Very Good Fighters that never Held a World Title?

atsch

Should have read it.

 

Does he? Nice one. I've not seen both fights all the way through but I thought he did well against Rose from what I've seen but was losing to Harada.

 

Yeah Harada won, it was hotly contested all the way though, and Rudkin boxed class from long range, that's what he was best at. Here comes the hometown bias posts! (kidding), the Rose fight is a classic.

 

How bout Yaqui Lopez. He definatly should have been champ sometime in his career.

 

Yeah another who fought so many top dogs in a great era.

 

Good thing about threads like this is that it brings names like Alan Rudkin, Hec Thompson etc to the fore.

Rudkin was probably as stiff as Thompson, having three cracks at world honours against Harada, Rose and then the deadliest of them all Oliveras!

There must be an easier way! In fact there is. In the current day with alphabet times, the likes of Rudkin, Thompson and others of that era would have collected a few belts along the way.

 

Yeah you could see them being titlists easily couldn't you? Think i'm gunna have to get my behind to bed guys. Speak to you later,

 

Kevin Finnegan and his brother Chris are two favorite of mine:


Kevin Finnegan
(18 April 1948 - 23 October 200) was an English boxer.

In his early career when Kevin was still an amateur he was banned for 18 months for climbing into the ring to dispute a loss by his brother. He was well known for a trio of fights against Alan Minter, although he lost all 3 they were close point decisions.

He won the British Middleweight title on three separate occasions, and was twice EBU Middleweight champion. Finnegan twice fought future undisputed world champion Marvin Hagler, losing by a technical knockout on both occasions. Hagler later referred to Finnegan as the toughest man he has ever fought. He had 47 fights, winning 35, losing 11 and drawing one


Chris Finnegan
(5 June 1944 – 2 March 2009) was an English professional boxer.

Juggling his amateur boxing career with his work as a hod carrier,[3] Finnegan was the 1966 ABA middleweight champion, but he considered retiring from the sport after John Turpin, the man he had beaten in the ABA finals, was chosen ahead of him to represent England at the 1966 Commonwealth Games in Jamaica.[4] Finnegan competed at the 1967 European Amateur Boxing Championships in Rome, where he lost on points to Jan Hejduk of Czechoslovakia.[5]

He almost missed out on making the 1968 Summer Olympics team after sustaining an eye injury which prevented him taking the ABA championships.[6] This resulted in a two-week drinking binge as a result of his disappointment for not making the team.[6] Finnegan's trainer, Dick Gunn, rescued the boxer from his binge by securing a box-off which Finnegan won.[6]

One final obstacle almost prevented Finnegan's participation in the games; £70 owed in National Insurance Stamps, for which he had to appear before a magistrate. When the presiding magistrate heard that Finnegan was due to represent Britain at the Olympics he was given a reprieve, and wished luck in his bid to win a gold medal.[7] When the Games were over, the debt was eventually paid by the British boxing promoter Harry Levene.[8]

Fighting in the middleweight division, Finnegan's first opponent at the Olympics was little-known Titus Simba of Tanzania; Finnegan was knocked down in the first round, but climbed off the canvas to win the decision.[9] In the quarter-finals Finnegan guaranteed himself at least a bronze medal by out-pointing the Yugoslav Mate Parlov, who would win gold at the 1972 Olympics and later hold the WBC light-heavyweight championship.

In the semi-final, Finnegan won a 4-1 decision over the American Al Jones despite receiving two standing eight-counts.[6] Finnegan's final opponent was Aleksei Kiselyov of the Soviet Union. Finnegan won by a 3-2 verdict, the Mexican, Spanish and Cuban judges voting for him, and the Thai and Indian for Kiselyov.[10] Finnegan was the last British boxer to win an Olympic gold medal until Audley Harrison in 2000.[11] For his success Finnegan was awarded an MBE in the New Years Honours, which was presented to him by the Queen on 12 February 1969.[12]

In a famous television interview conducted moments after winning gold, Finnegan's wife back in Britain, Cheryl, remarked: "****in' 'ell, you 'aven't ****in' gone and done it, 'ave you?", to which Finnegan replied: "Yes, ol' lady, I ****in' have."[13] When asked of his future plans, Finnegan quipped that he intended "to go home and increase the family."[14]

He made his professional debut on 9 December 1968, defeating Mike Fleetham in three rounds. Finnegan won 13 of his first 14 fights, his sole loss a cut eye stoppage against Danny Ashie. Among his early opponents were Brendan Ingle, who would later go on to be a successful boxing trainer, and Harry Scott, then the number one ranked British middleweight contender.

In his fifteenth fight, Finnegan was matched with reigning European middleweight champion Tom Bogs in Copenhagen, as a late replacement for the injured Mark Rowe. Finnegan dropped a close 15 round decision, in which the referee and sole judge Herbert Tomser scored four rounds to Bogs and eleven even.[16] Five months later, in January 1971, Finnegan stopped Eddie Avoth in the 15th round to win the British and British Commonwealth light-heavyweight titles.

In May 1971, Finnegan traveled to Berlin to challenge for the European light-heavyweight title, held by Conny Velensek of Germany. The fight was scored a draw, although several British and German reporters at ringside felt that Finnegan deserved to win.[17][18] After a win over Roger Rouse, who had previously fought both Dick Tiger and Bob Foster for the world light-heavyweight title, Finnegan and Velensek met again, this time at the Nottingham Ice Rink. Finnegan won a unanimous 15 round decision to take the title.

Finnegan was named Ring Magazine's progress of the year for 1971 and was now being touted as a challenger to reigning world light-heavyweight champion Bob Foster; he was at ringside for Foster's fight with Vicente Rondon and introduced to the crowd after the fight.[19] Finnegan made his first defence of the European title four months later against Jan Lubbers at the Royal Albert Hall, and won by an eighth round knockout. The world title fight with Foster was arranged for 26 September 1972, to take place at Wembley.

Finnegan was considered a heavy underdog against Foster, whose previous two opponents, contenders Rondon and Mike Quarry, had lasted a combined total of six rounds before being knocked out by him. However, Finnegan proved more competitive than expected, finally being stopped by Foster in the 14th round of a gruelling contest. Afterwards Foster commented that Finnegan had been the best-equipped of all his previous title challengers.[20] The bout was selected as Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine.

Six weeks after the Foster fight, Finnegan faced Rudiger Schmidtke at Wembley, having been ordered by the European Boxing Union to defend his European title against him or risk being stripped of it. Finnegan lost by a 12th round TKO after sustaining a bad cut on his nose.[21] He remained inactive for four months, before successfully defending his British and Commonwealth titles against Roy John, winning a 15 round decision at Wembley.

Finnegan's next defence of his British and Commonwealth belts was against new European champion and emerging British light-heavyweight contender John Conteh; Finnegan lost a 15 round decision. He then won a ten round decision over Mike Quarry, before facing Conteh again. This time Finnegan was stopped on cuts after six rounds. Finnegan then dropped a decision against Johnny Frankham for the British light-heavyweight title, before avenging that loss to win the Lonsdale Belt outright. That proved to be his final fight, as Finnegan retired from boxing in 1975 after undergoing surgery to repair a detached retina.[22] His final record stood at 29-7-1.

 

Impressive Guys!
ok I will remove my rule about after 1970 but 25 fights still stands. Troy Waters, Tua, great stuff

 

Earnie Shavers

 

Librado Andrade..

 

Herrol graham alot of ppl had him beating maccalum, he was avoided by benn and eubank he was smashing up jackson before getting caught, he was on his way to beating charles brewer but father time was not forgiving

 

Jerry Quarry...

 

Another Chris Finnegan moment in Mexico.
There were concerns about competing in the high altitude and thin air of Mexico City so the British team got the Duke of Edinburgh (the Queens husband) in to give an inspirational talk. He assured everyone that he'd played polo there on numerous occassions with no problems at all to which Chris piped up with "Oh yeah, anyone ask the ****in horses how they felt". haha.

 

Haha, that's class.