Undeserving Heavyweight Challengers

If he had the ranking, then it dosn't matter how he arrived at that position or your opinion on it.

He was still a deserving challenger.

 

It is not the champions job to question the rankings.

The champions job is to take on the most highly rated contender available.

Even if Jackson had been ranked in the lower end of the top 10 he would still have been an eminently justifiable title challenger. Today for example, any top 10 ranked heavyweight is regarded as a dangerous title challenger.

 

I'm adding Scott Frank and Marvis Frazier to that list.

 

Boxrec lists Tchanthiung as having a 2-0 record in 1978, when he lost to Evangelista. Where did you get your information regarding Tchanthiung's record and WBC rating?

In 1978, I followed boxing very, very closely. I read every boxing magazine available at the time. I don't remember ever hearing or reading about Tchanthiung. I find it hard to believe that the WBC rated him ninth worldwide.

 

Come on now.

If Patterson had taken on a less highly ranked challenger because he was "obviously better" then people would have criticised him.

Whats more, they would have been right to.

 

A guy rated in the lower top ten is not necessarily regarded as dangerous. Nonetheless, I do agree that if a guy is rated in the top ten -- even if he "backed" his way into the ratings, getting there by attrition only -- then he warrants a title fight. He might not necessarily be the most deserving challenger, but given his top ten rating, nobody should gripe if the champ gives him a shot. After all, even champions need soft fights every now and then. That's what optional defenses are about.

Thus, according to my reasoning, guys like Richard Dunn, Chuck Wepner, Marvis Frazier, Alfredo Evangelista, and many others qualified as legitimate challengers. They were, after all, rated within the top ten (if only barely) by the alphabets and boxing magazines when they got their title shots.

On the other hand, it is true that some challengers are not deserving of their shots. These are the guys who are not legitimately rated in the top ten. Rather, these guys are elevated into the top ten in the months prior to their title fight. The reason these guys get rated is because a well bankrolled promoter wants to match them with the champ, and the corrupt alphabet bosses agree to rate the fighters in return for a nice gratuity.

 

good list duce and there are TONS more

you can add ...

george foreman against moorer

douglas against tyson

jose roman against foreman

stander/daniels against frazier (though i think they were mentioned)

a couple of joe louis' but not nearly as many as implied by some

 

Still at it, I see.:roll:

 

Yep.


Still at it.

:hi:

 

I would like to see this information myself. Where did you get it? I cannot find this data on boxrec. Also, where did you get the details of the first Evangelista fight?