Every generation awaits the emergence of that special fighter. The one who exhibits that little extra dimension than the others. The one who has that touch of magic that helps him repel each challenge. And the one who has that crossover appeal that turns good fighters in to superstars. But until that moment arroves, the time is filled with good, solid champions who carry the baton until that breakthrough star appears. Some possibly had their own chance at greatness, whilst others were just in the right place at the right time. Either way these “fill-in” champions were vital in forming the links to the greats that came both before and after their reigns. A look through history:
1928 – 1937
During the Great Depression, boxing maintained its popularity as many embraced it as a distraction from the every day gloom, although the purses on offer were now much lower than before due to the economy. Nine years separated the retirement of Gene Tunney and the coronation of Joe Louis and within this period, five men held the heavyweight championship, none making more than two successful defences of the title.
Jack Sharkey and Max Schmeling came together on 11 June 1930 to decide the successor to Tunney. Both had come through final eliminators to earn their shot at Yankee Stadium. For three rounds, Sharkey controlled matters until midway through round four, when he ducked under a right from Schmeling and delivered what was meant to be a left hook to the body. Unintentionally, the blow slammed in to Schmeling’s groin causing him to collapse to the canvas. Confusion followed as the German was carried back to his corner. After a discussion between the officials, the title was awarded to Schmeling. It was the first and only time the title has been won on a foul. After one successful defence, the pair met again in New York on 21 June 1932. It was an uneventful contest, but Sharkey was adjudged to have done enough in taking a controversial fifteen round decision. His reign wouldn’t make it through one defence though when he faced off against Primo Carnera on 29 June 1933 at the Madison Square Garden Bowl. It was the second meeting between the two, with Sharkey having clearly outpointed the six feet six inches tall Italian back in 1931. For the first five rounds, it appeared history would repeat itself. That was until Sharkey was caught with a big right hand that left him unable to beat the referee’s ten count.
The title was now in the hands of the “Ambling Alp”, who managed to defend the title on two occasions. On 14 June 1934, Carnera put the title on the line against Max Baer, a man who certainly had the intangibles to become fistic royalty. Except Baer preferred to clown more than train. However, he trained like a demon for this opportunity, sending Carnera down between 7 and 12 times, depending on which fight report you were reading, and ripping away the title in round eleven. It appeared that a period of stability had been reached in the heavyweight division. But this was “Madcap Maxie” and it came as no surprise that he revelled in the glamour of being champion. Which meant that there was little time to train properly.
So when he climbed in to the ring on 13 June 1935 to face James J. Braddock, he was woefully unprepared. Outboxed throughout, he dropped a fifteen round decision to the “Cinderella Man” in a huge upset. Now it was Braddock’s time to capitalize on his good fortune. He put the title on the line in Chicago on 22 June 1937. The challenger? None other than the “Brown Bomber” Joe Louis. Handsomely paid, Braddock briefly floored Louis before being battered for an eighth round knockout. This time, the title would stay with one man for eleven years and twenty five defences, the longest in boxing history.
1978 – 1987
When Muhammad Ali regained the heavyweight title from Leon Spinks, many accepted that his time was coming to an end. He had already been stripped of the WBC title, and as he announced his retirement, the WBA looked to crown a worthy successor. What wasn’t expected was that the belt would be passed around like a hot potato. Between the reigns of Ali and Mike Tyson, eight men held claim to being called “champion”, not one making more than two successful defences.
First up was “Big” John Tate. The smooth boxing Tate captured the title on 20 October 1979 when he outpointed Gerrie Coetzee over fifteen rounds and much was expected from the former 1976 Olympic bronze medallist. But his reign only lasted five months when he ran in to the “Black Hercules” Mike Weaver. Weaver had given Larry Holmes a torrid time in a tilt at the WBC crown before being stopped in round twelve. They met in Tate’s hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee on 31 March 1980 and the champion was well in command for the first ten rounds before Weaver’s pressure started to take it’s toll. Going in to the fifteenth round it appeared Tate would hang on to his title. That was until, with just forty seconds remaining on the clock, Weaver exploded with a devastating left hook. Tate was out cold as he fell face first to the canvas in a highlight reel knockout. It was a big upset.
The victor managed to hold on to the title for two defences before running in to the unbeaten Michael “Dynamite” Dokes. Dokes was highly rated but even he couldn’t foresee the controversy that would blight their meeting on 10 December 1982 in Las Vegas. Dokes came out fast, blasting left hooks at Weaver. A step behind, Weaver landed a couple of his own before a short hook sent him down. He got up only to be met with a sustained flurry. Covering up, but seemingly clearly in control of his faculties, the referee stepped in at the sixty three second mark, awarding Dokes the title. Much debate followed, although it was felt that the stoppage may have occurred due to the tragic fight between Ray Mancini and Duk Koo Kim having happened just a few weeks beforehand.
A rematch was inevitably arranged. On 20 May 1983 in Nevada, the pair fought to a majority fifteen round draw. It was close but Dokes retained for his only successful defence. Next up he met Gerrie Coetzee on 23 September 1983 in Richfield, Ohio. But the drug and alcohol fuelled lifestyle that would grab so many sportsmen and celebrities throughout the 80’s, already had it’s talons deep in to Dokes. He was savagely knocked out in round ten by Coetzee’s right hand. South African Coetzee saw his own reign fall apart in his first defence when he met Greg Page on home soil on 1 December 1984 at the Superbowl, Sun City. American Page had lost his previous two fights, including one for the WBC title, but upset the odds and become champion by way of an eight round knock out. Page was one of many heavyweights who preferred the night life to the gym life, with a physique that certainly did not resemble a world class athlete but more of a fast food addict, a real shame as like many of the others, he had talent.
However, predictably he also lost his title in defence number one to a man even more rotound than himself, Tony “TNT” Tubbs. Tubbs was a fast boxer but there was no real “TNT”, just a whole lot of jiggling. At the Memorial Auditorium in Buffalo on 29 April 1985, Tubbs won a unanimous fifteen round decision to end Page’s brief reign. As was now becoming the fashion, the title changed hands the following year on 17 January 1986, when in Atlanta, Georgia, “Terrible” Tim Witherspoon fiddled and mauled his way to a fifteen round majority decision to become a two-time champion. It was light years away from Ali vs Frazier.
Witherspoon managed to squeeze in one defence before facing former foe James “Bonecrusher” Smith. He wasn’t expected to have many problems with Smith on the night of 12 December 1986 at Madison Square Garden, but financial disputes with promoter Don King meant Witherspoon entered the ring with little interest as to what was going on inside of there. But Smith certainly did, clubbing Witherspoon to the canvas three times in the first round for a major upset win. His reward for the stunning victory was a unification in the HBO heavyweight tournament with non other than “Iron” Mike Tyson. A meeting between two hard hitting heavyweights usually guarantees excitement. This collision of “champions” guaranteed a cure for insomnia. On 7 March 1987 in Las Vegas, Smith spent twelve rounds holding Tyson like a long lost brother. Tyson tried to get Smith to let his hands go but Smith was having none of it as Tyson walked away with a bundle of energy and a wide unanimous decision. At last, the WBA title had some stability.
The WBC crown had a lot more of a settled history. Ken Norton was awarded the title that was stripped from Spinks on the strength of his win over top contender Jimmy Young. On 9 June 1978 at Caesars Palace, he put the title on the line against the up and coming Larry Holmes. What followed was one of the greatest fights in heavyweight history with the fifteenth round cementing its place amongst the finest three minutes in fistic history. Holmes took a split decision and started a five year reign as champion. He made sixteen defences of the title, three against future champions. But politics kept him from unifying against whomever was holding the WBA belt p00⁰at the time. Then in 1983, Holmes relinquished his title, unhappy with the WBC’s decision not to recognise a defence against Marvis Frazier and then being unable to agree terms with number one contender Greg Page. With Don King now promoting the majority of the top heavyweight’s, Las Vegas became the hotbed of action for title fights. Page and Tim Witherspoon met for the vacant belt on 9 March 1984 in with Witherspoon earning a majority decision. But he then dropped the title just five months later to Pinklon Thomas on 31 August, again by majority decision. Much was expected of Thomas but he managed only one defence before his substance abuse habits caught up with him as he was out-hustled on 26 March 1986 by “The Punching Preacher” Trevor Berbick. Berbick then had the misfortune of becoming a highlight reel sensation indefinitely as he fell three times from one punch on 22 November 1986 against Mike Tyson, being hammered in just two rounds as Tyson became the youngest heavyweight champion in history. Tyson’s path to becoming undisputed champion was now underway.
In 1983, a new governing body, the IBF, made it’s entrance, immediately installing Larry Holmes as it’s heavyweight champion. Holmes embraced the recognition and gave the organisation instant legitimacy. He made three defences of the title before putting both his unbeaten record and title on the line against Michael Spinks. Spinks was aiming to become the first light-heavyweight champion in history to win the heavyweight crown and Holmes was looking to equal the infamous record of Rocky Marciano at 49-0. On 21 September 1985, Spinks stunned the boxing world by taking a close, but unanimous decision to create history and end Holmes long unbeaten run. He made two defences, starting with a highly controversial decision over Holmes in their rematch, but was stripped of the title for taking a big money fight with Gerry Cooney and not mandatory challenger Tony “TNT” Tucker. Tucker met James “Buster” Douglas on 30 May 1987 for the vacant title, scoring a tenth round stoppage. He would meet Tyson just over two months later on 1 August, to decide the winner of HBO’s heavyweight tournament, where Tyson would win a unanimous decision and become the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world. There was now one champion, a status that would remain for five years. And then….
1992 – 1999
This era was different to the previous two that had come before. The division was the deepest and most competitive since the 1970’s and of the nine title holders that reigned during this period, five ended up in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Because of splintered titles though, the term “two-time” became more frequent. Nonetheless, between theses future greats were fighters who helped piece together the strands between them.
Riddick “Big Daddy” Bowe was fresh off of his tremendous win over Evander “Real Deal” Holyfield on 13 November 1992 to become the undisputed champion. Next up was WBC number one contender Lennox Lewis. However, instead of honouring the contract to face him, Bowe decided to relinquish the title. Lewis was awarded the championship on the strength of his knockout of Donovan “Razor” Ruddock. Once again, there was now two champions.
Lewis made three defences of his title before he was shocked and stopped in two rounds on 24 September 1994 by “Atomic Bull” Oliver McCall at Wembley Arena. McCall posted one defence, outpointing Larry Holmes, before meeting Frank Bruno at a packed Wembley Stadium on 2 September 1995. Bruno managed to survive a late onslaught to take the title from McCall. He then paid a step aside fee to number one contender Lennox Lewis so he could defend against Mike Tyson in a return fight in Las Vegas. Bruno was paid handsomely for the chance of revenge on 16 March 1996, but he was hammered in just three rounds as Tyson became a two-time champion. Tyson was intent on regaining his status as undisputed champion and paid Lewis $4 million to once again step aside so he could face WBA champion Bruce Seldon. The WBC wouldn’t sanction the fight so they met for just the WBA title on 7 September 1996, with Tyson scoring a first round win. Reluctant to face Lewis next, Tyson relinquished the WBC belt. Lewis was paired with old rival McCall, receiving his long awaited chance and rematch on 7 February 1997. In one the most bizarre fights in history, McCall did almost nothing, hardly throwing a punch before appearing to have a mental breakdown in the ring, sobbing in round four before the referee stopped the spectacle in the fifth. Although not in the manner he would have chosen, Lewis was now a two-time champion.
He successfully defended the title four times before meeting WBA & IBF champion Evander Holyfield to finally crown an undisputed champion, but their meeting on 13 March 1999 at Madison Square Garden ended in a controversial draw, although nearly all felt that Lewis had been robbed. An immediate rematch was arranged for 13 November at the Thomas & Mack Center that same year, and this time Lewis took home all three belts after earning a close, but unanimous decision.
As 1993 began, Riddick Bowe moved forward as holder of both the WBA & IBF titles, making two defences, before electing to meet Evander Holyfield in a much anticipated rematch. This time, on 6 November 1993 at Caesars Palace, the tables were turned when Holyfield became a two-time champion with a close points win. But Michael Moorer ripped both away on 22 April 1994, again at Caesars, when he climbed up from a second round knockdown to became the first southpaw heavyweight champion history, courtesy of a majority decision. History was shockingly made again next time out when Moorer met George Foreman on 5 November 1994. After outboxing Foreman for nine rounds, Moorer was caught with a sledgehammer one-two and knocked out in the tenth as Foreman became the oldest heavyweight champion in history and, you guessed it, a two-time champion.
However, Foreman was unwilling to face WBA mandatory challenger Tony Tucker next, so he was promptly stripped of the organisation’s title. Tucker was matched with Bruce Seldon on 8 April 1995 at Caesars Palace for the vacant belt, with Seldon scoring a seventh round win to become champion. Foreman had gone ahead with an IBF title defence against Axel Schulz later the same month (22nd) before he was stripped of this title too for failure to grant Schulz a rematch. Moorer was paired with Schulz to find a successor. They met in Germany on 22 June 1996 with Moorer earning a split decision, the title, and becoming a two-time champion. Seldon made one defence of the WBA title before being halted in the first by Mike Tyson. Tyson then put the title on the line against rival Evander Holyfield in their long awaited showdown on 9 November 1996. Holyfield was considered washed up after having previously being stopped by Riddick Bowe in their rubber match and then struggling last time out with the naturally smaller Bobby Czyz. But in front of a packed house at the MGM Grand, Holyfield produced a stunning performance, dropping Tyson in round six before pounding him in to defeat in the eleventh to join Muhammad Ali as a three-time heavyweight champion. An immediate rematch with Tyson ended shockingly as Tyson was disqualified after three rounds when he bit a chunk from Holyfield’s right ear and then attempted to do the same to his left. Holyfield then went in again with Moorer in a bid to once again unify the titles. Moorer had defended the IBF title twice, but in this meeting on 8 November 1997 at the Thomas & Mack Center, despite staggering Holyfield early, he came off second best as he was knocked him down five times and pulled out after eight rounds. Holyfield was once again in possession of two titles. After one more defence, Holyfield went for undisputed glory against Lennox Lewis.
The WBO Conundrum
When the WBO was first formed back in 1988 it was generally considered inferior to the three other governing bodies and many refused to recognise it as a legitimate championship, particularly in the heavyweight division. In fact, it wasn’t until Wladimir Klitschko became champion in 2000 that it finally gained a modicum of acceptance. The problem was that whilst the bigger name fighters were battling over the “big three”, those that chose to fight for the title were either considered weaker than the others or they used it as a stepping stone to greater rewards. The roll call: Francesco Damiani, Ray Mercer, Michael Moorer, Tommy Morrison, Michael Bentt, Herbie Hide, Riddick Bowe, Henry Akinwande, Herbie Hide (2), Vitali Klitschko, Chris Byrd and Wladimir Klitschko. Mercer, Moorer, Bowe and Akinwande all vacated to seek bigger opportunities. When Klitschko entered his second reign as champion (2008) the introduction of “interim” and “super” champions was already underway, enhancing the WBO’s standing and raising it on par with the existing alphabet boys.
Klitschko went on to establish himself as one of the most dominant champions in history, unifying three out of four titles as his brother Vitali completed the set as WBC champion. Tyson Fury’s upset win in 2015 and subsequent disappearing act as he battled outside of the ring issues, left the division to establish a new leader. Anthony Joshua collected three of the belts whilst a refreshed Fury returned and ripped the WBC title from Deontay Wilder. Today, as we move through 2021 and try to restart the world after the Covid-19 pandemic, the boxing world has once again turned its attention to the ‘big men” and the unification between Fury and Joshua. Who will emerge from this titanic showdown to carry the weight of boxing on their shoulders? Will they cement themselves as the next great heavyweight? Or will they be another “inbetween king”, holding the belts until the next great talent rises to claim his throne.
