Who is the most undeserving world heavyweight title challenger?

Jim O'Brien
Soldier Walker
Jewey Smith
Stanley Ketchel
John Finnegan
Joe Kennedy
Georges Carpentier

 

Alfredo Evangelista.

 

I get it that he was over rated in his time, but the idea that he was not a deserving challenger is extreme.

 

I can't agree with this pick.

He was ranked in the top five, and was long overdue a title shot.

Anybody ranked in the top ten is not in the argument.

 

What a bum.

 

Brian London was beaten by champion Floyd Patterson in 1959 and later stopped by champion Muhammad Ali on August 6 1966, KO3.

 

My bad, I meant Al McCoy.

 

Ranked no8 in 77,78,79.

 

He was a nothing at heavyweight. I get it, light heavies have tried for the title before, but everyone knew he had no chance. Dempsey was told to carry him. I'll grant that he was more deserving than the others on my list but that ain't saying much.

 

Good point.

 

Speaking of Delaney.Louis said Delaney hit him with the hardest punch he ever took.

 

Lucien Rodriguez
Scott Frank
Tom McNeeley
Chuck Wepner

 

The answer to this question has to be "Conroy Nelson".

He got a fight with Herbie Hide coming off a TKO win over a washed up Gordie Racette, who was never a Top 20 fighter, and a wide decision loss to the horribly obese, overblown Cruiserweight John Sargent.

He was a borderline 50/50 wins verses losses fighter at the time and landed nary a clean punch on Hide before getting splattered early in the 2nd Round.

Betcha there are 10 guys on this Forum today who we could put in trunks and gloves who could give a better account of themselves against Hide than Nelson did that night.

 

He wasn't nothing at heavyweight.

He was the European Champion, and the biggest draw in the division apart from Dempsey himself.

He was also the current Lineal Light Heavyweight Champion, which in itself was enough to make him a justifiable pick.

This was in fact an eminently reasonable title defense.