Top HW'S 1925-35 that didn't win title.

Recently thinking about the heavyweights from 1925'ish to 1937 or so. The champions for the most part were able operaters but what of the top contenders and were they unlucky or avoided, indeed were some of them better than the champs?
In fairness the champions fought alot of top contenders as well as among themselves. Sharkey lost to Dempsey but beat Carnera and Schmeling but also lost to these two. Carnera also lost to Baer who beat Schmeling. Braddock beat Baer but then lost to Louis. Indeed Joe beat the 5 champions that preceeded him but Schmeling did manage a win over him.
Let's look at some of the top tier of the challangers, first up Larry Gains.
He was a good amature in Canada before taking himself off to England where he made his debut against Frank Moody. He learnt quickly and put his size(6-1) silky skills and decent power to good effect as he amassed a decent record in Europ beating amongst others a young Schmeling on a 2 round KO.
Back to Canada where he won their Heavyweight title as well as the coloured crown where he avenged a previous defeat against George Godfrey. A return to Britain and Europe saw him win the British Empire crown, blowing out Phil Scott. Primo Carnera was defeated before 70,000 in London and he regained the Black title from Obie Walker. He had started to lose a few but still posted the odd good win over the likes of Maurice Strickland. At his best he would have a decent chance with any of the 1930-37 champions, I'd favour him over Braddock for sure and probably Carnera. Baer, Schmeling and Sharkey would be around 50/50 IMO.

 

Good list but I'll do a pitch for Obie Walker as well as the above Gains one.

 

Lots of fellas in Europe like the underrated Neussel, Person, Von Porat, Charles, Petersen as well as Kingfisher, Rosenbloom, Jack Fox, Hartwell, Heeney, Retzlaff and a ton more, lots of depth to be sure. Personally I rate a load of them above Braddock but then I don't rate Max Baer as high as most but I wouldn't for a second doubt his punching power, as good as any, ever.
But Take Gains, his 5 best wins-Carnera, Godfrey (he was winning on points) Schmeling, Walker and Bud Gorman (another gud 'un)-are hard to top and he backed it up with a lot of solid wins and less losses than most of that busy period. But on to Obie Walker.
Wins over a young Galento and Godfrey propelled him on to the big stage. Standing only 5-9 he met and beat the best. Now the coloured champion he cashed in in Europe beating the likes of Von Porat, McCorkindale and Strickland before returning to the states to get the better of Elmer Ray in a long series. Leroy Haynes and Bearcat Wright were others in his win ledger but somehow this powerful 230-40 pounder is almost forgotten to-day. Could he have beaten some of the champions of his time if given the oppertunity? I think his record says yes.

 

Yep Stribling was a good operater. Very good in fact. Names popping up on his win ledger allover the place, Rosenbloom, Risko, Slattery, Griffiths, Gorman, Wiggins and loads more. Took the very best Sharkey, Schmeling, Loughran and Schaaf to beat him. Looks like the standard gatekeeper at the time-beat him and you were real good. Won and Lost to Primo too but they were dodgy.

 

Schaaf was a very in and out performer but at his best he was a match for any of them. Hard to believe he was only 24 when he died, he had some wins in that time. Lost a majority to Baer, split a few with Loughran, beat Braddock, Uzcuden, Stribling, Maloney, Griffiths, Baer, Risko a who's who of the period-and I'll say it again-only 24 when he died after the Carnera fight. At 6-2 and filled out to 210 he would have been a handful in any era.