SONAHR: May 16, 2016 – Debates over who were the greatest heavyweight champions of all time have been raging since the gaslight era of John L. Sullivan and ?Gentleman Jim? Corbett. Jack Johnson, Jack Dempsey, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Muhammad Ali ? these men are bright lights whose luster has not dimmed with passing decades. But an equal and opposite question arises. Who were the worst fighters ever to have worn ? however briefly ? the most prestigious crown in the sport? Here?s a roster of a dozen ?cheese champions,? listed in alphabetical order.
Trevor Berbick was an off-and-on performer who is something of a footnote in heavyweight history. He was the last man to fight Muhammad Ali, scoring a dreary 10-round decision over the washed-up three-time former champ. He was the first challenger to last the distance against Larry Holmes, though Berbick lost the decision. During one of his ?on? nights, he outpointed Pinklon Thomas to gain the WBC title in 1986. But he is best remembered for crashing to the canvas three times from a single left hook landed by Mike Tyson during the second and final round of the 1986 bout in which the 20-year-old Tyson became the youngest boxer to win a piece of the heavyweight crown.
Frans Botha was a mediocrity who outpointed Axel Schulz in a contest for the vacant IBF title, which had been stripped from the ample waist of 46-year-old champion George Foreman in 1995. That title was, in turn, taken away from Botha after the South African failed a post-fight drug test. Although Botha remained a contender for several years after that debacle, knockout losses to Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson provided an accurate gauge of his limited abilities.
Frank Bruno possessed a ripped physique and devastating punching power. He was also plagued by a fragile chin and shaky confidence. After being knocked out in title tries against Tim Witherspoon and Mike Tyson, Bruno finally captured the WBC crown by decision over an equally shaky Oliver McCall. But Bruno froze again in a second fight with Tyson, and surrendered in three rounds. He was also stopped by Lennox Lewis in a later title try.
Primo Carnera stood 6?6? tall and weighed about 260 lb. Among today?s heavyweights, that kind of bulk is far from unusual ? perhaps even the norm. But during his time, which was the 1930s, Carnera was a giant. However, his ability did not match his dimensions, and it is widely believed that the majority of his victories, including his title-winning KO of Jack Sharkey, were not on the level. Max Baer destroyed him to take his title in 1934, and the giant was never able to regain his place at the top of the beanstalk.
Michael Dokes had all the talent in the world, but he lacked the discipline to hone ? or even maintain ? his skills. Drugs were his downfall. He won the WBA title in 1982, on a fluky one-round stoppage of Mike Weaver. Weaver was able to hold him to a draw in the rematch. Dokes then lost his crown by knockout to Gerrie Coetzee. A decade after his ?prime,? Dokes somehow got a title shot against Riddick Bowe, and was blown out in the first round.
James ?Buster? Douglas was a middle-of-the-road contender who went into his 1990 challenge of the formidable Mike Tyson as a 42-1 underdog. In coming off the floor to halt the thought-to-be-invincible ?Iron Mike? in 10 surreal rounds, Douglas fought the one great fight of his life. After his epic victory, though, Buster reverted to type and was kayoed in three rounds by Evander Holyfield in his first defense. Never again was Douglas a serious factor in the division.
Oliver McCall landed the punch of a lifetime when a single right-hand bomb separated WBC champion Lennox Lewis from his senses in the second round of their 1994 title bout. McCall managed a single successful defense against a then-ancient Larry Holmes, before losing his title to Frank Bruno (who is also on this list). McCall is remembered for his nervous breakdown in a rematch with Lewis for the vacant WBC title ? and for the fact that, like George Chuvalo, he was never knocked off his feet in a professional bout.
Greg Page was, like Dokes, a charter member of the ?Lost Generation? of mid-1980s heavyweights who squandered their talent by smoking dope instead of socking their sparring partners. Seldom in shape, Page still managed to stop Gerrie Coetzee for the WBA title in 1983. A year later, he was outpointed by the similarly rotund Tony Tubbs. That was Page?s last sniff at the title, and he settled into a long run as a stepping stone that ended in tragedy when he was almost killed in his final bout.
Bruce Seldon was an inconsistent performer who managed to win the WBA title during the chaotic mid-1990s. He promptly lost it in a defense against the comebacking Mike Tyson, who knocked him out in the first round. That ?fight? is memorable only because the punch that turned Seldon?s lights out didn?t appear to actually hit anything. Unlike the shot Ali landed to stop Sonny Liston in their second fight, Tyson?s blow was a true ?phantom punch.? Seldon fought on, but his credibility was ruined.
James ?Bonecrusher? Smith was a powerful puncher with a solid chin. His boxing skills were primitive, but he still gave Larry Holmes a lot of trouble before being stopped in an IBF title challenge. Smith soldiered on, and in his next try at the title, he annihilated Tim Witherspoon in one round to seize the WBA crown. Then he went up against Mike Tyson, and clutched ?Iron Mike? like a man clinging to a life preserver in a stormy sea while dropping an ugly decision. Smith fought on for many more years, but he never came close to getting another title shot.
Leon Spinks caught lightning in a bottle when, in only his eighth professional contest, he outpointed the legendary Muhammad Ali for the title in 1978. And then Spinks dropped the bottle. After spending his title tenure partying and snorting cocaine, Spinks lost his crown back to Ali in a rematch later that year. ?Neon Leon? subsequently fizzled against the likes of Gerrie Coetzee and Larry Holmes. Dropping down to cruiserweight, he got creamed by champions Carlos De Leon and Dwight Muhammad Qawi. Spinks had his moment in the sun, but it was all-too-fleeting.
James Toney chowed his way up from middleweight to heavyweight, packing plenty of pounds on to his 5?10? frame along the way. Most of those pounds were unsightly lard, but Toney was probably the most effective obese heavyweight of all time. He proved it by outpointing John Ruiz for the WBA title in 2005. But, like Frans Botha a decade earlier, Toney failed a performance-enhancing drug test, and was immediately relieved of the title, which reverted to Ruiz. Toney fought on, but never again for a championship.
There are plenty of other disappointing champions who could have been included on this list ? names such as Pinklon Thomas, Shannon Briggs, Marvin Hart, Tony Tubbs, John Ruiz, and Charles Martin, among others. It just goes to show that boxing is capable of producing both gold and dross in any division. Here?s hoping that current heavyweight champions Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua turn out to be gold.
