The top 10 heavyweights never to fight for the title.

I saw Spencer fight Leotis Martin in London ,terrific scrap ,it was named fight of the year.

 

You know for some silly reason i thought Dokes - Bowe wasn't for a title

139 seconds, damn.

 

Perhaps it wasn't that memorable?

 

Ruiz.

That stuff he did for world titles I would not really call fighting.

 

Joe Mesi in modern times....I guess a lot of the fighters that did not get a chance to fight for the linear title because of the other B.S. titles..gave the Champ an excuse not to fight the best.....Larry Holmes I like as a fighter but he did not fight PinklonTHomas, Big John Tate, Mike(HERCULES) Weaver, Mike Dinamite Dokes, Greg Page,Gerrie Coetzee and these men were not given the chance to fight for the Linear throne..could you imagine if Louis,Marciano Ali did not fight the best of there times, yet there are fans who overlook Holmes overlook

 

I am a rex layne fan, but Eddie would easily box his ears off. Eddie and Zora belong at the top of the list, as does cleveland williams all fought in a very underated era in heavyweight history. All 3 looked like A level skills/talent on film.

 

Dokes fought for the linear title against bowe, he doesnt belong on the list

 

Folley and Williams both fought for the heavyweight title.

 

Janitor here is my list


1. Harry Wills
2. Sam Langford
3. Peter Jackson
4. Elmer Ray
5. Joe Jeanette
6. George Godfrey
7.. Eddie Machen
8. Clarence Henry
9. Sam Mcvey
10. Lee Q Murray

 

I rate Layne higher because Layne did defeat Walcott and Charles while Machen failed throughout his career against his very best opponents. I understand a strong case can be made for Machen who was more skilled, more consistent over a longer career, and lost only to contenders.


One thing about Machen. He was widely criticized while active for being a one-handed fighter. He rarely used his right and when he did it was largely ineffective. With that weakness, I think he would have had problems in most eras beating the very best men.

I guess you could view the late fifties and early sixties as underrated, with Patterson, Johansson, Machen, Folley, Williams, and perhaps Harold Johnson as the dominant fighters besides Liston, but certainly not a uniquely tough era. The mid to late forties for example had Walcott, Charles, Bivins, Ray, Murray, and Thompson, with Louis the champion, and the tough spoilers below this tier including Bettina, Maxim, Sheppard, Godoy, Baksi, and a slew of others.