Jimmy Young
howard davis, golota, and tony ayala have no place in this type of list. as they never acheived the pinnacle because of their own personal shortcomings. i was a huge howard davis fan. possibly one of the most talented boxers i have seen. but he lacked the balls to be a champion. he had the heart the size of a mustard seed. could not deal with being hit . he immediately went into the run away mode. golota was a head case. ayala was simply not around long enough. all of the talk of him is more about his potential rather than what he actually accomlished. i believe orish is talking about the fighters who had the skills, accomplishments, and attributes to be champions, but simply came along at the wrong time.
