Today as a boxing community, we tend to bash certain fighters for dodging the top fighters. A lot of boxing writers such as Dan Rafael of ESPN likes to bash Floyd Mayweather Jr., for dodging certain fighters. These writers might be right but if people actually look at the history of boxing, they'll find out that unfortunately it's been part of the sport since the beginning. There are a number of forgotten fighters in the past that could have reached the status of Sugar Ray Robinson and other legends if given the chance.
One fighter who is probably just as good as anyone in the history of the sport is Charley Burley. Burley was such a great fighter that guys in his own weight class wouldn't fight him much, so he had to take on fighters bigger opponents who had significant size advantage. Nowadays, guys wouldn't do that. He twice lost to Ezzard Charles but the latter outweighed him by about fifteen pounds. Many fighters today wouldn't even step in the ring with an opponent who posses such an advantage in size. Charles was an all-time great as well and a great heavyweight in his prime.
Early in his career, Burley fought Fritzie Zivic three times and won two out three. In fact, he had his manager take over Burley's contract so he may never face him again. He also had victories over Billy Soose who became champ after defeating Ken Overlin who was a tough fighter himself and actually beat Ezzard Charles.
One time Burley fought J.D. Turner who outweighed him by about seventy pounds and scored an impressive KO victory courtesy of his outstanding skill set. Perhaps his best win was against Archie Moore. It was a ten round fight but Burley proved to be too good and knocked him down four times in ten rounds!
Archie said Burley was the toughest of them all and said he was slick as lard but twice as greasy. Eddie Futch, one of boxing's greatest trainer stated that Burley was the finest all around fighter he has ever seen. His capacity as a fighter was highly regarded by the fact that many boxers such as Billy Conn and Sugar Ray Robinson, who told his manager that he was too pretty to face Burley did not want to fight him at all. Larry Kent, one of Sugar Ray Robinson's trainers once mentioned that Burley was the one fighter he didn't want Robinson to face. It is sad how some fighters were just as good as anyone but never got the opportunity.