Undeserving World Title Challengers

Damon Reed. (against Herbie Hide)
He still holds the record for the shortest HW titlefight in history.

And Pete Rademacher of course, in his 1st professional bout against Patterson

 

SO many...

Rademacher is the most glaring example considering it was for the Linear heavyweight title...

 

Rademacher was a legit challenger, he was undefeated and an olympic gold medalist

 

More interesting would be undeserving but successful challengers.

 

:!:

Has been done many times already.
Then again, so has this. :yep

 

Yusuf Mack vs Froch
Joppy vs Shumenov
Marvis frazier vs Holmes
Harrison vs Haye

 

This is more difficult and always raises the question what is undeserved:

From the top of my head in no particular order.

1. Rahman vs Lewis - There surely was better challengers on paper for Lewis to fight at the time.
2. Douglas vs Tyson - Not sure if this applies to the same as above or Tyson had simply cleaned out the division to an extend that Douglas was the next guy in line.
3. If wlads WBO tittle counts as a genuine world title then Sanders does qualify as well.
4. Kessler vs Siaca might qualify. Kessler came in with a approx 30-0 record but had not really met anybody at world level yet. Got the title shot based on an injury from a stable mate btw.

 

Kessler was 34-0, was holding a minor title and had beaten 2-3 gatekeeper type fighters and a host of journeymen. He got the shot because Larsen was out, but Kessler has always been superior to Larsen.

 

That flabby guy Chris Eubank got a gift decision against Dan Schommer, he had only fought twice in three years before that fight!

 

Audley.

 

Jean Marc Mormeck
Morad Hakkar
Matthew Hatton

 

Tocker Pudwill VS calzaghe WAS BAD

 

f.wanky Wrrn has put together more than his fare share of shockers

 

From the top of my head the best names he had beaten before the fights was:
1. Thobela for one the minor world titles ( Box rec is down so i can´t which one. Also why i got the record wrong)
2. Julio Cesar Green
3. Henry Porras
4. Craig Cummings

Question is if the above is enough to warrant a title shot and that can always be debated.

At the time Kessler was seen a really promising prospect and in the general public there was a feeling that Kessler was superior to Larsen but at the time it was not a certainty. Hindsight have off course confirmed this.

Personally i believe it would have been another year and 2-3 fights more before he would have got a tittle shot had Larsen not been injured.

I know it is not the best pick and if i remember correctly Kessler was the favorite going in but that was based on possible potential and not achievement.