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American heavyweights: Those who tried and failed

Fighters Network
16
Jan

This list originally ran in the August 2014 issue of THE RING Magazine and was a companion to the comprehensive piece on the best American heavyweights by decade called “From Dominant to Afterthought,” which you can read here.

Shannon Briggs was the last American to hold a major heavyweight title, winning it in November 2006 and then losing it seven months later in his first defense. Since then, U.S. heavyweights have fought for a championship 13 times and failed 13 times.

On Saturday, Deontay Wilder will attempt to break the curse when he faces WBC titleholder Bermane Stiverne at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Here’s the sorry list of those who tried and came up short, beginning with the most recent:



Bermane Stiverne vs Chris Arreola fukudaCHRIS ARREOLA
Date: May 10, 2014
Opponent: Bermane Stiverne
Title at stake: Vacant WBC
Result: TKO 6

TONY THOMPSON
Date: July 7, 2012
Opponent: Wladimir Klitschko
Title at stake: RING, IBF, WBO, WBA
Result: TKO 6

SHANNON BRIGGS
Date: Oct. 16, 2010
Opponent: Vitali Klitschko
Title at stake: WBC
Result: UD 12

JOHN RUIZ
Date: April 3, 2010
Opponent: David Haye
Title at stake: WBA
Result: TKO 9

EDDIE CHAMBERS
Date: March 20, 2010
Opponent: W. Klitschko
Title at stake: RING, IBF, WBO
Result: KO 12

Vitali Klitschko v Kevin Johnson - WBC ChampionshipKEVIN JOHNSON
Date: Dec. 12, 2009
Opponent: V. Klitschko
Title at stake: WBC
Result: UD 12

CHRIS ARREOLA
Date: Sept. 26, 2009
Opponent: V. Klitschko
Title at stake: WBC
Result: TKO 10

EVANDER HOLYFIELD
Date: Dec. 20, 2008
Opponent: Nikolai Valuev
Title at stake: WBA
Result: MD 12

HASIM RAHMAN
Date: Dec. 13, 2008
Opponent: W. Klitschko
Title at stake: IBF, WBO
Result: TKO 7

JOHN RUIZ
Date: Aug. 30, 2008
Opponent: Valuev
Title at stake: Vacant WBA
Result: UD 12

Wladimir Klitschko v Tony ThompsonTONY THOMPSON
Date: July 12, 2008
Opponent: W. Klitschko
Title at stake: WBO, IBF
Result: KO 11

EVANDER HOLYFIELD
Date: Oct. 13, 2007
Opponent: Sultan Ibragimov
Title at stake: WBO
Result: UD 12

LAMON BREWSTER
Date: July 7, 2007
Opponent: W. Klitschko
Title at stake: IBF
Result: TKO 6

 

Read: “American Heavyweights: From dominant to afterthought”

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