NO. 6 (TIE) MARVIN HART
Height: 5-11½
Active: 1899-1910
Record: 28-7-4 (20 KOs)
Reign(s): 1905-06
Background: Hart benefited from having friends in high places. James J. Jeffries, who had recently retired as heavyweight champion, decided that Hart and Jack Root would fight for the vacant title in 1905 in Reno, Nevada — with Jeffries acting as referee — and the powers that be bought into it. Hart went down in Round 7 but rebounded to put Root down with a body shot in Round 12 and he couldn’t recover, making Hart champion. Jeffries, unhappy with the perception that he was a kingmaker, labeled Hart, in effect, an early “interim” champion who was required to prove his worthiness. He failed. In his first defense, the following year in Los Angeles, diminutive Tommy Burns, 17½ pounds lighter than Hart, outpointed him to take the title. Hart’s claim on the heavyweight title might’ve been controversial but, for the record, he had a number of quality victories. Among his victims? The great Jack Johnson.