Golota, Dirrell, Graham: As Ryan Garcia returns, who are the biggest names never to be world champion?

Ryan Garcia gets another world title crack on February 21 as he finally looks to become champion against WBC welterweight ruler, Mario Barrios.

Can the popular Californian finally do it? Or is he destined to be one of those fighters who could never get over the line when it mattered most?

Here, DAZN News  takes a look back at some of the other biggest names to have never become world champion during their careers in the ring.

Andre Dirrell

Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

The American enjoyed a terrific amateur career, with a bronze-medal finish at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games after a semi-final loss to Gennady Golovkin.

But across his professional career, Dirrell never managed to make his way to the top of the pile again, contesting multiple world title fights and coming up short each time.

He lost to Carl Froch by split decision for the WBC super middleweight title in 2008 and then to James DeGale by unanimous decision for the IBF super middleweight title in 2015.

Dirrell did win the vacant IBF interim super middleweight title in 2017 against José Uzcátegui, but the Venezuelan promptly reclaimed it in a rematch the following year.

Herol Graham 

Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport

Widely considered one of the best British boxers of the postwar era, and certainly the best to never become world champion, Graham claimed some major scalps in his time.

He defeated Lindell Holmes, Ayub Kalule and Vinny Pazienza, all title holders at one point or another in their careers, across a glittering 54-fight stint, with a 48-6 record.

But those losses came in some of the biggest fights Graham ever contested, with three of them world title fights that he failed to take advantage of in the end.

He lost to Mike McCallum for the WBA middleweight title in 1989, Julian Jackson for the same a year later and finally Charles Brewer for the IBF super-middleweight title in 1998.

Rocky Juarez

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

The American was a regular contender for titles throughout his career, but was also unable to make that final step to become world champion despite his efforts.

Juarez, who scored a silver medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games for the USA at featherweight, won The Ring Magazine Knockout of the Year against Antonio Diaz in 2003.

But across a 42-fight career, with 30 wins, 11 losses and a draw, he came up short against Marco Antonio Barrera twice for the WBA super-featherweight title in 2006.

He further challenged Juan Manuel Marquez for the belt in 2007, while his bid to take the WBA featherweight title from Chris John in 2009 ended in a draw too.

Martin Murray

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

Another great British boxer of the past twenty years, the Merseyside-born star challenged five times for a world title across the length of his career, but could not take the last step.

Having gone unbeaten across his career to date, he challenged Felix Sturm for the WBA middleweight title in 2011 and lost on a controversial split decision.

A first loss followed in 2013 when he fell to Sergio Martínez chasing the WBC middleweight belt, while a 2015 defeat to Golovkin saw him miss out on the WBA title again.

Murray had two more shots - a 2015 bout with Arthur Abraham for the WBO super-middleweight title and a 2020 clash with Billy Joe Saunders for the same - but lost both fights.

Andrew Golota

The Ring Magazine via Getty Images

The powerhouse from Poland picked up a bronze medal as an amateur when he competed at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games, and faced some great opponents over his career.

But in his four world title bouts, he blanked too, having made history as the first fighter from his country to challenge for a heavyweight crown at the top of the sport.

Golota had famously lost his last two bouts against Riddick Bowe by disqualification after repeated low blows when he lost to Lennox Lewis for the WBC heavyweight title in 1997.

He subsequently drew with Chris Byrd for the IBF heavyweight title in 2004, before losses to John Ruiz and Lamon Brewster for the WBA and WBO titles in 2004 and 2005.

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