Worst Lineal Heavyweight Champions: A List

Some breakdown of the candidates credentials, in chronological order:

1. Does the fighter have a very small number of elite wins, say 1-3?

Marvin Hart - no

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Jess Willard - no
Jack Sharkey - hell no!
Primo Carnera - no
Max Baer - no

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2. Was the fighter the best in the world when he was champion, or at any point?

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Jack Sharkey - yes

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Max Baer - yes
Ingemar Johansen - perhaps

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3. Did the fighter deserve to be champion based upon their title winning effort?

Marvin Hart - yes
Tommy Burns - yes
Jess Willard - yes

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Primo Carnera - yes (no it was not a fix)
Max Baer - yes
Ingemar Johansen - yes
Leon Spinks - yes
James Douglas - yes

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4. Did the fighter deserve their title shot in the first place?

Marvin Hart - yes
Tommy Burns - yes
Jess Willard - yes
Jack Sharkey - yes
Primo Carnera - yes
Max Baer - yes
Ingemar Johansen - yes

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James Douglas - marginal

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Now if 5-6 genuinely elite wins, bought your name off the list, then Hart, Sharkey, Carnera, and Baer are gone!

Perhaps that means that they should never have been considered in the first place?

 

I can agree with this.

 

WTF does this mean?