Which heavyweight champion avoided the most top contenders ?

During their reign, Jack Johnson.

 

Johnson or Michael Spinks.

 

Floyd Patterson?

 

As much as I love him, it was Floyd Patterson..but it was more Cus's doing than Floyd's.

 

Tommy Burns!!! He defended the title 7 times against his sparring partner!!!!!!!!!!

 

Now that I think about it, it's funny how highly we rate Holmes despite his management of the title and how much we disparage Dempsey for his.

 

Patterson did defend against Ingemar Johansson and Sonny Liston. Sure, he lost to both, and didn't face Machen or Folley, but I think Jack Johnson as champion avoided more leading fighters.

Patterson's big crime was taking on the likes of Rademacher, London and McNeeley.

 

I rate them both.

I guess some people take Dempsey's inactivity as a negative.

 

Tommy burns you bunch of idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

While Burns was indeed a disgrace as champion, he did partialy redeem himself by fighting Jack Johnson.

 

Floyd Patterson, Larry Holmes, Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Tommy Burns.

 

George Foreman in his second reign is up there.

 

I have to totally disagree with that. (the disgrace part)

In fact, i think that Burns was pretty much one of the best examples of what a fighting champion should be like.

He won the world title against Hart, in a pretty decent upset.

He then fought a decent (not great challenger in Jim Flynn). He followed this with a bout against Philadelphia Jack o brien who was the reigning light heavyweight champion and a world title claimant and had previously defeated Tommy Burns! He was as good a challenger as there was. And Burns gave him a rematch after their first fight ended a draw!

He then fought the English Champ Gunner Myer, the Irish Champ Jem Roach, The undefeated Australian heavyweight champion and KO Artist Bill Squires (who was the favourite against Tommy), Australias second best fighter (who would go on to soon win the Australian Champion and KO the former world champion) Bill Lang. And then, Tommy had no hesitation whatsoever in throwing out the colour line and defending against Jack Johnson. Ultimately he lost, and Tommy wasnt the greatest heavyweight ever, but his conduct with defending the title cannot be questioned in the slightest, imo.