10 GREATEST HEAVYWEIGHTS NEVER TO BE CHAMPION

Could be a good job the guys on this list are deceased as you could imagine the bitterness at seeing guys like Axel Schultz winning a title they never received...

Could be contentious but here is my list..


10. Zora Folley
9. Ernie Shavers
8. Roland Lastarza
7. Ron Lyle
6. Peter Jackson
5. Cleveland Williams
4. Jerry Quarry
3. Jimmy Young
2. Sam Langford
1. Tom Sharkey

Truss off the top of my head the glaring ommission would have to be Harry Wills who many consider to be the finest never to have won the title. Think also Jeannette was a fine fighter who I'd probably find room for at the expense of LaStarza

Wills...you are right Rowley I figured I'd miss somebody...

Cheers will amend..

Ike Ibeabuchi

Billy Conn, Archie Moore,

Late twenties / early thirties contender George Godfrey would make the cut for me.

Big man for his day, and an excellent fighter who was yet another victim of the colour bar.

Surprised to see LaStarza so high up and would echo the sentiments that Wills, Godfrey and Jeanette have to be right up there

tua??? i think he holds the record for beating the most (ex)heavyweight champions without holding any of the belts himself

Young beat Foreman and was robbed off Norton and Ali as well as other high ranking victories..not sure Tua's record reaches those heights..

However maybe I'm wrong..

There is a first time for everything 8)

My knowledge of boxing pre-Tyson is limited but in recent years, Ike Ibeabuchi is a name that quickly springs to mind. Would have almost certainly won a HW title had he not been such a lunatic.
Andrew Golota, like Ike, had the ability but lacked the mental consistency and stableness to achieve glory.
David Tua beat 4 former and future world Champions (Ruiz, Maskaev, Rahman & Moorer) but himself failed to ever hold a portion of the HW championship.

Good post Benson....

Have to look at the guys already on the list.........and in my opinion they just shade some of the later guys...quality and victory wise..

Golota though wouldn't be on any list....overrated for me..

It's contentious and I don't resent anybody taking issue with my list.

Certainly Wills omission was a mistake..

Ayup Trussman, think you've got most of the right names, however like Rowley I'd say that Wills just has to be there. In fact, I reckon he'd have a great claim to top spot.

Did Nino Valdes come in to consideration, by the way? He'd probably make my list, though probably at the lower end.

Forgot about Wills Chris..........He certainly belongs....

Tom Sharkey was a great character, he wasn't shy on letting everyone know that his fights were for the title due to Fitzsimmons inactivity at the time, every fight at that time was for the title for him, not sure if there's ever been anyone so rough and tough as him in the ring.