The best British boxer to never win a world title?

All time, there is only 1 candidate for me & I'm surprised he hasn't been mentioned yet - Jim Driscoll.

Going into his final fight he'd only lost 3 of 73 fights - 1) A 3-round decision; 2) To the 10lbs heavier Harry Mansfield who he beat in a rematch whilst outweighed by 8lbs; & 3) A DQ to the bigger & top 10 all time great LW Freddie Welsh.

He beat 2 x locks for top 6 all time FWs in Abe Attell & George Dixon (Dixon was past prime, though Driscoll beat him x 3).

He also beat the much bigger Matty Baldwin, the bigger Grover Hayes, the bigger Leach Cross, Joe Bowker x 2 and past prime former BW world champion Pedlar Palmer, as well as drawing against my pick for the 2nd greatest ever British boxer not win a world title, Owen Moran, over 20-rounds.

 

How about "Our Enry"?

 

Greg is right, it's Driscoll. Narrowly in front of Moran. They're both in the top ten British fighters ever including champions and are the cream of the crop above the likes of Rudkin, Tarleton, Charnley, Tancy Lee, Harvey and Graham, McAvoy etc. Out of that group, Rudkin was the best imo. A genuinely A-level world-class fighter with similar ability to many historically excellent/near-great/great fighters. He had an argument for beating Rose and pushed Harada close too as well as beating McGowan, Caldwell, Ben Ali, Johnny Clark, Esparza, Vega, Ray Asis amongst other respectable peripheral contenders.

Watson is hard to place. He'd developed into a top fighter by the Eubank tragedy and was still improving having already integrated new things into his armoury fight by fight since the McCallum loss. He might have become a lower-end great fighter or at least a very respectable champion given time but sadly we'll never know. I love him though, lovely technician and a remarkable man.

Brian Curvis was an underrated fighter, roughly similar in quality to Charnley, Stracey, Minter, Honeyghan etc but with his way being barred by Griffith. Notched up some nice wins over the likes of Ortega, Charnley, Logart, Stable and Tito Marshall.

 

Matt Wells was class too, depending on how you view the McCormick fight.

 

Surprised Colin Jones hasn't been mentioned.

 

Got to be Driscoll then Moran way out in front. Both definitely among Britain’s top dozen.

Alan Rudkin perhaps the best of the last 60 years or so.

 

Yes I actually thought a boxer Colin stopped twice, Laing, would be mentioned. He usually is. Wrongly IMO.

GREAT. But like Herol, Alan had his chances. But did better.

Heroes best challenge was against easily the best boxer he faced. Close one.

 

I can't believe nobody mentioned Henry Cooper yet.

Maybe he was not the best ever who failed to snatch a world title, but he sure was a contender.
Somebody who knocks down Ali should be in the conversation.

 

Bang on Chris.

 

Colin Jones definately. What a puncher. So tough and strong, punches looked so hard.
Tony Sibson too. Around at the wrong time, should have gone for the fledgling Super-Middle division.
Love Kirkland Laing but just wasn´t consistent enough. Duran win was brilliant but was never more than a fringe contender at best.
Herol Graham without a doubt. So unlucky, the Kalambay 1st loss was his own fault but most have been frustrating so long waiting for a title shot. Kalambay was crowned WBA champ 5 months after beating Herol. Real shame, such a terrific fighter.
Dave "Boy" Green was so close against Palomino, shame he couldn´t make the Super-lightweight division a little longer, certain would have picked up a World title.

 

If Laing was more consistent, he no doubt would've been the pick here. I do get sad watching him fight, because he was another potential lost in the bustle of the boxing world- And now, he's another name unfortunately gone. R.I.P.

 

Herol Graham is the first person that comes to mind.

I'm surprised that someone who regards Lennox Lewis as an undisputed heavyweight champion (which seems like the majority of people) hasn't suggested Chris Eubank for this thread.

You can't regard Lewis as an undisputed champion and also consider Eubank to have been a world champion.

 

I've never considered him to be anywhere near world class level.

 

Maybe not for our time, but he certainly was back then. He was in The Ring magazine's annual ratings five times consecutively, had multiple wins over Erskine and London, alongside Folley, Bathea, and Harris- And was a hard fight for most despite being essentially a one-armed bandit.