Who is the most undeserving world heavyweight title challenger?

Yes Greg, same for me. It’s Rademacher. He has no peer and is clearly well ahead of the rest of the most undeserving challengers when you rate them in order.

 

And to compound the err of the mismatch, imagine if they DQ’d George for blatantly hitting Jose while he was on the canvas?

Though not a good idea as it turned out, Jose employed some psychological warfare that had Foreman absolutely ****ed off by the time the first bell rang. George really wanted to kill that guy. Lol.

 

As to other challengers not named Pete Rademacher: -

In a general sense, Jeffries fought several less deserving challengers. He drew the colour line so there was that preclusion of some more deserving challengers.

However even his two fights with Corbett and rematch with Fitz were against guys, all be they ex champs, who were grossly inactive. We all know the whys and wherefores but Jeff himself walked straight into a title shot after about 6 years inactivity.

That perhaps presents another strand to the discussion - how much privilege should be afforded to returning ex champs?

Post exile Ali got a shot after 2 fights - but he didn’t **** around, fast tracking his eligibility in those 2 fights, all 3 fights (incl. the FOTC) being over a relatively short period since his return.

However, if he was up and ready for it, I think Ali would certainly have been granted a shot in his first fight back.

Of course the Ali circumstances around Ali’s enforced exile were highly unique.

 

Radamacher, McNeely, London, Chuvalo, Wepner, Jose Roman, Weaver, David Bey, Marvis Frazier, Jean-Pierre Coopman just to name a few

 

Sorry, Greg, I thought I had it there.

 

Don't know if this counts or not, but if getting a shot at "WBA Heavyweight Champion in Recess" Manuel Charr qualifies, then Christopher Lovejoy is hands-down the least deserving. He had one win against a fighter with a winning record before getting a shot. Check out his sparkling resume...

https://boxrec.com/en/box-pro/746640

 

Moran if we consider he got 2 title shots at a time almost no one else was getting them. He probably wasn't the most undeserving in a vaccum but when you add that context he is. John Finnegan was pretty bad for 1 title shot.

Rademacher and Francis were making their pro debuts but were in there because of non pro boxing acheivements. Whether you think thats wrong or not they were not random 0-0s.

 

Thank you, but I'm washing my hair that night.

 

As mentioned a couple of times already, The Lion of Flanders, Jean-Pierre Coopman is probably right up there. Granted, he did go on to win the European title after the Ali fight, but he was deliberately chosen to give Ali an easy night's work.

 

No worries, no apology necessary

 

Not quite. Tomashek was brought there as a last second substitute if Williams, due to his unreliability, flaked on the fight. He, however, had not expected to be fighting, was in the audience apparently (according to the story) beer in hand and was only told an hour before that Williams had refused.

 

Jeffries first title defense was against Bob Armstrong. Before Jeffries was champ he also fought Peter Jackson(in a bit of foreshadowing Jackson was also coming off of a 5 year layoff from his CW title win in 1892). So regardless of his words he ended up fighting 3 black fighters including the 2 best ones.

The thing with lineal champs is they reactive their lineal claim so they always get deference even if they wouldn't otherwise deserve it(Tyson cough Fury cough). 5 years is a little much but Jeffries had retired undefeated and had personally chosen the Hart v Root winner as the start of the next lineage.

But yeah I think John Finnegan might be the answer to this question. Kennedy(who Jeffries fought in a 4 round non title bout) seems like he was more deserving challenger though he was no prize either.

 

If a champion today defends against the world's best amateur in the same division, that will hold more interest for me than if he defends against the 50th best pro.

And funny that not a single one who has Rademacher has even mentioned Loma.

For me the worst ones are not the ones that are very skilled at boxing, albeit in another format, but those that never has shown any ability whatsoever. It would be the Standers, Daniels, Coopmans etc if we're talking defences for undisputed. Talking about single belts the list is of course longer.

 

If anything, that fight cuts against this thread. It shows that maybe it's not terrible to give seemingly undeserving dudes a chance because, sometimes, a great fight ensues.

 

That makes the story less cool