SHOULDN'T have been world champions.

well if you look at contenders dodged how many of the champions from years gone by like dempsey and others failed to step up to the mark due to race

i am going to get slaughtered

 

Joe Louis should not have gotten his shot when he did. A certain German was step over for Louis to get the shot.

 

Even if a fighter gets a shot ahead of a more deserving contender, the fact that they are able to beat the champion justifies them being the next champion.

While failing to defend against a deserving challenger is a mark against a fighters resume, it dosnt bring into question their status as champion if they legitimately beat the previous incumbant.

Probably every champion got a lucky break somwhere in their ascent to the title by being given a match with another contender that their resume didnt justify.

That aside the following heavyweight champions arguably got their title shots over the heads of contenders with a better claim.

Tommy Burns

Jess Willard

Gene Tunney

Primo Carnera

Jimmy Braddock

Joe Louis

Joe Wlacott (the time he won)

George Foreman

Leon Spinks

Muhamad Ali (third time round)

Michael Spinks

James Douglas

Michael Moorer

George Foreman (again)

Shannon Briggs

Lennox Lewis?

Hasim Ramhan

 

Dempsey I think had a prety sold case to be in Toledo.

He beat Fred Fulton, who had been regarded as the No1 challenger for Jess Willards title for a period of a few years, as well as a whole slew of other contenders.

 

true but the original post ended with
didn't defend against a contender they should have fought?

 

On that score you find the principle weakness in Dempseys resume.

Personaly I dont think that the fact that he failed to meet contenders A or B after winning the title in any way weakens his inital title claim. He beat Fulton to get his title shot, then he beat Willard, period.

 

noy his inital claim no, but if he had beaten say langford or mcvey say he would surely of been looked upon today as a champion to rival the modern day fighters such as frazier or tyson

 

I would be more concerned to see him fight Harrys Wills and Greb.

 

greb is really loved on here it is such a pity there is not any film of him

 

Harry Wills was arguably the # 1 challenger too based on his string of victories over top contenders and future hall of famers Sam McVea, Sam Langford, and Joe Jeanette.

 

You could argue it in hindsight, but I dont think many people would have at the time.

Fred Fulton had beaten Sam Langford much more convincingly than Wills had up to that point, and was seen by many as the coming man.

Wills claim to be the outstanding contender seems to have been perceived as being clear cut after he beat Fulton himself.

 

Outside the Heavies and slightly outside the criterion, Billy Backus and Jorge Vaca were damn lucky World Welterweight Champions...

 

good shout


i think the worst defending world champion i saw was a bloke called j.b.williamson who lost his tittle to dennis andries

 

Williamson was an honest trier, and it was brilliant the night old Dennis won his title. But yes Williamson probably does deserve mention on this thread, Andries would in due course get an awful lot better.